Losing You (Finding You Series Book 2)

by Amanda Mackey

  Damn. I’m wide-awake now.

  Was that sniffing? Could it be the rustling of the trees? The problem with sleeping outdoors was every tiny noise could be misconstrued as something sinister. What was it with night and the spooks?

  “Daniel?” I tried with baited breath, waiting for even a leaf to respond. The crying stopped. Someone was close and dreadfully upset.

  “I know you’re there. Come out so I can see you.” It didn’t cross my mind that apart from Jasmine and Daniel, no one else would even understand what was being said.

  The bushes swished. It was only an instant, but unless my eyes were playing tricks on me in the dark, I was almost certain that it was Daniel. He ran through the bushes away from my hut. What the heck was going on?

  Enough guessing. Time to take action. If I was going to get even an hour’s worth of sleep I needed to get to the bottom of this circus. Not wasting costly time, I lunged for the crutches and loped after my target, mouth knit, eyebrows pinched.

  The slow drag of the crutches couldn’t beat me. Fired up and ready for action, I blazed on, crushing anything in my path until the trail split in two.

  I’ve got to think! Which way would he have gone?

  The left pathway led to the dining area and out to a part of the island that I had yet to discover. Unfamiliar with the right path, I found myself in a quandary. Seconds buzzed by.

  Get it together and focus. You’re running out of time!

  Soon, there would be no point continuing, as he’d be long gone. I was fueled only by my quest for the truth. Each odd happening was leading me closer.

  A stick snapped and I was off.

  Like a beagle tailing a scent, the noises carried me on. The compacted sand helped me gain traction, propelling me faster. The crutches were truly getting a workout. Whoever had crafted them had done a chipper job. No “Made in China” with these babies. Handcrafted all the way, even if they had used archaic methods.

  I hated to admit it but my target was fleeing with all the speed of a cheetah and was impossible to catch. The lactic acid build-up in my arms forced me to stop and assess whether it was wise to continue. It was lunacy. I was out of my element. It would have made greater sense to wait until light instead of tearing away like a bull at a gate. Daniel knew this island like the back of his hand and I was simply a stranger that had been dropped in the middle of a labyrinth. There was no way to tell if I’d been going around in circles.

  The path suddenly ended. The ocean flickered ahead. My nemesis. The water shimmered under the heavy moon. It mocked me with its gentle ebb and flow. I knew better. I knew how cruel it could be. How unforgiving.

  I perched on a rock, not able to go any closer, needing the comfort Kyle’s presence brought me. I was hungry for the safety and strength of his arms. The rapturous kisses to die for and the feel of his brutally hard, sculptured chest and washboard stomach.

  Our sacred place was a whisper away, high and accessible only by thought. I needed to go there desperately.

  Won’t you join me, Kyle, in our minds and our hearts? Hold me and comfort me with all that you have. Lead me out of this travesty into what I know is valid and complete. Give me the courage to leave behind hardship and destitution and give me the strength to move forward. Pray for Daniel’s protection and escape from the only life he has ever known. Wrap your arms around both of us and send forth light and guidance so that we can find our way back to each other.

  “Dakota, what are you doing out here at this time of night?”

  I jumped a foot off the rock, both crutches falling away to the sandy path. It was Daniel. My hand clutched my chest. “Daniel! You scared me! I’ve been looking for you. I heard someone crying earlier. Was it you? I set out after you but these crutches slowed me down. You were too fast.” Desperation pitched my voice.

  “Yes. It was me you heard. I had a disagreement with my father: That was all. It was no big deal. I always cry when he yells at me and then I come out and sit near the water until I calm down. Do you want me to lead you back to your hut?”

  I didn’t buy it. It was all a bit too casual for my liking. Why would his father be rousing on him at some ungodly hour? Didn’t these people sleep?

  As he crept around beside me I noticed fresh, red marks on his arms below the old bruises. Red marks that had been put there with a great deal of force. Both arms were the same, like he’d been grabbed and shaken. I failed to avert my eyes quick enough and caught his pained expression. My stomach lurched. I could have cried right then and there but used my head this time.

  Things needed to be taken slowly in order to gain his trust. It was my greatest hope that he would tell me everything before it was time to leave the island.

  “It’ll be time for breakfast in three hours. I’ll whistle to you from down the track. You should be able to hear it if you’re a light sleeper.”

  Breakfast would be a do-over this morning. I’d still be awake stressing about Daniel and what I could do to help. I tried to be rational and tell myself I was barking up the wrong tree but my gut instinct just wouldn’t let me, so for once, I was going to listen to it.

  We said a hasty good night and I climbed into bed to rest until breakfast. I had been correct in my assumption that sleep wouldn’t come. I lay with my eyes open, staring up at the straw roof trying to formulate a plan. Should I casually mention to Jasmine about Daniel’s bruises and gauge her reaction? I mean, seriously? What did I think I could do to help, anyway? This was Daniel’s home. I was a stranger that was here only temporarily. I tossed and turned, answers eluding me. Maybe in the light of day, I’d think of something.

  As a new day was born, Daniel whistled loudly. Dark bled into light as if an artist had dipped his color into white. My eyes felt like lead from lack of sleep and my body was cursing at me for having to get up, but there was no way I was missing breakfast. Some fruit, bread, and nuts would pick me up for a bit until at some stage my raging weariness would drop me like a ton of bricks. There was nothing more desirable than a hot shower. A hot cup of double-shot coffee. A rack of lamb. McDonald’s French fries. Television. A drive in a car. Reruns of Seinfeld! The list could go on and on. In fact, if everything I craved stood end to end, they would circle the entire globe. I wanted my life back and all the little things I’d taken for granted.

  Rising and moving as if in reverse, my crutches even groaned wearily as I made my way to breakfast. I was ready to drop upon arrival.

  Daniel sat at his usual place between his parents, feigning an attempt at happiness as I snagged a glimpse. He smiled with his eyes. He was glad I had made it to breakfast.

  I leered at the brusque chunk of impatience beside Daniel to measure what I was up against. The stone statue looked like a Neanderthal. A hunter for his people. Uncivilized and indecorous. A swine no one dared challenge.

  I could see the arrogance and authority washing off him in waves. He never smiled. Hardly ever spoke to anyone except to bark at Daniel. I disliked him. The thing that frightened me the most was his dark, dark aura. It made me shiver.

  My gaze moved to Jasmine. What was her story and where did she fit into the whole scheme of things? Her aura wasn’t as dark but it was murky in places. She was troubled, too. I felt like I was sitting at a funeral. It was utterly depressing. What a horrible place for Daniel to have to grow up.

  A few other children were scattered around the tables with their parents but they appeared happier. Not frightened. Children shouldn’t have the look of fear in their eyes. No one should.

  This time after eating I was the first to leave. Not wanting to return to my hut, but unfamiliar with most of the island, I hobbled to the same rock I’d sat on only a few hours earlier. It was just far enough away from the ocean to not bring on a panic attack. I could only catch glimpses of it through the brush. Sweet honeysuckle flowers followed me. The inlet was sheltered and untouched. An old weathered rowboat lay upside down amongst the sand and tangled vines. It looked abandoned and uncared for. A sea
tern sat grandly on top, surveying the scene for hostile aggressors, preening itself in the morning sunshine. Palm trees shaded me from the punishing sun as I sat, happy to listen to the sounds of nature while I tried to clear my head.

  Not long ago, I’d wished to meet other people on the island and now that I’d been exposed to them, I wasn’t sure I cared any more. Being on my own might just be the better option. I couldn’t get back to civilization fast enough. I didn’t know how I would cope if I’d been told that I’d have to live the rest of my life here. It would be worse than a life sentence in any prison.

  I wondered how far away I was from Sapphire Island. Twenty minutes in the air on a fast moving jet and then floating for days at sea told me that I was a fair distance. I really was isolated. The next month was going to feel like forever.

  I was in my own head in that moment so I didn’t hear anyone lurking in the shadows until they spoke.

  “Hello, Dakota.”

  “Daniel! You have to stop scaring me! My heart can’t cope. Make some noise when you approach, please!” I tried to sound lighthearted but wanted to get my point across. I had become so much jumpier since the accident. Any little noise seemed to fray my nerves.

  “Sorry. I didn’t realize.” He twisted his hands in front of him, looking down. I couldn’t help but feel annoyed with myself for sounding upset at him.

  “That’s okay. It’s just so quiet here and I wasn’t expecting any company. Here, why don’t you come sit beside me?” The large rock with its flat top was big enough for both of us.

  He sat next to me but was quiet, so I opened up a little to try and get him to relax.

  “I was just sitting here thinking about when I leave. Life on this island is a little too different for my liking. I’m looking forward to returning to all the modern conveniences life has to offer.”

  That seemed to tweak his interest. Looking up at me with curious eyes, he smiled softly. “Tell me what things you have in other countries. What’s it like?”

  I smirked at his naïveté, and went on, “We drive around in vehicles called cars. We have large cars and small cars, rich cars and poor cars. They are different colors, shapes, and sizes. You travel very fast in them and we use roads to lead us to different places. The cars are powered by engines and run on tires. You’ve probably seen them in the books you use to study English.”

  “I have seen a few pictures, yes. Kind of like a boat but with wheels.”

  “That’s right! There are millions of them, everywhere. Especially in big cities. Sometimes all the cars get stuck in a traffic jam because everyone is trying to go the same way.”

  His face filled with expression. “Maybe one day I can visit you overseas and you can take me for a ride in a car. I’d very much like to go for a ride in one.”

  “I’d love for you to visit. I think you’d like the modern world. There would be so much for you to do and see.”

  The child was missing out on a whole world of fun and discovery. His aptitude was being wasted. There were so many opportunities passing him by. It pained and frustrated me big time. His quest to learn English told me he wanted to better himself and create a better life—after all, he had no use for English on the primitive island he called home.

  It pleased me though that he was starting to trust me. I liked him and hoped that one day I could help him escape so he could go live in the real world.

  “What other things do you have?”

  I loved sharing my world with him. It also reminded me of what I was missing.

  “Well, we have television and candy, and we eat animals, such as cows and sheep.”

  His face screwed up. “What is candy?”

  “It’s a sweet, delicious food that we’re not meant to eat too much of, but most of us do anyway. It leaves you craving more. It’s filled with sugar and puts holes in your teeth. Then you have to go and have someone called a dentist fill the hole.”

  “Then why do you eat it?” He was too smart for his own good.

  Thinking for a logical reason, there was none.

  “I don’t really know exactly, but when you come to visit, I’ll let you taste some and then you can judge for yourself as to whether you’ll have any more or not.”

  We slid into easy dialogue, discussing all the good things that modern life had to offer. There was so much Daniel wanted to know, sopping it up like a sponge. I rattled on and on as long as he wanted to listen, like an out of control train. There was no stopping me. I was as eager to converse as he was to listen.

  Out of that morning a friendship formed. We were both outcasts on the island and so gravitated to each other for camaraderie. Friendship had no limits like age, color, or creed. I was only too happy to teach the youngster about anything that interested him.

  We’d been chatting for quite a while when Daniel’s father roared out of the bushes. It was native tongue so I couldn’t understand what he was yelling.

  “Oh no! It’s my father! I was meant to be collecting fruit for lunch. I haven’t got any.”

  “It’s okay! I’ll cover for you. Go, quickly! That way.” I sent him downwind and around the bend out of sight and harm’s way. He didn’t need to be asked twice as he scampered away.

  I stood, moving out from the rock, bracing myself with the crutches, not knowing what would transpire.

  The silverback gorilla barked out words deafeningly, approaching in strides down the track towards me.

  His black orbs tore strips off me, his hands clenched at his sides. I bit my tongue at the venomous sounds leaking from his mouth. He looked furious.

  This was the man that had saved me? It didn’t make sense. Why had he bothered? Early on I’d wanted to thank him, but not anymore. I was staring at this hulk of a man who not only wouldn’t understand a word of my gratitude but who didn’t deserve an ounce of it. It had to have been the other fisherman he was with that pulled me into the boat. The maniac standing before me wouldn’t have bothered.

  His face moved within inches of mine and at first it appeared that he was going to bite my nose off or kiss me. Neither option was thrilling.

  He roared again in my face. It took everything I had within me not to cower down.

  I stood like a stunned mullet, desperate to say something but not coming up with so much as a, boo.

  He hissed again.

  My ears rang. I took a step back, hoping I didn’t lose my balance. He followed, erasing my ability to think. I instantly recognized it as fear. My dear, old friend.

  His chubby sausage fingers poked into my shoulder, sending an electric shock through me.

  “I don’t know where he is! I haven’t seen him!” It was all I could say. I assumed he was calling for Daniel, obviously assuming I must know where he was.

  It failed to get him off me. In fact those same chubby fingers that had poked and prodded my shoulder now slapped my face, hard and fast. I recoiled in stunned disbelief and horror as my hand dropped one of the crutches to nurse my stinging cheek, triggering a fall flat on my backside. I was too astonished to cry as I waited for him to come at me again, but he didn’t.

  Instead, he spat on me. Literally, a big golly rolled out of his enormous, swollen lips and landed on my arm, then oozed like honey down and around the crease at my elbow. Happy with that, he stormed off as if I was some lower gutter trash, on my butt where I belonged.

  “You bastard! If my fiancé was here he’d rip you a new one.” It came a little late but I was too shaken to worry about such trivialities.

  Staying low, feeling my lips tremble, my eyes welled up. I slammed my fist into some sand, whimpering and afraid. This was worse than I first thought. Daniel must be petrified. I was petrified for him. That malicious troll would give my ex-husband a run for his money. I had to save Daniel. I was the only one prepared to try. I couldn’t let my own fear of the man stop me from my ultimate goal.

  ***

  I halfheartedly made my way back to the hut. My space. I was suddenly feeling very possess
ive of the small area. Maybe my little corner of the island wasn’t so bad after all. I could escape the drama that seemed to be growing around me. And I knew nobody except Jasmine would bother me.

  I drank some coconut juice left from a couple of days ago, not caring if it was rancid. I needed fluid to quench my dry throat after my melee with Daniel’s father. Asshole!

  Ugh! I really didn’t need to be dealing with all this crap! I had enough of my own shit.

  Still, I wouldn’t let Daniel suffer alone if I could help it. Looking back now, I wish that I’d confided more in my parents and asked for their help. Maybe it wouldn’t have led to that final, brutal altercation.

  I suppose I should really thank John for that though, because ultimately I may never have found Kyle. It was because of my brush with death that my parents had gifted me the holiday to Sapphire Island.

  I hoped he was missing me as much as I was missing him. Had filming finished? What I would give to be with him right now. My yearning hadn’t dimmed. If anything it had become stronger. I prayed he still felt the same.

  Sitting on my bed, I finished the rest of the coconut milk, listening to my stomach crying out for something more. It must be lunch time. My body had responded to the routine of meal times fairly rapidly and it was now letting me know rather loudly that I needed to feed it.

  Where was Daniel? Had he forgotten to whistle on his way? Was he still hiding from his father? Overthinking everything was not going to get my stomach fed.

  Picking up my crutches, I made my way towards lunch, hoping that when I arrived at the dining area there would be a huge spread of food.

  Boy, was I sorely disappointed. Nothing! No one was even around setting up. Had I missed it or was I too early? It really sucked not having a watch or my cell phone to tell me the time. So much for relying on my stomach as a guide.

  The only other option I had was to find fruit on the trees myself. There seemed to be an abundance of it around. How hard could it be?