Whispering Waves

by Jamie Berris

  On the ride into town, Sadie stayed next to the Doodlebug that pulled Nicholas behind her dad’s bike. At the ice cream shop, she did the same, kept her distance, mostly talking with Andrea and wiping Nicholas’s face every three seconds. Sadie kept catching Travis glancing at her, and she couldn’t help but smile and quickly look away so no one would notice. She was nervous he was going to make it obvious.

  It was band night in the center of town at the gazebo, so they went and joined the several hundred people gathered on the grass. Kids were running around, dancing, there were men making animals out of balloons for the kids, the police officers were handing out stickers, and every kid under ten was getting their face painted. It brought back so many memories of her mother dancing with her and Jayna, twirling them around and acting silly to the classical jams.

  Sadie was in her own world, playing the drums on Nicholas’s back when Jayna sat down next to her. “Everybody knows, Sadie, so you two can stop ignoring each other.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, don’t play dumb. It’s obvious what happened between you and Travis when he went looking for you.”

  With the look Jayna had on her face, Sadie knew something was up. “What did you say to him?”

  “Nothing really, I just looked at him and told him now was his chance. We both knew there was only one place you would be.”

  At first, Sadie wanted to tell Jayna to mind her own business from now on, but she knew she didn’t mean it. She was glad Jayna gave Travis the push to come look for her. Jayna never knew when to keep her mouth shut, but this was one of those times Sadie was glad she didn’t.

  “Only one downfall,” Jayna said, biting her lip. “I’m pretty sure Paige knew what was going on. The second Travis left, she grabbed her stuff and made up some excuse about babysitting.”

  Sadie instantly felt a knot in her stomach. Even though she was jealous of Paige and Travis, and the way Paige had been acting was super annoying, she didn’t dislike Paige, and she truly didn’t want to hurt her. But yet, she couldn’t say she would change the way things happened either. What if Paige called Dylan? Would she?

  “Did she seem really upset?”

  “Actually, she seemed embarrassed, like she couldn’t leave fast enough. I felt bad for her, Sadie.”

  It was really starting to hit Sadie what she was going to have to deal with between Dylan and Paige. She had witnessed breakups with a lot of fighting, tears, and drama more than enough around school, and even a little bit when Dylan dumped Allison for her, but nothing like this.

  “This part really sucks.”

  “I hope you’re serious about Travis. You’re not going to go running back to Dylan as soon as we get home and screw Travis over?”

  Sadie knew her relationship with Dylan was over and she wasn’t going to ditch Travis, but she also knew she still had feelings for Dylan and it wasn’t going to be easy. He was her first boyfriend, her first everything, and he would always be the boyfriend that was there for her when her mom died. She was scared he was going to hate her—she didn’t want that. The situation truly saddened her.

  “I’m not going to screw Travis over, Jayna.”

  Jayna looked at Sadie, studied her sister. “You better not, cuz I like Travis, and I went out on a limb for you.”

  “Don’t push it, matchmaker,” snapped Sadie. She grabbed her sister’s hand and pulled her up, telling her to go dance with Nicholas. To Sadie’s surprise, she actually did! Sadie decided not to play a charade and went and sat down next to Travis.

  Andrea was thumping her foot in the grass to the beat of the music when Sadie caught her looking and grinning towards her and Travis. Sadie smiled back and had that urge to hug her again. Instead, she grabbed Travis’s hand, completely catching him and Cody off guard.

  Cody smirked. “About time.”

  Chapter 39

  Kurt

  Shortly after 1:00 a.m., Sadie pushed open the screen door and joined Kurt sitting by the fire. The soft glow of the hot coals in the fire pit blazed before him.

  “If you’re trying to sneak Mom’s diary, I hid it really well,” he joked.

  “Only Jayna would try that again.” Sadie didn’t dare ask, but wondered if that meant it was going to be off limits.

  Kurt smirked. “Aw, give your sister a break—she means well.”

  Sadie knew she did, and that she needed to cut her sister some slack, but it seemed every time she did, Jayna pulled another stunt.

  “So, what’s going on with you and Travis?” he asked bluntly.

  Kurt seemed surprised when Sadie opened up. She spilled about hanging onto Dylan because that was all she ever knew, about being nervous that he was going off to college, and losing yet another important person, and that she knew she wasn’t as in love with him as she thought she was because she had strong feelings for Travis.

  She asked for Kurt’s advice on how to break it off with Dylan. She had chickened out tonight when she talked to him and knew she had to tell him in the morning.

  She’d talked to Dylan after he got out of work, and he acted like he didn’t have time to talk to her. He’d said he was in a rush to get to Brady’s house because they were headed to a party near campus. She almost blurted out that she was dumping him, but she didn’t have the energy to fight. Sadie knew he was trying to make her jealous.

  Kurt took the direct route and told Sadie it was best to be honest. “Sometimes the truth hurts, but not as bad as when the lies catch up to you.”

  Sadie wondered if her dad was talking about more than just Dylan, but wasn’t in the mood to go further with it. She was emotionally exhausted and really just wanted to go to bed. Sadie kissed Kurt on the cheek as she got up from the steps.

  Kurt grimaced. “I noticed Paige and Travis were hanging around each other quite a bit. Is she upset about the two of you?”

  Sadie stood on the steps, looking down at her dad’s back and thought for a second about how to answer the question. She suddenly felt like she was on the defense. “Do you think I’m only after Travis to beat out Paige? Because of Marissa? To stir the pot?”

  “That’s not what I meant, Sadie—that’s not what I asked. I was just curious to know if Paige was really hurt about Travis or not.”

  “Travis and I have nothing to do with Paige. He didn’t even like her, and it’s not like they were even a couple, so I don’t know what to tell you.”

  Kurt turned toward his daughter. He could tell she was getting upset; he could hear the quiver in her voice. He stood up to face her, and since he was a couple of steps below her, they were eye to eye, until she dropped her head.

  “Look, Sadie. I just want us all to be able to get through this as easily as possible. Marissa hasn’t told Paige about Nicholas yet. She was here all day with Travis, and last I talked to Marissa, she hadn’t come home yet.”

  “Did you tell Marissa about Travis and me?”

  Kurt shook his head. “No. I’m staying out of that.”

  “Travis texted Paige and asked her to call him, but she didn’t. I feel bad about it, Dad. I really do. It’s not like I planned all of this, and it’s not like I dislike Paige or anything.”

  Kurt reached out and hugged Sadie. “I’m sorry if I sounded like I was accusing you of trying to start something with Paige through Travis. That’s not what I meant.”

  “It seems like ever since Mom died there is so much drama. I hate it! Everything was so simple before.”

  ~*~

  Marissa

  When Paige finally returned Marissa’s call, Marissa caught her in a lie but decided not to hold her accountable. Marissa asked who it was that she left Pentwater to babysit for, and Paige said she actually had the days confused and shortly after getting on the highway she realized it, but by then didn’t feel like going back.

  Marissa already knew from talking to Andrea that Sadie and Travis were becoming a couple. Andrea was worried about Paige when she left, so she had called Marissa to fil
l her in.

  It sat uneasy with Marissa because Paige didn’t date often and she seemed really excited about Travis. No mother wanted to see her daughter crushed and heartbroken. She only hoped Sadie’s feelings for Travis had nothing to do with Paige.

  One thing was for certain. Marissa was not going to be one of those mothers who got in the middle of her teenage daughter’s relationships. She was a firm believer that kids needed to figure out their problems on their own. Of course, she would always be there for Paige if she asked for advice or even as a sounding board, but this was a life lesson for Paige to work through.

  She was also not going to let this get between her and Kurt. What went on between their daughters, friends, and boyfriends was between them. She was not going to let it interfere with her relationship.

  Marissa told Paige to stop and grab a movie for them on her way home, but Paige begged and pleaded to stay out. She said she had just hung up with Megan and she was going straight to her house for a sleepover.

  Rather than argue with Paige, Marissa caved. She really wanted to tell Paige tonight that Nicholas was her half-brother, but quite honestly, after three glasses of wine, she wanted nothing more than a shower and her bed. Tomorrow they would talk.

  Chapter 40

  Sadie

  Sadie woke feeling both giddy and full of anxiety. She felt that new-love giddy feeling for Travis. She couldn’t wait to be with him all day, no pretending, and no feeling confused or jealous. No wondering what he was thinking or trying to read into his actions.

  The anxiety, well, that had settled in her stomach for the call she had to make to Dylan. She knew he didn’t have to work today, so he would probably be calling, asking to drive out. She thought she probably had a couple of hours before he rolled out of bed—no doubt he was probably out until the wee hours of the night at his college party.

  Dylan had sent her a text around three in the morning that said he couldn’t wait to tell her who he ran into. She didn’t see the text until she woke up this morning. She felt like texting back “Allison?” but decided it wasn’t worth it.

  To Sadie’s surprise, the cottage was quiet. Nicholas usually had the TV tuned into cartoons as he played with his trucks and Legos on the floor while Kurt sat on the porch with his coffee, paper, and talk radio jabbering away.

  The chalkboard by the door where they left messages for each other read “Gone fishing” with a picture of a fish drawn next to it by Nicholas. The chair was still pushed up to the wall under the chalkboard, and the chalk was sitting on the seat along with several dusty little fingerprints.

  Sadie grabbed a banana off the counter and pushed open the screen door. It was supposed to reach ninety degrees today, and the temperature was climbing fast. The air was so thick with humidity she felt like she was stepping into a steam room.

  “Don’t eat that!” she heard as she plopped into the Adirondack and began to peel her banana.

  Travis came jogging through the sand toward her. “Don’t eat that,” he said again as he approached her.

  Sadie eyed her banana, wondering if it carried some sort of disease. “Uh, okay, why?”

  “I thought we would go into town for breakfast.”

  Sadie sighed. “Here I thought there was an emergency recall on bananas for salmonella poisoning or something.”

  “Sorry, I just had a craving for cinnamon French toast.”

  “Are you asking me on a first date, Travis Sutherland?”

  Travis smiled. “I guess.”

  Sadie went back to peeling her banana. “Breakfast sounds good, but I’m starving, so can I eat my banana too?”

  Travis and Sadie took their time walking into town, hand in hand. She thought for sure that Cody would be tagging along with them, which would have been fine with Sadie, but instead, he went for a run with Benton.

  Travis confessed that Paige called him in the middle of the night and left him a message and he hadn’t returned her call yet this morning. He said she sounded like she had been drinking and it was loud in the background. Sounds like both Dylan and Paige were leaving drunken messages in the middle of the night.

  The smile on Sadie’s face as they shared a gigantic cinnamon roll was contagious. Travis couldn’t help but beam. He hadn’t seen Sadie like this their entire vacation. She was actually acting like the Sadie he had known all his life. Carefree. Happy. She even looked prettier.

  There was never a dull moment between them. They had so much to talk about since they went to different schools and didn’t know each other’s friends. They gossiped a bit about their friends, they remembered stories from when they were little, and they tried to count how many times they had eaten breakfast at this restaurant over the past sixteen years.

  Travis brought up the time they were racing down Old Baldy and Sadie was in the lead, but only by an arm’s length. Travis had stuck his arm out just far enough to give her a little shove. Sadie had tumbled forward, landing face first in the sand, getting a mouthful. Sand was in her eyes, ears, pretty much every crevice of her body. Travis kept running, whizzing by, and grateful to be in the lead.

  The memory was still fresh in Sadie’s mind, especially since they were eleven when it happened! Sadie remembered bursting into tears, and being embarrassed that she did, but being thankful it was one of those times when all the parents were at the bottom of the hill, taking pictures and videotaping, so there were plenty of witnesses. Benton had not gone easy on Travis!

  “You were kind of snotty to me the rest of that vacation,” recalled Travis with a smirk.

  “Snotty? You’re lucky I ever spoke to you again! I mean you pushed me from behind. I should try and dig that video out.”

  Travis got a funny look on his face. “If you can’t find it, we can watch mine.” He paused for a moment. “After your mom’s funeral, my mom dug out all of our vacation videos and we watched them. We all laughed and cried together. Your mom was really cool and made the best brownies ever!”

  Sadie felt no sadness at the reminiscing—it made her so happy. “That’s awesome, thanks.” They kept talking, until they realized the restaurant was starting to seat people for lunch—it was nearly eleven thirty.

  On their way back to the cottage, they took the long way, walking up and down the streets of town, down the channel, out to the pier, and along the beach. Sadie opened up and told Travis everything about her mother’s diary. It was so easy talking to him, and the more she talked, the more she felt okay with it. She knew her secret was safe with Travis.

  They held hands, and with every step they took together, Sadie felt surer about Travis than she ever felt about Dylan. That was until their steps brought them back to the cottage, where Dylan and Paige were waiting for them. Panic seared through Sadie as she dropped Travis’s hand. Crap. Busted.

  Of course, it wasn’t just Dylan and Paige before them—it was everyone. It appeared to be a normal afternoon on the beach, but Sadie knew this was so not going to be normal.

  Sadie mumbled quietly to Travis, “Either this is going to be a huge spectacle in front of everyone, or our families are going to be the best buffer ever.”

  As Sadie and Travis got closer, all eyes were on them. Jayna’s eyes looked like they were going to fall out of her head as she stared back and forth between Sadie and Travis and Dylan and Paige. Everyone else suddenly tried to busy themselves in the sand or head for the water.

  Dylan was next to Nicholas; he looked up with a glare and then back at the sand. He was digging vigorously with his shovel, his biceps flexing and his veins popping. Yep, he was really pissed!

  Paige was sitting near Dylan, grabbing handfuls of sand and letting it slowly sift out of her fist like an hourglass timer.

  “There might still be time to turn around and run,” joked Sadie nervously.

  “Yeah, this is definitely awkward,” Travis whispered.

  When they were about thirty feet from their crowd, Dylan stood up, chucked the shovel, and walked toward them. Both Sadie and Trav
is slowed to a crawl so the confrontation would be semi-private. Dylan’s eyes were shifting back and forth between her and Travis.

  “What the hell, Sadie? Was I going to be the last to know? Or were you going to cheat on me your entire vacation and then come home like nothing happened?”

  Dylan’s voice was ice cold, but at least he wasn’t yelling or putting his fist in Travis’s face . . . yet. Sadie could barely look at Dylan. Half of her wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him she was sorry, not that she wanted to be with him, but because she didn’t want it to be like this. She really didn’t want to hurt him or have him completely hate her.

  “It’s not what you think, Dylan; nothing’s happened.” Well, except for a couple of kisses, but what Sadie really meant was that this just happened last night. “We haven’t been sneaking around all vacation, Dylan, I promise. It just sort of happened last night. I was going to call you first thing.”

  Sadie started to fumble, and her eyes filled up with tears. She actually wished Dylan would try a cheap shot at Travis. It would make it easier for her to get mad, scream at him, and tell him to get lost.

  “A phone call? Wow, Sadie, how big of you. And you,” said Dylan, looking at Travis. Dylan took a step forward and poked a finger at Travis’s chest, obviously trying to intimidate him. “I thought we had an understanding. Sadie’s already taken; that means not up for grabs, asshole!”

  Travis held his ground and didn’t step back. He wasn’t as much of a hothead as Dylan, but he could definitely hold his own if he had to. “Dude, I had no intention of anything happening.”

  Sadie interrupted Travis and stepped between the two of them. “I hate to break it to you, Dylan, but it’s really not up to you who I go out with. I’m perfectly capable of making that decision myself. To be quite honest, you can blame me. I’m the one who went after Travis. And don’t act like everything was all perfect between the two of us. We both know it wasn’t.”