by Jordan Ford
“Aidan.” Mom snaps her fingers in my direction. “What happened?”
“Uh…” I blow out a breath. “It was dark, so I couldn’t really see. I didn’t even know it was Skylar until we got her onto the beach.”
“What were you doing down there so late? And by the pier? You never go to the south end.”
Now would probably be an appropriate time to tell her that I’ve been hanging out a lot at the south end, but I’m not sure I have the energy for that discussion.
Instead I hedge and mumble, “We just went for a walk after dinner.” I can’t admit the water fight or the fact that I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had so much fun. “Then we heard this scream, and something hit the water. I ran in and started swimming as fast as I could.”
Dad gives me a proud smile as he rests his elbows on his knees. “So, you didn’t see Skylar fall?”
“No,” I croak. “I don’t know what happened to her.”
It’s only then that I remember Wyatt crying on the beach and wonder if he saw something. I store it away, making a mental note to try and catch him at school tomorrow.
Shit. School.
This is going to cause a firestorm.
Gossip will be rife as students try to figure out what Skylar was even doing down at the pier. We never go down there, especially at night. It’s creepy and cruddy, and we have way better places to hang out.
So why was she there?
Why was Wyatt there?
My mind instantly answers that question, reminding me of Wyatt’s stalker tendencies. Unless they went there together.
Seven minutes in heaven?
My face wrinkles with disgust, but I don’t have time to see the thought through because the sliding doors open and Savannah comes rushing into the emergency room.
Her face is streaked with tears, her brown eyes distraught as she hunts the room for answers.
I jerk out of my seat and go to meet her.
The second she spots me, she runs into my chest, wrapping her arms around me and weeping against my shirt.
“Is she okay? Is she gonna be okay?” Savannah whimpers.
I hold her close and kiss the top of her head. “She’s gonna be fine.” I dish out the promise like it’s foolproof, but I don’t actually know for sure.
The thought makes me hug Savvy a little harder.
She’s already lost so much. Skylar carried her through her mother’s death. Those two girls rely on each other for everything. You can’t have a Sky without a Savvy or a Savvy without a Sky.
The thought kind of kills me, and I feel Savannah’s pain as she weeps against my chest.
Pulling back, I gaze down at her, slashing the tears off her face and trying to think of anything to comfort her.
Sucking in a shaky breath, she whimpers and then lurches for my mouth. Her lips touch mine, feeling all too familiar as she tips her head and wraps her arms around my neck.
It’s a kiss to comfort, to distract.
I should pull away, but I’m afraid if I do that, I’ll break Savannah’s fragile heart clean in half.
40
Mission Accomplished
HARLEY
I jerk to a stop, the soda cans ice cold against my bare skin as I see a girl with wavy brown hair run into Aidan’s arms.
I recognize her, my brain matching the pair with a cruel swiftness.
She’s the one from Freshmart. Skylar’s nice friend who let me keep my job.
What was her name again?
Sav? Savvy?
Sa…vannah?
The knot that Aidan had managed to untie with his sweet kiss quickly tightens in my chest, squeezing hard enough to hurt.
Savannah.
As in Aidan’s Savannah. Skylar’s best friend.
Shit, it all makes sense now, the links clicking into place like pieces of Lego. Aidan’s tight little world just keeps getting smaller. Everyone knows each other. Everyone has a place.
She’s the ex. The epicenter of his earthquake.
My suspicion is confirmed when he leans out of the hug and starts wiping tears from her cheeks. And then she lurches towards him, sealing their lips together.
I suck in a sharp breath, like I’ve just been punched in the stomach.
And then I hold it.
Waiting.
Waiting for him to jerk back, to explain that there’s been a mistake. His lips were touching mine less than two hours ago. Is my taste still on him? From the way she’s tipping her head and shoving her tongue in his mouth, I’m guessing no.
He’s not pulling away.
The knot in my chest is yanked so hard I think my insides are going to flip back to front. The crushing pull is unbearable, but I can’t seem to stop watching them.
They look good together.
No wonder he wanted her back.
He doesn’t need to crouch down to reach her lips. Their bodies fit like two pieces of a puzzle.
He’s still not pulling away.
His hands are holding her waist, but he’s not pushing back. They’re just there, keeping her against him.
And I’m done.
Why did I let myself believe for even a second that love was a possibility for me?
I should know better.
Have I not already aced this lesson?
People are never who they say they are. They act sweet, talk nice and then bam! Betrayal.
Placing the three soda cans on the floor, I line them up in a neat row. Numb precision makes me get them perfectly straight before I lay the change on top of it. Then I turn and find another exit to escape through.
My skateboard is still in Aidan’s car, but you know what? I can buy another one.
There’s no reason for me to see Aidan De Beer again.
I agreed to teach him how to surf so he could get his girlfriend back.
Well, mission accomplished.
41
Slipped into the Night
AIDAN
I pull out of the kiss and bite my lips together, finally understanding what Savannah meant when she broke up with me.
I’m just not feeling it anymore.
I soften my retreat with a smile and brush my knuckles down her cheek.
She’s still vulnerable and upset, but I can’t kiss her anymore. Harley’s taste and touch are still in my brain, and this moment with my ex has only confirmed to me that the surfer girl is the one I want.
My body burns with an intense desire to see her, to kiss her again, to hold her against me. Our first kiss was cut short. Our second kiss won’t be.
“My parents are here, if you want to go sit with them for a bit.” I start guiding her over to my family. “I’m sure your dad will be back out with an update soon.”
Savannah nods.
Dr. Green has been working at Aviemore Hospital since they moved to Ryder Bay. Skylar’s dad helped the family find a home and, in the process, they became best friends. My uncle Jeff is like her uncle Jeff. Our three families are all connected, and I know Savannah will feel safe sitting with my parents.
“Hey, Savvy Sue.” Dad gives her a kind smile and makes room for her to sit down between him and Mom. He’s the only person in the world who’s been allowed to use her middle name—ever. But she’s always loved my dad, so he gets away with it.
The second she sits down, he wraps his arm around her shoulders and she starts to cry again.
Mom reaches for her hand, giving it a squeeze and murmuring, “It’s going to be okay, honey.”
Savannah sniffs and nods, but the tears still flow.
Mom rummages around in her handbag for a tissue.
“Thanks.” Savannah takes it and starts mopping up her face.
“Are your brother and sister okay?”
She nods. “Yeah, they’re both asleep, so I asked Mrs. O’Neill from next door to watch them for me.”
“Good move. That woman’s a sweetheart.”
“I don’t think she appreciated me waking her up, but she un
derstood that I needed to be here. Dad’s been on call all week, and him rushing out the door woke me up. I figured it was something pretty serious. And then Marlo called me and I knew right away that Skylar was hurt.” Her voice wobbles and she starts crying all over again.
It hurts to watch her. She knows what it’s like to lose someone close, and this must be hitting that nerve pretty hard right now.
But still…
I need to go find Harley.
Catching Dad’s eye, I tip my head towards the corridor over his shoulder and he nods.
While Savannah is crying against his shoulder, I slip out of the room and hope I can find Harley quickly. I should really be back with my family, but this feels important too.
As soon as I pass through the doors, I start running down the corridor, jerking to a stop when I spot three soda cans lined up on the floor.
Weird.
“Harley?” I look around for her, even scanning out the windows, but there’s no sign of her.
With a confused frown, I pull out my phone and send her a text asking if she’s okay.
I get crickets.
Bending down to collect the cans and coins, I nestle them against my chest and watch my phone screen, waiting for it to light up with a reply.
It’s only then I remember that she left her phone at home.
“Shit,” I mutter.
Has she left?
I head down the corridor, searching and softly calling her name, but there’s no trace of her anywhere.
It bugs me that she took off without even saying goodbye, but maybe I get it as well.
She’s an outsider in some ways. I mean, I don’t want her to be, but when we first got to the hospital and everyone kept glancing at her with a frown, she must have felt completely ostracized.
Dammit. I should have gone with her to get the drinks.
I close my eyes with a huff, and nearly jump out of my skin when Dad calls for me.
“Aidan!”
I spin and see him waving me back to the waiting room.
“Dayton and Craig have just showed up. You need to come wait with us. I’m sure Kevin will be out with another update soon, and I want you to be there for that.”
With a reluctant nod, I head towards him and try not to worry.
Harley’s an independent soul. She knows Ryder Bay better than I do, so it’s not like she’ll get lost on her way home. I just feel bad that I’m not driving her there.
She probably felt out of place and awkward in this situation and slipped away unnoticed.
I’ll text her again when I get home, to make sure she’s all right.
It’s weird, for someone who’s still such a new addition in my life, it’s strange that she’s the only person I want to be with right now.
42
Cracks in the Concrete
HARLEY
Aidan’s texted me three times and called twice.
But I’m not responding.
There’s been no apology. The messages are all asking if I’m okay.
Well, I’m not okay, and screw him.
He probably doesn’t even know I saw him frenching Savannah in the middle of a hospital waiting room. It’s not like he’s going to admit to it!
Unless he’s trying to get in touch with some kind of celebration—I got Savannah back! Thank you! You’re the best for helping me.
I gag and bury the phone in the bottom of my backpack.
A huge part of me wants to cry, but there’s no way in hell Aidan De Beer is getting any of my tears. It’s stupid to feel this way anyway. We had one kiss. Barely a kiss. Half a kiss…before his life interrupted it. Shoved its finger right through the perfect moment.
I close my eyes with a sigh and shake my head.
“Don’t be such a bitch,” I reprimand myself.
Skylar did not fall from that pier just to piss me off.
Shit, she nearly died. She could still die, and here I am complaining that she interrupted something special.
I cringe at my serious lack of sensitivity. Curse it, I am turning into my mother.
The thought makes me physically shudder, and I scrunch my shoulders before straightening them out and lifting my chin.
I will not turn out like her. I am stronger than that.
I’m just thinking bitchy thoughts because I’m pissed off with Aidan.
The big jerk.
I’m so done with those Elites. They can just stay at their end of the beach and leave me the hell alone.
I catch a movement out of the corner of my eye and see Jed loping towards me. He’s in blue and yellow stripes today. I don’t like them. I look away before I’m tempted to tell him so.
I’m not sure how to feel around him right now.
He told me to go for it with Aidan.
He told me it was a safe bet.
“Morning, HQ.” He grins.
I glance at him, then stare at the floor until he stops walking.
“You all right?”
“You were wrong,” I quietly mutter.
“What?”
“You told me to let him in. That he was a safe bet. You. Were. Wrong.” My voice cracks on the last word and my eyes start to burn. I blink rapidly and look to the cracked concrete between us.
“What ha—”
“He kissed me.” I look up and glare at Jed. “And then he kissed her. And I’m done.”
Jed blinks, his expression crinkled with confusion. “Hold up. Just take it back a few clicks. I need the details.”
I shake my head and step away when he tries to move forward. His arms are open like he wants to give me a hug. To comfort me and make me feel better.
But he can’t do that.
Nothing can make this better.
His arms drop to his sides, his expression pained. “Talk to me, girl. I’m here for you.”
My head is shaking before he’s even finishing speaking. “You’re the only person in my life who’s never let me down, but it’ll happen eventually, because it always does.” I swallow, feeling a little bad at the crushed look on Jed’s face. “Even if you want to be good and kind, you’re gonna hurt me. And I’m done.” Okay, the tears are setting in now. His face is going all blurry.
“HQ, come on…”
“Let’s just accept reality, man.” I take another step back, putting more cracks in the concrete between us. “I’m better off on my own.”
“Harley, that’s not true.” He tries to step forward, but I spin and head into school.
I should be retreating back to my house, but I know he won’t follow me into the girls’ bathroom, so I run there and lock myself into the back stall.
My tears taste like salt and I lick them off my top lip, not bothering to swipe them off my face.
No one comes to check on me.
And that’s just the way I want it.
I can take care of myself.
I’ve been doing it my whole frickin’ life.
43
Life Can Be Blurry Sometimes
AIDAN
I still haven’t heard back from Harley and it’s bugging me. Big-time.
I’m going to have to find her after school, to make sure she’s all right. I’ll use returning her skateboard as my excuse, but hey…maybe I don’t even need an excuse.
Until Skylar’s accident, we were having the best date I’d ever had.
Good food, fun on the beach. A kiss that was still buzzing through my brain.
I want to kiss her again. Laugh with her again. I need to make sure she’s okay.
It’s tempting to skip out of school early.
Being in the cafeteria for lunch was getting to be too much, so I slipped away from the table and retreated into the corridor. It’s way less crowded, and I’m not being circled by the speculation monorail. I feel like it’s been rotating around my head since the second I parked my car in the Walton Academy lot.
“What happened to Skylar?”
“How’d she fall?”
“Did you see anything?”
“Wow! You saved her life!”
“Is she going to be okay?”
“What did the doctors say?”
“She’s in a coma?”
“Is she going to die?”
I nearly punched Jonah for asking me that one. I don’t want to hear the word “die” and “Skylar” in the same sentence. She may drive me nuts sometimes, but she’s my cousin. She’s an only child. Her death would destroy Aunt Marlo and Uncle Jeff. Shit, it would probably destroy me too. She’s been in my life forever, like a sister.
Grayson was quiet this morning. He’s worried about his favorite cousin, but he’s not about to say it out loud. I tried to ask if he was all right, but he just shrugged and kept playing Candy Crush on his phone. Addict.
With a sigh, I watched him walk into the middle school, and was then bombarded.
Thank God Savannah took the day off. She wouldn’t have coped with the onslaught when she was already feeling so fragile. Her dad let her stay with Uncle Jeff and Aunt Marlo at the hospital. I’m waiting on an update.
Last I heard, Skylar was going in for her CT scan.
I amble past my locker but don’t stop to exchange any books. I’m all set for the afternoon. I’m just killing time until the bell rings.
“Well, I think she was probably drunk, being an idiot and just slipped,” I hear a girl say as she comes around the corner. She and her friend jerk to a stop when they see me, their eyes bulging for a second before they scuttle past. I have no idea who they are. They look young, probably freshmen. They don’t know Skylar well enough to say any of that bullshit, but my cousin does have a reputation.
“Shit,” I mutter, raking my fingers through my hair and trying to figure it out myself.
The scream hadn’t been one of exhilaration.
It was fear.