by Jordan Ford
Cold and stark.
It ran straight through me, like I was watching a horror movie. And then came that splash.
Was she unconscious before she hit the water?
I shake my head. That doesn’t feel right. The gash on her head makes me think she hit the water and was then immediately thrown against one of those big wooden pillars. The waves were kind of strong last night. The blow probably knocked her out, and that’s why she wasn’t swimming or helping herself out of the water.
A shudder runs down my spine.
What if I hadn’t been there?
What if the beach had been empty?
I squeeze my eyes shut, warding off those nasty questions…and that’s when I remember Wyatt.
I haven’t seen him around today. He was pretty distraught when he appeared on the beach. Did he see something?
I stop in my tracks.
Did he do something?
My eyebrows bunch together. Surely he wouldn’t hurt Skylar on purpose. He’s in love with her. Infatuated. Whatever.
I need to find out.
Turning left, I start heading for the sunshine. I’m not sure what I’m going to do once I get outside. Ditch school?
I don’t even know where Wyatt lives. I don’t have his number, but I could probably find it.
Pulling out my phone, I start looking up his last name when I’m stopped by a deep voice in the doorway.
“Aidan De Beer.”
I flinch and look up to see Officer Malloy striding towards me.
“Oh, hey.” I raise my chin to acknowledge him.
Craig’s father is in uniform today, obviously on official police business. So why does he want to talk to me?
He stops beside me, giving me one of his closed-mouth, serious smiles. “You got a minute?”
“Everything okay?” I slip my phone into my pocket.
“Just wondering if I could quickly debrief about last night. I’ve checked with your principal. She says it’s okay.”
I bob my head and follow him outside.
He chooses a white concrete bench seat on the outskirts of the lawn. There are a smattering of students sunbathing around us, and I can feel all eyes on me the second we sit down.
Thankfully none of them are within hearing range, and I’m pretty sure if they try to shuffle closer, they’ll get a sharp look from a cop.
“How you doing, son?”
“All right.” But I say my answer too softly. It’s obvious I’m still kind of shaken up over the whole thing.
“You saved her life. You know that, right?”
I give him a weak smile and rest my elbows on my knees so I don’t have to look at him.
He sighs and softly murmurs, “I sure hope she makes it.”
“She will,” I assure him. Or maybe I’m just assuring myself.
“Yeah. She’s a strong girl.” Officer Malloy pulls out his notepad. “Craig’s really worried about her. I don’t think he caught a wink of sleep last night. That’s why I let him stay home today.”
I nod, suddenly wondering why Grayson and I didn’t get a day off too.
Concentrating on schoolwork has been pretty damn impossible. Between Skylar and Harley, my brain is overflowing.
“So, about last night. I’m just needing to follow up with a few questions.”
I nod and wait for him to ask.
“Can you run through the events of last night for me? Where were you when you first heard Skylar scream?”
I go through the story again. I kind of told him all of this last night. But last night he was there as a father. Today he’s here as a cop.
I describe where Harley and I were on the beach. I’m forced to admit about the kiss because he probes me on exactly what I was doing. He’s probably making a note to catch up with Harley at some point. He asks me what her last name is, and I know she’ll hate me telling him, but what choice do I have?
Shit, I wish she’d text me back. I need to give her a heads-up. I make a mental note to actually call her once this interview is over.
“Was there anyone else down on the beach?” Officer Malloy asks. “I recall you mentioning someone last night.”
“Yeah, Wyatt. Wyatt Mattley. Harley used his phone to call an ambulance.”
“Why didn’t he use his phone?”
“Because he was crying too hard. I think he thought Skylar was dead and it freaked him out.”
“Where did he come from?”
“I’m not sure. I was focused on Skylar. He just appeared on the beach, asking if she was okay.”
“So, you think he might have seen something on the pier?”
“Maybe.” I shrug, then sigh. “Probably. I haven’t seen him at school today, but I was thinking about trying to track him down this weekend.”
“Hey, you leave the police work to me.” Officer Malloy taps my shoulder with his knuckle.
I glance over and see his grim expression. He’s serious, and it makes me sit up straighter. “You think he might have done something to her?”
“I’m not saying that.” He shakes his head. “But I was on the pier this morning and there’s absolutely no damage to the railing. If she fell, she must have been sitting on the top of it or maybe even standing on it.”
“Are you saying you think someone pushed her?”
He doesn’t say anything for a beat, then murmurs, “Or maybe she jumped.”
“Skylar wouldn’t jump.” I shake my head, emphatic.
“Not even as a dare?”
“Oh, I thought you meant…” I look down at my shaking hands and swallow. “I thought you meant suicide.”
His face flushes with a deep look of worry before he runs a hand down his mustache and mouth. “Did she seem to be acting differently over the past few days or weeks? I mean, you don’t think she was suffering from depression or anything, do you?”
“I don’t think so.” I shake my head, then cringe but have to admit it. “She and Craig had a massive blowout on Wednesday. Did he tell you about that?"
The officer’s face creases with concern again and he stops writing on his notepad. “No. He didn’t mention it.”
“I don’t want to out him or anything, but maybe he’d have a better idea about that. The last time I really spoke to her was on Sunday, and I think she was feeling pretty bad after you’d seen her.”
He lets out a soft snort. “She really hated me challenging her on her behavior. It probably didn’t help that she was hung-over, but she needed to hear the truth.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I mutter.
Officer Malloy lets out a heavy sigh and slips the notepad back into his pocket. “Well, I’ll follow up with this Wyatt kid. Hopefully he can shed some light on the situation.” He pierces me with a stern look. “How well do you know him?”
“Only a little. I haven’t really spoken to him much.”
“Is he friends with Skylar?”
I think of Skylar’s seven minutes in heaven promise and cringe, then shake my head. “Not really. I mean, they talked sometimes but weren’t buds or anything. He was crushing on her big-time, though.”
“Hmmm.” His lips pucker in thought as he stares across the grassy quad. “Do you think he’d be capable of hurting her?”
I let out a surprised laugh. “I don’t think so. The guy seems pretty harmless. He’s one of those quiet loner types, you know?”
He turns to look at me again, silently suggesting that those are the ones you have to keep an even closer eye on.
The thought hits the bottom of my stomach like a boulder.
“Leave it with me, son.” Officer Malloy squeezes my shoulder.
I swallow and rasp, “Yeah, well, hopefully she’ll wake up soon and can tell us what happened.”
He hesitates, then gives me a sad smile that’s kind of crushing.
It’s hard to breathe for a second.
Does he not think she’s going to make it?
I stare down at the grass until the blades merge into a green blur.
I thread my fingers together and squeeze until it hurts.
The bell rings, but the sound is muted and fuzzy.
Rising on shaky legs, I numbly walk out of the sunshine but am stopped by my ringing phone just as I enter the shade.
“Hey, Mom.” I try to snap out of it, bolster my voice. She’ll be worried enough as it is, and I don’t want to be another burden for her today.
“Hi, sweetie. Are you still on your lunch break?”
“I’m just heading to class now.”
“Okay, I’ll be quick. I just heard from Aunt Marlo. Skylar’s finished with all her testing.”
“What did the tests say?”
“Swelling in the brain and a small bleed. She doesn’t need an operation, which is a huge relief, but the doctors don’t know how long it will take her to wake up. It’s all just a waiting game now.”
I slump back against a locker. “How long do comas usually last?”
“Most cases are anywhere from a day to four weeks.”
“Four weeks?”
“Dr. Green will monitor her closely. She’ll be under the best care.”
“So they’re keeping her at Aviemore?”
“Yes. That’s the decision. It’s closer to family and friends. It’ll be easier for us to visit her regularly and support her.”
I sigh and run a hand down my face.
“Anyway, I’d like you to come to the hospital after school, please.”
I think of Harley and my after-school mission to find her. “Actually, Mom—”
“There are no actuallys. There are no buts. You have to be there.”
“Can’t I just drop Grayson and then come back? There’s something I have to do.”
“Whatever it is can’t be more important than being there for your family during a crisis!”
I cringe, hating the way her voice gets so screechy when she’s stressed.
“Okay, Mom. I’ll be there.”
“Good. I’ll see you soon, then.”
She hangs up and I force my body to class. I’ll get told off for being late, although maybe Mr. Cooper will show a little mercy today.
As I walk down the corridor, I text Harley again. I probably won’t get a reply, but hopefully she’ll know I’m thinking about her.
Have to go to the hospital after school, but really want to see you. Can I take you out for dinner tonight? Please reply. I’m worried about you. Really want to see you.
I nearly write I miss your pretty face but press Send before I can. Harley doesn’t strike me as the kind of girl to get mushy over sweet sentiments.
I kind of like that about her.
She’s so tough. Strong. Everything I didn’t think I was attracted to.
Yet she’s all I want.
44
A Place to Hide
HARLEY
I read the text about ten times before finally deleting it.
Aidan really wants to see me?
Bullshit!
He’s worried about me?
My ass!
If he wants me so bad, why the hell is he making out with his ex?
Two-faced asshole.
I’ve worked my way up to the fury.
When the text first came in, I’m disgusted to say that I rubbed my thumb over the words, hearing his voice as if he spoke them.
But I couldn’t respond.
Minutes became an hour and still I couldn’t reply, my vulnerable emotions riding a rollercoaster until they settled on a safe, protective anger that had me deleting the message.
Why do people have to suck? Why can’t they just be who they say they are? Act like the person you think they should be?
I clench my jaw, hating the tingle in my nose.
I’m not crying again.
I spent all of first period crying, then retreated to the nurse’s office. She bought my migraine story and sent me home. After spending most of the day in bed, trying to avoid my mother, I snuck out my window and decided to go for a walk.
I’ve been on the beach since three o’clock.
Why didn’t I bring my board?
I could have been surfing.
But the thought of going back and potentially bumping into Mom stops me.
She checked on me once after I got home. “What’s your problem?”
“Nothing. Leave me alone.” I rolled my back to her.
“Suit yourself,” she muttered, slamming my door to let me know she was pissed.
I close my eyes and force air through my nose. The ocean breeze is picking up my hair, making it dance behind me. I focus on the feel of it, the salty tang hitting my nostrils, the afternoon sun warming my skin.
It should be making me feel better, but it doesn’t have the same impact it usually does.
For a moment, I’m back in my fourteen-year-old body. Heartbroken. Disillusioned. Alone.
For as long as I can remember, people have always let me down—Mom, her string of boyfriends, even Jacob, the nice one who I thought might stick around. I really liked him.
And then “that guy” and all of his friends who I thought were mine until they took his side and I found myself with no support.
Now Aidan.
Another heartbreaker.
The only person in my life that hasn’t hurt me is Jed. But still, he could. And what happens at the end of next year when he leaves for college? After our road trip that probably won’t even happen?
I’ll be alone again.
“But that’s what you want, right?” The words are bitter cocoa in my mouth.
I shake my head and close my eyes, inhaling the fresh breeze through my nose.
Pulling away now is the only thing I can do. I’ll save myself the heartbreak of losing him and get used to my solitude before he’s even gone.
I open my eyes and keep walking, trying to dodge the memory of Jed’s hurt expression when I told him I was better off on my own.
Crossing my arms, I squeeze my right bicep until it hurts. Until finger marks are branded onto my skin. Tears want to take me again, but I’m not letting them out. It turns into a battle of wills, and I walk all the way under the pier and beyond until I hit the rocks at the very south end of the beach. I scramble over them, finding a safe, private spot where I can hug my knees and watch the sun dip towards the horizon.
I don’t know how long I stay there.
I switched my phone off, not wanting another text from Aidan or a call from Jed. Pulling it out, I wonder if I should turn it back on.
But do I really want to face whatever communication might be on there?
What if there’s none?
That’ll probably hurt just as bad.
I’m tempted to throw the phone into the ocean, but manage to resist the urge and shove it back in my pocket.
Are either of them looking for me?
I hate that I hope they are.
I don’t want to be found.
I want to be left alone!
Yet still, I leave my rocky hideaway and climb back out. I can’t spend the night there. As much as I want to disappear, I can’t make it happen.
Once the sun sets, I’ll head back home. Hopefully Mom will have left for work and I can distract myself with TV or something.
I hit the beach and start ambling back to the pier when I spot something to my right.
A group of guys are lounging in the back of a flatbed truck.
Surfers.
Axel’s crew.
I recognize Ripper before I see Axel appear behind him. Axel’s holding a bottle of amber liquid and takes a swig before noticing me. I glance away and keep walking for the pier.
“Hey, surfer girl!” Axel calls.
I stop walking and turn to watch him running down the beach after me. He’s in nothing but a pair of board shorts. I’m sure most girls would swoon. He’s like an obsidian masterpiece.
I give him a halfhearted smile.
“Looking sad. What’s up?”
“Nothing.” I frown and cross my arms, hating the way he’s trying to read me.
I don’t say anything as his intense gaze stays on my face.
Finally, after a long beat, he holds out his bottle. “This’ll kill the hurt.”
It’s a bottle of whiskey. I only know this because I read the label. I’m not a big drinker. Mom has kind of put me off over the years. Her drunk is just plain embarrassing. And I never want to be like her.
But the thought of killing this knot in my chest…
That’s tempting.
Maybe that burning amber liquid will dissolve it completely.
I snatch the bottle out of his hand and take a pull. The alcohol hits my throat and I’m right about the burn. I start coughing and Axel laughs, patting my back as he takes the bottle off me.
“Come hang out with us, blondie.” Shifting his hand to my lower back, he guides me up the beach. “We thought we’d hit the cove tonight.”
I nod.
The cove.
No one will think to look for me at the cove.
And that can only be a good thing.
When Axel opens the door for me, I slip into the back seat. Ripper appears on my other side, his gaze bright and hungry. I frown and shift away, nearly changing my mind and getting out of the truck, until Axel reaches through the window and grabs Ripper by the back of the head. His large hand grips Ripper’s crew cut like he’s holding a basketball.
In a voice deep with warning, he jerks Ripper close and glares at him. “You don’t touch this one. Ever.”
Ripper growls in his throat and wrestles free of Axel’s grip. With a short expletive, he rubs the back of his head, then shouts, “I got it! No touchy!”
“Get in the back,” Axel growls, yanking the door open and hauling Ripper out of the cab.
Ripper glares at him, then me, before stalking to the back of the truck.
Axel’s lips twitch as he gives me a swift wink, then passes me the bottle. “Look after this for me, will ya?”
I take it with a grin, having another pull before nursing the bottle against my chest like it’s my teddy bear. The truck rumbles to life and I shift to the window, letting the wind tousle my hair as we pull away from the beach. The sun will set in the next hour or so and I’ll be gone, safely hiding in a cove where no one can find me.