Chapter 5

5

For the following three days, our mornings together turned into a routine of sorts.

Avery would head out before the sun broke for her morning run, returning an hour later, and poking me awake with food and coffee in hand. Alex was harder for her to wake since he slept like the dead. We would team up to shake, poke, and tease him with the smell of food until his eyes finally pried open in a glare while we smiled sweetly at him. His bad mood only lasted until he had some food in his stomach.

"You guys are so annoying," he would mumble into a bite of his burger.

"But you love us," we would sing back to him, which would finally pull a smile from his lips.

I loved this little domesticated moment we had each morning before spending our days on the beach, sun tanning, or swimming through the cool waters.

It felt like I was living a dream — one I didn't want to wake up from and return to the reality waiting for me. To the expectations and pressure to set my future in motion. It was like the chains that weighed me down had released its grip on me, and it felt freeing.

We spent our days playing beach volleyball, eating the most delicious pizza, and snorkeling through the sea life and coral, filling up my memory cards of the most beautiful sights. While our nights were spent dancing until our feet were jelly and singing until our voices cracked.

I wished I had forever to experience this week.

We had two more days here until it was time to leave, returning to our regular life.

We walked down the main street of Airlie, popping into little boutique shops and bookstores, filling our arms with shopping bags and hoping we could fit them all in our suitcase to fly home.

We passed by a tourist shop, and my eyes caught on a slide show playing in the window, bringing me to a halt in front of it.

It advertised jet ski tour guides across two islands of the Whitsundays and hiking to one of their most famous tourist lookouts. It immediately pulled my interest and I couldn't help but turn to my friends as excitement buzzed through me. I had always wanted to ride on a jet ski and experience the adrenaline that came with it. It looked like so much fun.

With this spontaneous decision in mind, I pointed to the TV behind me. "What do you guys think? We should try this."

Alex pressed his lips together as a mix of fear and uncertainty flashed in his eyes. He had an irrational fear of being stuck in the middle of the ocean. "That seems like a death wish."

"Oh, come on. It looks fun. Don't lie."

Avery read the information off the screen, eyes widening a bit. "Three hundred dollars per jet ski is a lot."

I chewed the inside of my bottom lip, staring at the price. A thought crossed my mind. "I could ask Reece and his friends if they want to join? We can split it then and make it cheaper."

Avery shrugged. "Yeah, that would work."

I looked at Alex. "Do you want to join or you want to hang by yourself?"

He raised a brow and crossed his arms. "Well if you put it like that then I guess I have no choice but to come."

"Good. You won't regret it, I promise. It'll be so much fun and we have a professional tour guide with us so he'll save you if you run into any trouble."

He grumbled, "He better be hot."

I laughed before pulling my phone out and texting Reece, inviting him and his friends.

His reply was almost instant.

We're down. Only if I get to ride with you though.

I shook my head and rolled my lips to keep them from rising.

What makes you think I'd want to partner with you? What about your friends?

I think I would prefer your arms wrapped around me than theirs.

Opting to ignore his text and the flurry of butterflies it sent through my stomach, I sent him the details.

Looking up at my friends as I tucked my phone back in my pocket, they each raised a brow.

"What?"

"You just seemed awfully smitten on your phone." I scoffed at that and he shrugged. "Just saying."

"You're delusional." I rolled my eyes before I caught Alex mimicking typing on a phone and giggling at it. I shook my head. " And insufferable. Come on, let's go book some jet skis."

Luckily, they had a booking available that afternoon, but we had a few hours to spare until then, so we met with Reece, Jake, and Sage on the beach and played volleyball.

It was a popular game to play that week by the water to pass the time and meet new people. Our skin had become almost raw from the amount of time spent under the sun on that very beach, tanning, swimming and playing volleyball.

Our game was unfair, in my opinion, with Reece, Jake, and Sage on one team and Avery, Alex, and me on the other. Alex and I weren't the most sporty people, so Avery was put at a disadvantage. She really tried to carry us through, but in the end, we sorely lost.

"Nice game, Summers," Reece hollered over to me as we collected our things and made our way to the meeting point for our jet ski tour.

I raised a brow, somehow subconsciously gravitating towards him, walking behind our group together, shoulder to shoulder. "It would have been if you took it easy on us. You didn't have to demolish us with that ten-point lead."

The corners of his eyes creased as a grin overtook his face. "Next time, to make it even, I'll join your team. I can even give you a hands-on lesson on how to serve if you'd like."

I rolled my eyes. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Very much so," he said with a smirk.

I threw my head back in a laugh, thinking he was joking around, but also, secretively I wished he wasn't either. I shoved that thought to the very depths of my mind.

Once we arrived at the meeting spot, the tour guide waiting for us started to talk us through safety and instructions about the jet skis and what to do in an emergency before he announced for us to partner up. I had turned to Avery and Alex, ready to discuss who was going with who but they quickly announced they would be together while looking at me with mischievous smiles. I glared at them before looking around the rest of our group and finding Reece standing there, looking at me expectantly.

"Guess it's just us."

My lips twitched, knowing our friends had made this intentional. "Guess so."

He held out his hand as I made my way towards him, but I didn't take it. Instead, it lightly grazed my arm as I stepped around it.

"Don't worry. I won't let you fall."

He said it with a smile as we neared one of the jet skis, and I couldn't help feeling like the words were filled with double meaning. That he wouldn't let me fall in any sense of the word. It was a foolish thought really, but this day had a lot of wishful thinking, what was another one? All the reservations I originally had to keep him as a friend were hanging by a thread.

After an extensive scissors paper rock game that had our friends yelling at us to hurry up and decide, I strapped the life jacket in place and hopped on the back of the jet ski behind him. I loosely placed my hands by his sides, not sure where else to put them as nerves prickled under my skin. I wasn't sure where he would be comfortable for me to hold, or where was safe enough to keep these growing feelings at bay. I didn't want to press myself against him but I was terrified of how fast we would go and having nowhere secure to hold on to.

He stopped my over-thinking as he grabbed my hands and wrapped them around his waist, pulling me close to where my chest just barely grazed against his back.

I tried to ignore the warmth of his body and the way my heart pounded from the proximity as we slowly took off and followed close behind the tour guide. But it was hard when I could feel the way his heart pounded too.

The whole tour it was like he was completely oblivious to the way he made me feel. As if he couldn't feel my heart beating against his back as the day went on and our proximity drew closer on the jet ski until I was practically glued to him.

Skating across the water felt so freeing and more alive than I've felt in all my life. With his skin under my fingertips adding to the adrenaline filling my veins, it felt a lot like what freedom would feel like. Immersive and comforting.

I tried to divert my attention to the views — of the birds flying high, winding through the bustling trees, the sound of whipbirds echoing around us, the faded sound of the crashing waves, and the crunch of gravel beneath our feet along the steep incline.

The lookouts were a wistful distraction looking over the clear blue water and the vast mountainous island landscape. Anything other than the sound of Reece's laughter as he walked with his friends on either side of him. But once we were back on the jet ski, he was pulling me close and guiding my hands around him.

As we skied back to the mainland, with my head resting against his back, all I could feel was confusion. Confused by how safe and how calming it was having my arms around him. Confused by how much his proximity was affecting me.

But I let it be as I closed my eyes, feeling the lowering sun sting my skin, the wind across my face and whipping around my hair, and the cool drops of water flicking onto my skin. My focus subtly shifting in time to the feel of Reece's skin under mine, the even rise and fall of his chest, and the thundering beats of his heart that I'm apparently unable to ignore.

This was a holiday after all. Things would go back to the way they were when we returned. So, until then, I let myself fall a little.

It's that memory that comes back to haunt my dreams and nightmares. The memory is so vivid in my dreams that I can almost feel everything that I had then. But suddenly, I wake up, and it's all gone.

That night's party was 2000's themed. They played music and mash ups from the 2000's and the dress code was strictly 2000's fashion.

Avery and I both wore low-rise jeans and crop tops with dark eyeshadow. Alex had baggy jeans and a big T-shirt that made its way to mid-thigh and would probably swallow Avery whole if she were to wear it.

We were at the party by ten o'clock, screaming lyrics in each other's faces and serenading everyone around us. I could already feel my voice going hoarse after an hour. My face was probably flushed bright red, but the ocean breeze cooled my skin.

Avery and I headed to the bar for a drink break as Alex excused himself to the bathroom. I leaned against the top of the bar, waiting for the bartender to come my way. It was then that something hit me, and I fell into Avery. Turning to my right, the boy next to me turned around quickly with apologies pouring out of his mouth before he even saw me.

"I'm so sorry. My friend here doesn't know how to take it easy. Did I hurt you?"

I shook my head. "No. You're in the clear."

He smiled and I thought it was a really pretty smile with his straight teeth and the gleam in his eyes.

His eyes were like a grey storm and his short blond hair was windswept as he ran his fingers through the strands to tame them.

He introduced himself and his friends to Avery and I after. His friend was all too enraptured by Avery, but it was Daniel, the one who bumped into me, that caught my attention.

He told me that he was from South Brisbane but was moving back to Melbourne where he had grown up. I felt my smile grow as I mentioned wanting to always visit Melbourne and it being the only city in Australia that I'd want to visit.

His lips pulled at the corners as he took that opportunity. "Well, if you ever do make it to Melbourne, I could offer you a true local experience?"

I twisted my mouth as I suppressed a smile. "I don't know, I only just met you. Isn't it strange to have someone you barely know lead you around a city you also barely know?"

"I mean, tour guides get paid for that exact thing."

I laughed and his mouth widened. He was sweet and a real charmer. There was something about him, maybe it was the way his eyes never strayed from me or his warm smile, but it all made me instantly comfortable around him.

"If I kissed you, would it change your mind? I wouldn't be someone you barely knew then. We couldn't call each other strangers." He moved a little closer.

A surprised laugh burst from me. "Oh, you're bold."

He hesitated. "Is that something you like or am I coming on too strong?"

I pretended to mull it over, drawing it out to watch him sweat. But I couldn't hold it for long as a smile broke free. "It might be something I'm into."

His smile came back in full force. "Good. And about that kiss?"

My gaze snagged on Alex over Daniel's shoulder as he made his way back to us. He was pressing his fingers to his temple, and when he caught my gaze, he shot me a drowsy smile, but there was a hidden pain in his eyes that told me it was time to go.

Alex had suffered from migraines for years and would get them at the most random of times but mostly at night and I could tell from that one look that it was starting to build.

I met Daniel's gaze again, his soft and expectant grey storms. "I'm going to have to take a raincheck on that. I don't suppose you would settle for a phone number instead?"

There was no disappointment in sight and his smile never wavered. "I can do that."

I gave him my phone and he typed his number in.

As he handed it back to me, I heard my name being called over all the noise. My eyes coasted overheads to the region where I heard it come from and landed on Jake pushing through the crowd, panic in his eyes. He beckoned me over to him and I excused myself from Daniel. I took hold of Avery's hand and Alex's as he reached us. We pushed through the thick lines of people waiting by the bar until Jake's hand met my shoulder.

He leaned in close for me to hear. "You seen Reece anywhere?"

I shook my head and he leaned over to ask the same of Avery and Alex who both shook their heads in response.

"Has he texted you at all?" was his next question and again I shook my head.

"I thought he was with you," I yelled.

His mouth twisted and he looked really worried. "He was and then he disappeared on me after he had to take a phone call."

I pulled my phone back out and started ringing him as I weaved my way further from the music, with Alex and Avery still in tow and Jake following close behind. His answering machine started playing in my ear, and I quickly hung up.

"I've called him about twenty times and left seven messages for him in the last hour and a half. He's answered nothing. Even Sage tried."

I nodded but even with him telling me contacting him was pointless, I still tried. If Jake – who was always one to give zero shits and live life to the fullest – was that worried that he thought coming to me for help would do any different, I'd try anything.

So I texted him.

Where are you?

Five minutes went by with no answer, and I tried to think of all the places he could be. I wondered if I should stay at the party until he showed up or to try their hotel, thinking maybe he just called it a night early and fell asleep, forgetting to let us know where he was. I got antsy and shot through another message.

Please, answer me. Everyone's worried.

I chewed my bottom lip as my thumbs hovered over my screen before I shot another message off.

I'm worried.

And then I locked my phone and shoved it in my back pocket.

"Did he say anything about where he was heading?"

Jake shook his head. "He walked over there to take a call —" He pointed over about five metres from where we stood "— and five minutes later when I looked over, he was gone."

Just as I opened my mouth to reply, my phone dinged. I pulled it out and my shoulders sagged in relief when I saw the name.

"It's Reece," I said.

"Little shit," Jake replied as he stood behind me to look at the text.

The contents of the message was just a live location about a five-minute walk from here along the beach.

"There, problem solved." I turned to Jake. "Want me to send it to you?"

His forehead creased as he stared at my phone and then looked up at me. He shook his head which in return made me frown. "Maybe you should go see him. I mean, he texted you back and not me."

I stared at my phone, confused as to why that was. Jake was his best friend. I wasn't anyone to him. Just someone who stomped on the heart of one of his friends. A nobody in his life really. Should have been left at that.

I pushed my phone towards Jake. "I shouldn't. He's your friend."

He should have taken it, texted himself the location, and been on his merry way.

But no.

He stepped back and I looked up at him. His eyes were a mix of stern, sincere, worry for his friend, and a glint of something like sadness. I found it strange, and that made me worry more.

"If I know anything about Reece, by the looks of things, I think he just needs you." He nodded in a way that said okay?

"Don't worry," he added, the swirl of emotions gone, replaced by a glint of mischief as he wrapped an arm around a scowling Avery. "I'll make sure your friend gets back safe."

She pushed him away. "I don't need you."

He grinned as he stared down at her. "Honey, we're in a strange place where we know no one. I know I at least need an escort." He bowed, offering her his hand. "Will you do me the honors, oh brave tiny one?"

She scoffed and whacked his hand away as she brushed past him with a muttered, "Idiot."

He stared after her for a moment with a hand on his heart, looking like he just fell in love. "Wow." He turned to me. "Let me know if he's okay," he said, before catching up to her.

Alex turned to me then, his blonde hair damp around his temple. "Text us when you find him, okay?"

I nodded then squeezed his hand. "I've got a pack of ibuprofen in my toiletry bag in the bathroom. Go get some rest."

He smiled and squeezed my hand back. "Thank you. Pray for me though. I have a feeling I'll be third wheeling the whole trip back."

I chuckled, wishing him good luck as Avery waited for him to catch up to them. I stared at them for a moment, my curiosity piqued at Jake and Avery's interaction.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders again, whispering something in her ear. Moments later she shoved him off, making him almost trip over himself. He laughed as she scowled, but I could just see the tiniest twitch in her lips.

Cute , I thought.

And then I started on my way to the location, wishing I had been more stern about not going to. I should have pushed Jake to go himself.