‘Do you enjoy it? It’s the last thing I thought you’d end up doing.’
‘It’s OK.’ I know he’s trying to distract me, and I’m grateful, but my brain won’t work well enough for a proper conversation. ‘We have to find him.’
We walk along in silence for another few minutes, although it feels like an eternity.
‘Up there.’ I point and begin to run.
‘Where? What are we looking at?’ Jackson’s jogging now to keep up with me.
‘The dunes Olly loves to hide in.’
I stop at the edge of the dunes and point towards a well-worn path that you’d miss if you weren’t looking for it. ‘This winds its way around and comes out later down the beach. I’ll go down it and meet you at the other end. Keep calling for him, won’t you?’
‘I will.’ He reaches out as if to touch my arm and then thinks better of it.
I set off down the gap in the dunes. The tall grasses have sharp spiky leaves and they catch my hands as I jog along. We’ve used them as swords before now and Olly has squealed with delight as our grasses clash in a fight to the death, or in his case, to be tickled to death. My chest explodes in a sob and a moan erupts from inside me. ‘Olly. Where are you? Olly?’ I call out loud, but the words are whipped from my mouth and disappear into the atmosphere before anyone can hear them. I push my legs to move faster along the winding path and my feet sink into the dry shifting sand, my calves complaining at being made to work so hard.
‘Any luck?’ says Jackson as I rejoin the main beach.
‘No.’ I can hear the crack in my voice. ‘He surely wouldn’t have come this far. Should we double back or try the road?’
Before Jackson can answer, my phone rings. I pull it out of my pocket, but it slips from my hand and goes flying, landing vertically in the sand. I freeze, but Jackson reacts instantly. He retrieves it and brushes off the sand before handing it over. It’s Reeni. My heart thumps in my chest and for a second, I stand and stare at Jackson. What if this is news I don’t want to hear?
Jackson nudges me. ‘Answer it.’
I stab at the screen then hold it to my ear.
‘They found him!’ Reeni’s voice bursts with relief. ‘He’s safe.’
I let out a shaky breath. ‘Where was he?’
‘I’m not sure. Milo’s got him. Oh, I can see them. I’ll ring you back.’
‘OK,’ I say, but the phone’s already dead.
‘Is he OK?’ Jackson’s hand finds my shoulder and his heat goes straight through my thin T-shirt, warming my skin.
I grin, one of those involuntary, full-face smiles that crinkles your eyes whether you want them to or not. ‘They’ve got him.’ And without thinking it through, I fling my arms around his neck and squeeze him to me. ‘He’s fine. He’s safe.’
Jackson’s arms wrap around me, holding me steady. My nose is buried in the curve of his neck and suddenly I’m not just hugging him, I’m remembering him. His scent hits me all at once, sea air, salt, and something citrusy and clean. It cracks open a part of me I’ve had boarded up for seventeen years.
I close my eyes, and my body moulds to his. A feeling of familiarity unfurls, stalling my breathing. I loosen my arms enough to look up into his face. His eyes are already on mine, dark and intense. That same quiet pull that they’ve always had that stirs the very pit of my stomach.
When my eyes don’t flinch, he reaches a hand up and skims the edge of my jaw, fingertips tracing a path that sends sparks skittering through me. Without thinking it through, I reach up on tiptoes and press my lips onto his. For a moment, neither of us moves, as if we’re trying to gauge if this is a good idea, and then he presses into my kiss and his hand moves to the small of my back, his fingers splayed against my skin.
My lips move against his and as he opens his mouth, our tongues flick against each other, hesitant then hungry. My hand curls into his hair and I feel him press closer and for one dangerous second I forget everything else, where we are, what came before, what this might mean. And then … my phone rings.
We jump apart and reality comes crashing down. The heat is already racing up my neck and I know my face is going to end up on fire.
‘Shit, I’m sorry.’ Jackson looks as flustered as I am, and he runs a hand through his hair. ‘I can’t, I mean …’
‘No, it’s OK. I shouldn’t have …’ My phone’s ringtone sounds again. ‘I’d better …’ I shake the phone at him, then turn around to answer it and give myself space to put my head in order.
‘Sorry I cut you off.’ Reeni’s sing-song voice is back to normal. ‘He’s all safe and back with us. We’re meeting at the Pig in Blankets for a thank you drink for everyone.’
‘Sounds like a plan,’ I say, rubbing at my forehead. My stomach still feels like someone dropped a hundred marbles into it and they’re tumbling around freely. ‘On our way.’
I hang up and take a slow breath before turning to face Jackson. He’s standing where I left him, hands in his pockets, eyes unreadable. We have a history that I’ve kept locked away for my own sanity, and I have an uneasy feeling I’ve just smashed that box wide open. And I have no idea what comes next.
