Helen: You’re such a bad influence. Be safe out there tonight.
Me: Always, beautiful.
I put down my phone, unable to hide the grin from my face. Helen and I had been flirting with texts all week and leaving each other little notes around the house. I’d avoided relationships my whole adult life, but being around Helen made me crave more of her, and I couldn’t wait for Saturday.
Just then, my phone beeped again.
Jasper: I’ve got a couple of hours off work and Mum said you were on nights. You want to hit the beach for a run?
Me: I could probably manage 10K before I pass out, as long you don’t run like an old man these days.
Jasper: You wish. See you in 15
Me: Make sure you stretch. Don’t want you to sprain something.
“Fuck, I needed this. Thanks, man,” Jasper said between ragged breaths. It was a stunning day; blue skies, a calm sea, a warm breeze in the air and we ran along the wet sand, nodding to the dog walkers as we passed.
“You okay?” I turned to look at my friend, slowing my pace slightly.
Jasper stopped, bending and bracing his hands on his thighs while he stared out to sea. I took my cap off, wiping my forehead as I waited for him to answer.
“Work offered me a promotion.” He stood, walking slowly away from me.
“That’s great, right?” He didn’t reply. “God, I don’t even know what you do. Something to do with marine life, I think your mum said.”
“Marine conservation. I specialise in how weather affects migration and breeding.”
“Wow.” I stared at my friend for a moment; the boy who hated school, struggled to focus and was constantly getting into trouble.
“I know what you’re thinking… how the hell didImanage to get a degree? A lot changed when you left.” He shook his head. “Sorry, that made it sound like you made me be a dick at school. That's not what I meant. It was just when you left, I lost a bit of my… well, Mum would say I lost my cheekiness, but I think I lost a bit of my zest for life. I just…”
He let his head fall back as he stared up at the sky. “Jesus, I sound like I was in love with you or something.” Then he lowered his gaze and let out a sigh. “I guess I was. As a friend, I mean. You were my world and then you were gone. It changed me, it changed my behaviour. I withdrew into myself a bit. I was scaredof making more friends who just vanished. Mum got me into scuba diving and I loved it. Alright, there isn’t much to see if you dive round here, but over the years, her and Dad took us to different places. I was hooked and managed to make a career out of it.”
“Where’s the job?” I asked, trying to ignore how much hearing about his pain broke my heart.
“Ecuador.”
“Shit,” I gasped as I put my cap back on to keep the sun from my tired eyes.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “I know. It’s a million miles away, but Jax, it’s the chance of a lifetime. Five-year contract, a huge research budget, a team of staff to help me. They’re offering to pay for my rent, all my utilities, and have doubled the salary I’m currently on. I published a paper in a pretty influential journal last year and apparently, they were impressed.”
“That’s amazing.”
He pointed to the sand, and I nodded before we both sat, bringing our knees up to our chests, mirroring each other like we hadn’t spent the last sixteen years apart.
“Yeah.” He didn’t sound convinced.
“It’s not?”
“How do I just leave? I’ve lived here my whole life. I only went thirty miles down the road to uni. Mum’s newly divorced. Cal and Conner need me. Dad’s more than useless since he met his new woman, and then there’s…”
“Astrid Strickland?” I asked.
He dropped his forehead to his knees for a moment before looking back at me with sad eyes. “No… I mean, I’ve not heard a word from her since she left. Remember when I saw you and Mum the other day and I told her I was going away with work?”
I nodded.
“I went to London to see her. I wanted to tell her how much I missed her and how I couldn’t get her out of my head, even after all this time.”
