I still feel bad for how hard I was on her when she came into the shop. But I’ve worked too hard to build my life here for it to be destroyed by careless words. I was just defending myself.
I could have been nicer about it, though.
I get how she was feeling. I’ve seen that reaction, many times, whenever a surfer would come into my old workshop and see the rack of boards. The magic of possibility, of endless blue waves to be surfed. And someone like Jade, who literally surfs for a living, of course she’s going to react like that.
I sip my drink, wondering whether to go over to her. But she seems to want to be alone, taking a seat at the end of the bar, ordering some sort of frosty cocktail. I don’t know if she’d want to talk to me, anyway. I could use her damaged board as a pretext, I guess. Or the fact she’s literally staying at my place.
But then a friend comes over and I fall into conversation with him, putting the Jade issue to one side.
Until it becomes everyone’s issue.
There’s a commotion, and someone cries out. My senses switch to high alert immediately. I look up to see Jade, sitting on her stool, her hand to her leg. And next to her, is a figure I recognise. “Fuck.” All at once the broken board, the injury to Jade’s leg, all of it falls into place. Mish is a pain in the ass. Her American father left long ago, heading back out on the hippie trail, and she grew up on the island basically being left to run wild by her mother. Who happens to own this bar, and is working tonight.
I’ve known Mish since she was a kid. I taught her to surf, way back when, but she’s a menace in the water, dropping in on people she doesn’t like, causing aggro. And she hates any visitors to the island. I guess there’s a whole lot of stuff to unpack around that, probably linked to her father being a tourist and then leaving, and how every person who comes here isn’t him. But it doesn’t mean she gets to act out whenever she fucking feels like it.
I get to my feet, hoping to defuse things before they get worse. Then Jade throws her drink over Mish.
Well, shit. Here we go.
I push through the gathered crowd, just in time to see Mish grab Jade. And Jade, to my absolute surprise, takes her down. Only for Mish’s friend to get involved, then Indah steps in.
“I’ll take her home,” I tell the irate bartender, putting my arm around Jade’s shoulders and drawing her away before things get worse. She’s limping. I shoot Mish a glare across the room, a warning to stay away. She tries anything else and I won’t hold back.
I help Jade outside. Where she proceeds to shake off my arm.
“I can get back by myself.”
“We’re going the same way. And your leg is bleeding.” I nod at her dressing, which is liberally spotted with red.
“Thanks to your fucking friend!”
“She’s not my friend. Well, I know her. Anyway. You think you’re going to get far once Indah lets those two out?”
She glances back into the bar. Indah is tearing a strip off Mish and her friend, her arm pointed towards the exit. The band has resumed playing, people returning to their drinks and conversations.
“Ugh, fine.” She turns and starts down the street. “Walk with me or not. I don’t care.”
I follow along behind her, trying not to laugh. She’s infuriatingly stubborn, but I admire her spirit. Then she stumbles on a loose rock, almost falling as her injured leg gives way.
I lunge forward, my laughter gone, and scoop her into my arms. She’s warm, smelling of flowers and coconut, her golden hair soft.
“Put me down!” She pushes at my arms, wriggling. “Where are you taking me?”
“The medical centre.” I stride across the road. “They have 24-hour service. And your leg needs looking at.”
ChapterEleven
Jade
Axel carries me into the lobby of the medical centre as though I weigh nothing at all. My head hurts, my buzz dissipating, and my leg feels as though it’s on fire. The soft colours of the lobby are soothing, though, and tiredness rolls over me in waves, so much so that I stop protesting about him carrying me.
It’s kind of nice, anyway. Axel’s chest is firm and muscular, and he smells like cinnamon and cloves and something sharper, like a sexy warm bonfire kind of scent. I wrench my mind away from that thought. He might be hot, but he was still kind of a dick to me earlier. I suppose I was kind of a dick to him, too.
But I’m not here to hook up with someone. I’ve literally travelled halfway around the world to get over my last romance. What I’m here for is some Jade time, to figure out what I want next.
Right now, though, what I want is to get my leg sorted out. The reception desk is empty, and Axel carries me round to the corridor leading to the consulting rooms. I frown at him.
“Only one doctor on at night.” He glances down at me. “Better than nothing.”
