So I need to sort that out, whatever it is. I take another bite of pastry, sipping my coffee. It’s more brunch than breakfast– I slept late for what seems the first time in a while, especially considering I didn’t have a drink– and so the sun was pretty high in the sky by the time I opened my eyes. I glance along the beach past Axel’s house, to where the land begins to rise. I imagine a glossy hotel there, built in a traditional Indonesian style, an infinity pool overlooking the ocean. I can see how a developer might think it was a good idea, and in some ways it is. If it’s done properly, it could enhance the island. But it’s also a slippery slope. One hotel will lead to more. More hotels will mean more people and this place becoming crowded, no different from the other holiday islands in the archipelago. The magic would be gone.
And the cave with the sacred spring would be closed off to the very people who have protected it for millennia. Turned into some sort of exclusive spa for tourists. That I can’t allow.
But what am I supposed to do? I earn a lot of money, but I don’t have enough to help Axel. I know that’s what he wanted, and part of why he showed me the cave. But I have other responsibilities. Which is why I’m still chasing sponsors, why I know I need to go back to reality sooner rather than later.
As though on cue, my phone vibrates.
Hey, what’s going on? Heard you broke up with Zach and took off. You okay?
Half of my Heart.
I stare at my phone for a moment, tears in my eyes.
Hey. Yeah, it’s true. I’m all right though. Hiding out in Indo. How are things with you? Don’t you have exams coming up?
Yeah. It’s cool. I plan on acing them. I just want to make sure my baby sister is okay.
Baby sister by twelve minutes.
Every second counts. If we were royalty, I’d be the heir
Good thing we’re not then. Buttheads don’t tend to make good kings
Sassy women don’t make good queens.
A pause.
Actually I take that back. You’d be an excellent queen
Glad you recognise my greatness. Did you get the stuff I sent?
Yeah. All good. Paid up until the end of the fall semester.
Three little dots appear.
Love you, you know
I do know. Love you too
Just take care of yourself. And, for what it’s worth, I liked Zach but I also thought he was kind of a dick
Yeah. Me too
And there it is. The reason I don’t have the money to buy the land next door. I’m paying for my twin brother to attend an Ivy League university; tuition, accommodation, the works, plus a trust fund for later. He’s all I have in the world. He kept me safe when we were younger, protected me from the world. Defended me against Mom’s shitty boyfriends, stood up to my bullies in the playground, held me when I cried. Stayed to take care of Mom when I left home, determined to follow my dream. He’s been my rock for my entire life. So now I’m taking care of him.
Mom isn’t in either of our lives anymore. I don’t really know where she is. Last I heard she’d left California and moved north to Washington State, no doubt following some man. I kept tabs on her for a while, thought about helping her out financially. Came close to it one time, when she showed up pretending she was sorry for everything that happened. She soon showed her true colours, threatening to sell childhood photos of me to some magazine. I’d laughed, and asked her what kind of photos she thought she had, considering she was drunk most of the time. It was cruel, I know. But she made our lives hell for so long, her drinking and abuse too much to take. I got Jasper out as soon as I could– yeah, Mom named us both after rocks– and set him up instead.
I need to figure out another way to help Axel. Maybe we could do some sort of fundraising or something. With my social media reach I can probably raise whatever money he needs to save the land. But there are issues associated with that, and I need to tread carefully, especially as time is limited. Maybe the island council will vote against the offer anyway, but the way Axel looked so worried makes me think otherwise. I can understand it, too. Whoever owns the land will want the money, and there will be businesses on the island that would benefit from more people coming here. I can see why the collective might think it’s the right thing to do, especially if the cave shrine isn’t really in use anymore.
It’s a lot to think about. I stare at the ocean, hoping the rolling waves might help me untangle it all.
Axel
I smooth the edges of Jade’s board, admiring the fluid lines. The new fibreglass tip and repairs needed time to set, which is why I took a couple of days off to take her around the island. A lie I keep telling myself.
Fuck. I cannot stop thinking about that kiss. How her tits felt, pressed against my chest. The warmth of her, the softness, the way she smelled like flowers. And the way her lips felt on mine. Like they belonged there. Like there was nowhere else they should be. I’m getting hard again just at the thought of it. Which is crazy. It was just a kiss.
Yet it also felt like a promise, like the beginning of something more. And my whole being shies away from that. Well, it’s supposed to. That’s one of the barriers I set up, when I stepped away from the world. Yet when I’m with her, I get the feeling of an approaching storm, the way lightning seems to crackle between us. Jade is a force of nature, and I don’t think I can withstand her. I need to try, though.
