Page 110 of Under the Waves
But before I could protest anymore, Jasper dropped a CD in my palms.
There, right at the top in neat calligraphic letters, lay the words:Jasper’s songs for Wellsy’s sad green eyes.
I couldn’t breathe.
I flipped it over, revealing all thirty tracks, and just underneath the album title, he’d scribbled the words in a black marker pen:
When I’m losing my control and the city spins around,
you’re the only one who knowshow to slow it down.
I’ll look after you, Wellsy, for infinity <3
This boy with the golden-brown eyes and rosy cheek smiles was making me believe in love again. And as if my heart wasn’t full enough, near breaking, there were little messages engraved beside each song.
“Track four, Wellsy.”
I bit back a smile. “What about it?”
He shrugged. “It means you.”
I turned the CD over in my palm, my eyes scanning the track list until I found the fourth song.
Oh god.
Oh my god.
He hurried to continue. “And before you say anything, just know that you deserve it, you know? You’re loved, Poppy. By us all. Happy birthday, Wellsy.”
Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes and somehow, I’d lost the strength to will them away. “Growing up, I never had a birthday party like all the other kids had,” I whispered, setting the CD on my lap as I continued to stroke the back of his costume before scratching the back of his head, letting his messy curls intertwine between my fingers. “I never got pancakes for breakfast or ice cream for dinner, birthday cakes covered in hundreds of candles or people singingHappy Birthdayto me. I never had friends who gave me presents or gifts every Christmas. All my life I was told to be grateful for the things I had, and I was because I knew others had it worse. It was their way of justifying it all. A way of placing the blame onto my shoulders. My birthday was never a day to be celebrated, but you, Jasper Ridge…you have given me everything tonight.”
You’ve healed the child inside of me.
“Poppy—” he pulled back to meet my eyes. “I had no idea.”
“You weren’t supposed to know,” I shrugged. “They were good at hiding it all. Good at pretending. Where do you think I get it from?”
“You are nothing like them,” he said fiercely, gripping my face in his palms. “Nothing at all like them.”
We stayed like that for what felt like hours, just content in the warmth of each other, when after a while, Jasper whispered so quietly I almost missed it, “I won’t let you become like them, Wellsy.”
36
Jasper Ridge
“Great progress we’ve made today guys! Let’s keep up the hard work and come back even stronger next lesson, okay?”
I smiled at all the kids before dismissing them to go and get changed since the lesson had ended but as per usual, Belle had stayed behind to help pack up the equipment we’d been using during the lesson.
“Do you think, one day, I’ll be just as good as you?” She asked, a pondering look on her face as she glanced at me.
“Of course I do, little Davis,” I smiled, gently placing my hand on her shoulder and squeezing lightly. “You have my full support. I believe in you, Belle.”
Her little cheeks turned pink as she looked away, whispering a smallthank you.I smiled to myself as she went and gathered the rest of the brightly colored cones and placedthem in the large blue equipment box. I clipped on the black plastic lid and picked it up in my arms as we started walking back up the boardwalk towards the surf school.
“Poppy, wait!”
We both turned around at the sound of my name being called to see Lia running breathlessly towards us both. I could already tell from the sickened look on her face that this was not going to be a conversation suited for little ears.