Page 146 of Under the Waves

“I do.” He cut me off. “I mean every fucking word of it. The only parts of my life worth remembering are the ones with you in it, Wellsy. I want you in my life.Fuck, I need you in my life. You’re the reason my heart beats, Poppy.”

My chest cleaved in two. Sinking into his chest, Jasper wrapped his arms around me and didn’t let go.

“I’ll buy you another hoodie,” I mumbled against his neck, too embarrassed and overwhelmed to let him see the mess I had become. “I promise.”

Jasper just chuckled, continuing to draw lazy strokes up anddown my back. “I don’t care about my hoodie, Wellsy.”

And he didn’t.

He just held me, not once letting go.

“Thank you,” I whispered, eyes heavy and exhausted. “For being you, Jasper.”

“Always, Wellsy.”

45

Poppy Wells

Idid not need fixing,

because I was not broken.

I wasme,

and that was more than enough.

46

Jasper Ridge

“You good there, Wellsy?” I chuckled, watching Kia try to capture some shots of Poppy teaching our midday class. The kids were so thrilled about having their pictures taken for the surf school’s website that they had become a littletoorowdy with excitement, and Poppy looked slightly terrified trying to calm them all down.

She threw a glance over her shoulder at me and smiled, nodding her head to let me know she was okay. After yesterday, it’d been one hell of a fight tonotlet myself be by her side all day—the way she talked about her parents andherself…she found herself unlovable, but she didn’t know that I would give upbreathingfor her.

Poppy Wells was my oxygen. She was all I’d ever need.

And when she turned up outside my house in the pouring rain at threein the morning?

I knew I wanted to give her every inch of me I had.

She never told me what happened in the end. The only thing she revealed to me was that she accidentally stepped on some glass after she’d dropped a glass she was washing up. I guessed her parents got mad at her for breaking it and she just got overwhelmed by it. I was secretly, deep down, so happy that she’d come tome. She’d ran all the way to my house with glass in her fuckingfeetjust to see me because she knew I could help ground and comfort her. I didn’t know what to make of that.

After she’d started drifting in and out of sleep with her head on my shoulder as the rain drenched us both from above, I carried her inside and sat her down on the countertop as I picked out each shard from her skin. In that moment, I was so grateful that I’d grown up with a nurse for a mother and a boss who made me do monthly first aid training. Poppy had fallen asleep soon after, completely drained and exhausted. My heart hurt just looking at her. So I tucked her into my bed, making sure she was wrapped up warm in plenty of blankets, and spent the rest of the early morning sprawled across the couch thinking abouther.

“Okay, that should be enough shots for today,” Saskia smiled, thanking both Poppy and the kids, before turning to me and giving me a small wave. I nodded my head slightly in acknowledgment, returning her smile.

“I’m sorry about them,” Poppy sighed, “they’re never normally this rowdy. Must be all the excitement, I guess.”

“Honestly? Don’t worry about it, love! I’m used to dealing with hyperactive kids at the adventure course. And adults, for that matter. You did a great job, Poppy. Don’t beat yourself up about it!”

Poppy scratched the back of her neck in the same way she did when she was anxious, and I took that as my cue to walk over there, leaving behind the equipment I was halfway through cleaning. As I reached her, I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her back against my chest. She instantly relaxed into my touch, her hand falling to rest atop of mine. My heart threatened to burst.

“You’re safe,” I whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to her neck, just below her ear, as I rested my chin on her shoulder. “Just breathe, Wellsy. I’ve got you.”

She didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to.

“You two are just too cute together, honestly.” Saskia sighed wistfully. “I wish you both all the best.” Her braids swayed in the wind as she waved to us both, turning to leave. “You guys all did great today! I just know you’re all going to make fantastic little surfers some day!” She added, turning towards the kids, who all yelled and cheered. Some of them even ran up and threw themselves at her in a hug, but Saskia didn’t seem to mind. She hugged each and every one of them back, making sure everyone who wanted a hug got one before making the trek back up the boardwalk towards the surf school.