Page 186 of Under the Waves
I nodded, knowing exactly how that felt. I was sure Jakson knew too.
Ruffling his hair, I pushed him away gently. “Go home, Kidd. You earned it.”
“Alright, alright,” he chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender. “But you gotta give me immunity against Mali, you know he’s gonna come after me when you set him free.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I held back a grin. “You two are like a married couple.”
“We learnt it from the best!” He laughed, saluting goodbye as he walked back up the beach towards the surf school.
Shaking my head, I chuckled as I walked back over to my teammates, who were still cleaning their respected equipment. Kai and Jakson were in the heat of discussing something, whilst Xander looked up at them occasionally toeing a line between curious and bored. Koa, however, kept to himself on the edge of the group, rarely saying anything to anyone. To be honest, I kind of forgot he was there. He rarely ever showed up to help with team chores. I had a whole notepad full of his favorite excuses.
“I’m done, Cap,” Kai said after a while. “Can I go now too?”
“Not if you’re going to go and kick Lachlan’s ass, Foster.” I looked over to him.
Kai narrowed his eyes. “You gave him immunity, didn’t you?”
I shrugged, just as I heard Jakson snicker beside me. Even Xander looked slightly amused.
“Fine,fine, I’ll leave Lachy alone,” Kai grumbled, shaking his head as he picked up his equipment. A hint of a smile appearedon Xander’s lips.
“Hey,” Jakson nudged my side. “How’s Poppy doing?”
I paused before putting down my equipment. “I don’t know, Sonny. I think she’s okay, but I just get this feeling deep down in my gut that screams at me that she’s in danger.”
“I get that too with Lia,” he admitted. “I just want her to be safe. Someone’s got to look out for them, you know?”
I sighed. “I know, Sonny. I know.”
“I really don’t know why you bother with her,” Koa piped up, overhearing our conversation.
I almost choked. “I’m sorry?”
“There is no Lia and Jakson situation here for you, Cap,” Koa snickered, walking towards me before pushing my shoulder.What did he even mean?“I don’t know what you see in that girl of yours. She is as broken as they come.”
“Jesus Christ!” I shoved him off me, sending him tumbling backwards into Kai and Xander who looked equally as pissed as I felt. “You don’t know her like I do! She isn’tbroken, asshole. She’s Wellsy.Myfucking Wellsy, so stop chatting shit about her and get back to practice before I put my fist straight through your fucking face!”
“Go suck a dick, Ridge. Your performance has been so shit for these past few years. I don’t even know why you’re our captain at this point.”
“Because he’s got more fucking integrity and determination than you will ever have you silver spooned asshole,” Kai growled, knocking Koa backwards off his feet until he fell onto his hands and knees on the sand. Xander was immediately at his six, and together they looked unstoppable; a merciless duo that even the Gods feared.
I knew why his words were bothering me so much because they weretrue. Even though I knew that my performance hadn’t been the best these last few years, but still…hearing it from coach was one thing. Hearing it from my teammate, who was supposed to have my back, was a whole other thing.
“Don’t listen to him, Cap. He’s talking shit and we all know it,” Jakson grinned, looking at where the three of them looked like a pack of wolves circling a helpless bunny.
“He’s not wrong though, Sonny,” I sighed, running my palm through my hair as I let out a deep exhale. Shaking my head, Icursed under my breath.
“Hey,” Jakson gripped my shoulders, shaking me until I looked at him. “Block him out. He doesn’t know shit, okay? I know how hard you’ve been trying—we all do, Jasper. Koa couldn’t tell his ass from the waves, so why do we care about what that little fucker says, mm?”
“Because he’s still myteammateand I’m supposed to be his captain?” I countered, to which he just gave me a disappointed glare. “No, because I’m supposed to be hismentor,Sonny. Someone who guides him and who he can turn to help for. So far all I’ve done is make us both miserable.Hell,” I exclaimed defeatedly, “everyone on this stupid team is miserable.”
“Not me,” he smiled, but I could see through him. I knew how exhausted he was. I also knew that he would rather drag himself to his own grave than ask someone for help. “Listen, Jasper, I know you take every hit this team receives from coach so we don’t have to feel the disappointment. I know you do everything for us so that we all have an equal shot at getting to the Pros. If you think about it, all the opportunities we’ve been given are all because of you, because you care about each and every one of us and want us to succeed to the best of our abilities. That, right there, is what makes you the best captain this team has ever had, and if Koa can’t recognize all the shit you’ve gone through for him and this team, then that just shows how ignorant of a fucker he is.Notyou. Don’t ever doubt your ability to lead us, Jasper, because you’ve done a fucking brilliant job ever since you stepped up for us. Not only for us, though, for everything you’ve done for Poppy, and for Lia, and especially for Belle. You have no idea how much that girl looks up to you, mate. You, Jasper Ridge, are one fucking hell of a person. And if you ever forget that, I’ll shove my lightsaber so far up your—”
“Okay buddy, I get it—” I chuckled, patting him on the back in the same way a brother would.
“Go home, Jas. Oh, and make sure to say hi to mamma Vie for me when you get back! I’m pretty sure she still has my washing from last week.”
“Dude–”