Page 27 of Under the Waves

That was the Wellsy I knew.

Nate took one look at her and her phone before gesturing to his minions to back down. With one last look, he spat on the floor at my feet and walked away. I was so fucking smashing him in the heats next week. So badly until he forgot his fuckingname.

Turning to me, Poppy shoved her phone in her back pocket.

“That was badass, Poppy.” I heard Lachlan grin from behind me, but she didn’t look at him—didn’t even acknowledge his words. Just looked at me with an expression I couldn’t place.

“Jasper, I—”

My eyes locked onto where I knew her bruises where lying beneath Nate’s jersey. I couldn’t get them out of my head. Out of my heart.

“You’re okay, right?” I interrupted her. “At home, Imean. Everything’s okay? You’re not in danger or anything?”

Say you’re okay, Wellsy. Tell me everything’s okay.

Please.

Her eyes widened a fraction, lips parting slightly in shock before she regained her composure and glared at me, offering no answer. That only made my thoughts race and my heart thump even louder in my ears.

Tell me you’re okay, Wellsy.

Tell me you’re okay before I lose myself trying to find out on my own.

Her fingers grazed the air just above where I’d seen those bruises covering her skin. With one look at me, she sighed, suddenly avoiding my gaze. “Everything’s fine, Ridge.”

“Then why are you still here?” I snapped.

Her mouth shut instantly, eyes shooting towards mine. Her mouth opened like she wanted to shout something equally as stupid back at me, but instead, she closed it.

And without a second glance, she turned and walked away.

I kept my eyes on her back until I could no longer see her blurred figure in the distance.

From behind me, one of the guys smacked the back of my head whilst the others groaned in disappointment or maybe annoyance.

I didn’t know and didn’t care.

But the bruises…

Lachlan shook his head. “You’re a fucking asshole, Cap.”

Yeah, I was.

11

Poppy Wells

All my thoughts were consumed by the one person Ididn’twant to think about. His face, his words…everything. It was all a drug I couldn’t stop taking.Jasperwas the one who held me that night in the surf school.Jasperwas the one who carried me upstairs and took care of me—even gave me his surf jersey…

I couldn’tbreathe.

When I went down to the beach, I didn’twantto fight him. I went tothankhim,but somehow, he managed to get under my skin, and I justsnapped. I was angry at him—angry for letting me believe it was Nate who helped me, angry for taking care of me when he shouldn’t have because now it made it ten times harder to hate him.

I hated myself for thinking it could’ve beendifferent this time.

I hated the world.

I hatedhim.