Page 32 of Under the Waves

What she said made no sense but I guessed not all kids did.

Hell, sometimes adults didn’t even make sense.

You can’t see her or he’ll get mad.

He doesn’t like it when things don’t go his way.

Who was thishe?Was Lia in danger?

I should talk to her…but that meant getting her address from Jasper and I had no intention of seeing him.

Ever again.

Unless I absolutely had to and there was no possible way out of it.

And even then, I could guarantee I wouldn’t enjoy a single second of it.

But I guess I could put aside my grudge for this though,right?

My dad…he never abused me, not really.

At least, that was what I spent years trying to convince myself.

He hit my mom more than he hit me. But he always apologized afterwards. He was there on the beach when I surfed, never missing a heat.Ever. He had always been there for me, so the little comments and digs at my skills and body…I just brushed them off because I thought that was just how he was.

That he was just like that.

I guess that was why it fucking hurt when he left without a word.

I was forgotten,replaceable.

Now I made sure no one could ever get close enough to me to leave me again.

That way, I couldn’t be hurt again in the same way he hurt me when he left.

“I believe her,” I rasped, forcing a smile. I didn’t want to worry her about any of it, especially if it meant that I was wrong. Maybe I’d misheard her. I probably did—there were loads of kids here and they weren’t exactly talking quietly.

“Are you taking the surf class?” I asked.

She nodded. “Yup,” she replied, popping theP.

“How about you get everyone lined up and check they all have sunblock on whilst I go and see where your teacher is? Sound like a plan, little Davis?”

“Yes!” She beamed at me before taking off in the sand, running over to where the other kids were standing.

My chest felt heavy and restricted with every step I took towards the surf school. I couldn’t get what she’d said out of my head, even if I had imagined it in the first place. I was sure it was nothing but somewhere, deep down in my gut, was a feeling that told me it was real. And I had no idea what to do with that.

With every step towards the school, my chest tightened. My fingers grazed over the wooden door, the red paint peeling away at the corners. I scrunched and flexed my fingers as my hand hovered over the door.

Fuck it.

I knocked.

14

Poppy Wells

“Come on, Jasper. I beat you by like ten minutes. You’re so old and slow now.”