Page 44 of Under the Waves

A fuckingmiracle.

If they could just see themselves now, sprawled across the couchandeach other. Jakson snored and I swear Lia nudged him in the ribs whilst sleeping as she could hardly concentrate on her book. He shut up after that. The entire scene made me laugh. I didn’t know what I felt when I looked at the two of them and whatever weird thing was going on between them, but I knew if it made them happy, it would make me happy too.

I yawned as Jakson plucked the book Lia was reading straight out of her hands. He dangled it above their heads as she tried to snatch it back off him, but of course, being as small as she was, she couldn’t reach it.

Eventually, she gave up and slumped back down, pressing her body back into the couch. Jakson’s brows drew as he tugged her small frame onto his lap. He brought his lips close to her ear as he whispered, “What do all the little red tabs mean, my little Blue Moon?”

“Um…anger,” Lia replied, sitting completely still, avoiding his gaze as a little pink blush blossomed across her cheeks.

Jakson smirked. “Try again, Blue.”

I made a gagging sound then, not being able to stomach anymore of whatever that was between them. Lia flinched, swiftly turning around to meet my gaze. She smiled shyly before whimpering and burying her head into the crook of Jakson’s neck, who, by the way, was sending me death glares.

I smirked back at him as he shook his head, before turning all his attention back onto the little girl curled up on his lap. He wrapped a protective arm around her waist and gently kissed the top of her head, whispering sweet nothings to her that I definitelydidn’twant to have the displeasure of hearing, or I genuinely would be sick.

I wasn’t thrilled about whatever it was that they had together because Lia was like my little sister and I would fight anyone on her behalf who even dared glance at her, but this wasJakson…and I couldn’t decide if that made it better or worse.

I sluggishly rose from the couch, turned the movie off and drew the curtains around the house, turning off any rogue light switches that were still on. I had a quick peek into the kid’s room. They were all fast asleep still, so I carefully shut the door.

I hadn’t been good with sleep recently, my body was alwaystoo restless, too full of stress and panic. It felt like I had the world on my shoulders. Normally, I would go out on the waves and exhaust myself so that sleep had no alternative but to come claim me. So that was what I planned to do. Quietly opening the door, I grabbed my training board from where it always was and headed out.

The stars were out when I closed it behind me, the scent of the ocean greeting me immediately, bringing a sense of comfort. The path down to the shore was tattooed in my mind. I could walk there blindfolded, guided by only the sound of waves cresting and the feeling of returning home. All I needed was a quiet surf tonight, but what greeted me was anythingbutquiet.

Small specks of stars began to shine in the sky as the darkness washed over, letting the light slumber. In the distance, a thin line of oranges and yellows spread across the water, the final moments of light this day would ever see.

Poppy Wells stood at the shoreline in her signature Orca wetsuit, pink board in hand. She gazed out into the water like it was nothing but a distant memory—like it was too far out of reach.Unattainable. I felt my brows crease as I watched her.

For what felt like hours, she just stood there, staring. Just as I was about to call out her name and tease her, she turned away from the ocean and walked away down the shore.

Suddenly, I didn’t want to surf anymore. I wanted to run over to her and ask her what the hell that was. To ask her why she looked so damned afraid of the waves. My chest constricted and it felt like all my air was cut off at the thought of her being afraid of our home.

Instead of chasing after her like I should’ve done, I turned around and left.

Maybe if I had known what she was about to do, I wouldn’t have walked away.

I would’ve been there.

And even worse, if I had chased after her,

maybe she wouldn’t have done it at all.

16

Poppy Wells

I’d been pacing back and forth in my bedroom for the past three hours filled with burning anxiety. My wetsuit clung tightly to my skin, and I had tried to shove it off me as a growing feeling of being claustrophobic overcame me but the fabric got stuck halfway down my body and I was so frustrated I just left it hanging there.

I could’ve screamed and ripped out my hair.Hell, I could’ve burned the entire house to the ground and maybe it would kill me once and for all.

I was a fucking waste of a life, it waspathetic.

Why me? Why didn’t I die that day? Why wasn’t it fuckingme?

I couldn’t fucking surf anymore.

I was broken.

It was stupid, the entire thing was so fuckingstupid. It was the ocean. Myhome. Yet when I tried to go out, Ifroze. Frozen in panic, my feet rooted to the floor. I wanted to move but my body refused. All I saw when I looked out there was a million ways my little brother could’ve died, and each one seemed more painful than the last.