Page 56 of Under the Waves

Leverage.

Jasper’s brows rose as he smirked down at me. “Very mysterious, Wellsy.”

I narrowed my gaze. “That isn’t too much for you, is it? We can always call this bet off and save you any future embarrassment.”

He chuckled. “If using me as a scapegoat is your way of getting out of this bet, Wellsy, then you really have changed.”

I shrugged, revealing nothing.

Leaning towards me, his slow breaths kissing my ear, he whispered, “do we have a deal then?”

I bit my lip, contemplating. “Fine, Ridge. We have a deal.”

What had I just gotten myself into?

20

Poppy Wells

Ilost my surfboard.

My mom was going to kill me. What the fuck would I even say to her? I couldn’t go home, not until I could conjure up some excuse that wouldn’t end up with her hurting herself or me.

It was easier if she hurt me. I could take it. I could deal with it.

I shouldn’t have to deal with it.

I was strong enough to deal with it.

Jasper obviously saw I was nervous as fuck because he ended up offering that the surf school had some discounted boards that he could show to me after our surf lessons tomorrow. I barely managed to smile, my lips trembling. I had to bite down on them to make them stop. My fingers were tangledby my abdomen, picking and rubbing at the skin to ease the tremors.

Five things, Poppy. Start with five and breathe.

Jasper’s eyes dropped down to my hands, but before he could say anything about my not-so-healthy coping mechanisms, I was already walking across the beach, trying to slip my arms out of my wetsuit. When he caught up to me, Jasper placed his hand on my shoulder softly and looked down at me like he was searching for an answer I was hesitant to give.

Let me,his eyes seemed to say.

I barely remember nodding, the closeness making my head spin.

Tentatively, he unzipped the back of my wetsuit. The press of the wet fabric against my back made me arch slightly. A low groan slipped from his lips as he followed the zip all the way down my back, and ever so slowly, his hands reached up to my shoulder, tugging at the sleeve. He pulled it down as I moved my arm backwards out of it. The entire time, his eyes did not leave mine. The warmth of his breath kissed the bareness of my neck as he lent in closer, slipping the other sleeve down my arm.

His touch seemed to ignite a fire inside of me, electric currents firing through my blood. I felt warm and safe and secure in his touch—he was everything that my own home was not, and the thought alone was enough to terrify me. I bit down on my lip as he finished, making no move to leave. Instead, I stayed still, waiting to see what he would do.

Jasper’s fingers tentatively brushed up my back as his touch chased away any nerves that haunted my thoughts. They rested over a spot on my neck, brushing over the soft skin which was laced with droplets of salt water. His fingers ran along the scar that lay there at the edge of my neck and down my shoulder blade.

My own fingers fell over his and I jerked backwards out of his touch. I couldn’t look at him. That scar—I couldn’t. My chest felt like someone had dropped a boulder on it but when he stepped forward and pressed his palm flat across it, I felt my breaths even out. My thundering heartbeat threaded through his fingers, but he kept his palm there, his eyes never leaving mine.

Maybe I was wrong, had been wrong all these years. Maybe Jasper did understand me, better than I did myself. Then anyone did. Maybe he and I were just one of the same, monsters of thewaves, broken children of the ocean. My body responded to him, his touch like magic.

“I don’t need you to fix me,” I blurted out.

His eyes softened slightly. “I wasn’t trying to fix you, Poppy.”

Biting down on my lip, I nodded. “Right…okay.”

“Fuck,” he cursed, massaging his temple. “I don’t…” His eyes latched onto mine, unwavering and unbreakable. “You don’t need fixing, Poppy.”

Except, I knew I did.