Page 60 of Under the Waves

Jakson lent forward and grabbed a slice of the lemon drizzle cake, almost moaning in delight as he ate it. “Oh my God, girls that is so fucking good.”

Lia’s eyes bulged at his crude language, but you could barely tell apart the words as they came out mumbled thanks to all the crumbs in his mouth. I picked up a slice of my own and fucking hell—it was the best thing I had ever tasted. “He’s fucking right, Lils. That isheaven.”

Poppy elbowed me in the ribs, but I couldn’t care less with this literal slice of heaven in my mouth. It tasted like a daydream.

Lia eyed us both, but the smile on her lips from our praise was there.

Just then, the baby monitor rang, letting us all know Hudson was awake from his nap. Lia’s shoulders seemed to drop in exhaustion purely from the sound of it. As she was about to get up, Jakson kissed her forehead and whispered something to her. She smiled, barely, and nodded, squeezing his hand in gratitude.

“Excuse me ladies,” Jakson winked as he got up, “duty calls.”

Lia followed him with her eyes as he left to go upstairs and check on Hudson. I turned to Poppy, all the cookies on the plate gone except for one.

Before I could say anything, she noticed my gaping mouth and shocked eyes, and rushed to say, “I’m sorry, but they’re just too cute to say no to.”

I smiled, completely understanding where she was coming from—the powerful, cute smiles of the Davis siblings were impossible to resist. I’m pretty sure they had a survival rate of less than one percent.

“So, Poppy, are you going to the surf comp on the weekend?” Lia asked.

Poppy stiffened against me but you wouldn’t have be able to tell by looking at her—she had thrown on another mask to hide behind.

I could see straight through them. I wouldalwayssee the real her.

I had since we were little—she showed me the real her each time she hid my board behind the outdoor showers, each time she smirked as my points got announced by the commentators and they happened to be one point less than hers. Whether she realized it or not, she had always been real with me. I didn’t know why, but I always found myself being the realist version of myself whenever I was with her too.

She brought out the best of me. The worst of me. Every hidden part of me.

I saw her and she saw me.

“I am for him,” she motioned to me, “and to cheer on Jakson too, but I won’t be competing this time.”

What?

“You’re not competing?” I asked as she avoided my gaze.

Dammit, Poppy, look at me.

As if my thoughts compelled her too, she turned, eyes meeting mine. A cold glaze settled over them, but I could almost see the glimmer of worry, the hint of uncertainty, hidden in them.

“What about the bet?” I questioned. My thoughts trailed back to the beach when she just stood at the waves, not going in…was she stuck on a mental block?Fuck.And I asked her to compete in the bet against me.

Fucking idiot, Jasper.

If she was, why didn’t she tell me? I wouldn’t have asked her to do that if she was struggling—I’d never force her to do anything.

“What bet?” Lia frowned, looking between us.

My gaze remained glued to Poppy, searching for the words in her eyes like I knew they would be too painful for her to say aloud. Her gaze softened, realizing what I was doing, and she squeezed my hand.

Later,was what that movement was telling me. She shied away from my gaze, sinking back into the couch almost embarrassed.Fuck.She was embarrassed about this?

I wrapped my arm around her, gently squeezing her side, letting her know I was here and that she didn’t have to be embarrassed around me. When she started picking at her fingers a moment later, like she did when she was anxious, I clasped her hands in mine and rubbed them lightly.

“Someone say something about a bet?” Jakson’s voice trailed through the hallway as he entered the lounge, Hudson placed on his hip. “I’m always up for a good time.” Hudson cooed and Jakson grinned down at him. “See, even the little man agrees.”

Lia frowned, nose scrunching. “No, these two have some secret bet going on between them and they won’t tell me what it’s about.”

Jakson looked between us; I couldn’t decipher the words hidden in his gaze as he glanced at her, but when he turned to me, they were full of warning. The glance of a protector. I knew that gaze all too well—the same one clouded his vision when someone dared trash talked Lia in front of him. And let me tell you now, the guys on the football team learned to shut their mouths about her, not only around him, but also behind his back. Little Jakson Calloway may have been young and reckless, but nothing would ever stop him from protecting that girl.