Page 53 of Riding the Waves

She should probably leave it, but knew it was going to niggle at her. She also knew Damian had been heading to Hugh’s place and she could easily track him down there.

With the hood of her raincoat pulled up, she made a run for the car then set the wipers on full speed for the five-minute drive. Only when she pulled up in front of the house did she wonder if Hugh might have moved in the years since she’d last been there. Presumably, she’d have heard about it if that was the case.

Still, it was a relief when Hugh answered the door. She could hear the boys playing upstairs and tilted her head to look around Hugh as she greeted him.

“Damian isn’t answering his phone and I just need to speak to him quickly.”

It was slightly uncomfortable that he didn’t invite her in, especially since the rain was still coming down hard. It reinforced her notion that Damian’s friends probably weren’t her biggest fans.

“It’ll only take a minute,” she said when Hugh just stared at her.

“He’s not here,” he said.

“The boys are here.” She pointed in the direction of the noise. “He told me he was coming here. It’ll really only take a minute.”

“He was here.” Hugh gave a subtle shake of his head. “He just nipped out.”

“Oh.” She imagined he’d gone to fetch pizzas or something. “Is it all right if I wait for him?”

“I don’t know how long he’s going to be.” His gaze dropped to the ground. “I can get him to call you when he gets back, if you want?”

“Where is he?” She pulled her hood back up, annoyed at being left on the doorstep and also that Hugh was being so cagey.

He looked past her, frowning. Amy’s chest ached as she realised what was going on. She also felt bad for Hugh getting stuck in the middle of things.

“He’s on a date, isn’t he?”

“What?” Hugh’s eyebrows shot up.

“You can just say so.” She really didn’t want to hear it but she’d rather know.

“I … um … no. He’s not on a date.”

“Oh, forget it,” Amy huffed, losing patience with him. If he wouldn’t tell her the truth, there was little point in standing there getting drenched. She called goodbye over her shoulder, ignoring Hugh when he shouted for her to wait. She’d just reached the car when he stopped her with a hand on her elbow.

“He’s not on a date,” he said wearily. “He’s at the beach. He didn’t leave that long ago, so you might be able to catch him before he kills himself.”

“Why would he be at the beach in this weather?” Her quiet words got lost in the wind and the rain, not that it mattered since she’d figured out the answer for herself. Damian had always liked to go surfing when the sea was rough and the waves intense. It had been a subject of contention between them when they’d been together, but she’d assumed it was something he’d have outgrown.

“Please tell me he doesn’t still do that,” she said to Hugh.

“I told him not to. I always tell him not to.”

Amy felt a shiver of dread creep up her spine as the wind picked up. “He’ll kill himself if he’s out in this.”

“He’s usually pretty good at weighing the risk. He wouldn’t go out if it was too crazy – but given the mood he was in when he got here, I’m not sure he’s thinking straight.”

“Great.” She threw her hands up. “So when he gets himself killed it’s going to be my fault.”

“If you can catch him, you’ll probably be able to talk some sense into him.”

She blew out a breath and got in the car while Hugh called after her to keep him updated.

CHAPTER 27

Rain drove against the windscreen in a steady rhythm and Amy’s heartbeat increased to match the ticking of the wipers. Pulling into the deserted carpark by the beach, she spotted Damian’s car parked close to the VW van. The sight of it made her stomach clench as a rush of fear washed over her. Parking by Damian’s car, she hopped straight out, fuelled by an intense rush of adrenaline.

Her lungs felt tight as she braced against the elements and hurried onto the beach. Waves hammered the rocks at the far end of the bay, sending spray rushing into the air like a geyser. The frenzied gusts of wind slowed her down and she hunched her shoulders as she crossed the sand. Her heart was in her mouth as she scanned the water. Waves battered the shore, creating bright white foam which lit up under a flash of lightning. A low rumble of thunder made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.