Page 6 of The Tides Between Us

“You’re probably right,” I agreed with a shrug. “I’ll see you Friday.”

I left the office and headed out to my Jeep while simultaneously sending my brother a text. He was almost worse than my mother. She had been calling me incessantly since my injury. Thankfully, she didn’t follow me here from California. The last thing I needed was someone else watching my every move.

As I started the engine, my phone vibrated with my brother’s quick response.

Adrian

Sorry, little bro. Someone has to look out for you since you can’t seem to do it yourself.

A sigh escaped me and I didn’t bother answering him as I tossed my phone onto the passenger seat. There were still moments when he acted like he had to take care of me even though I was highly capable of doing it myself. I knew he was coming from a place of caring and concern, but shit. I could make my own decisions.

And I wasn’t stupid enough to fuck my shoulder up even more than it was already.

I pulled my car out of the parking lot and began my drive toward the beach. It was about a ten-minute drive to the Orchid City Marine Research & Rehabilitation Center. I could have easily called to check in on Pop-Tart, but that meant I would have had to talk to someone other than Giana. I only cared to hear about the turtle’s progress from her and no one else.

The one thing I loved about this town was the fact that everywhere you drove, you could feel the ocean. It was all around, constantly tantalizing your senses. The saltiness entered my nostrils and I could feel it in my veins. I breathed the scent in deeply, feeling it on my skin as I pulled down the drive that led to the facility buildings.

This time, I parked in a parking spot like a civilized person. The sun was hot on my skin and the air was thick with humidity as I crossed the pavement to the front doors. They slid open from the motion sensors and I welcomed the cold air as it sent a chill down my spine. There was an unfamiliar face at the front desk as I stepped up to it.

“Hi!” The younger girl, who appeared to be eighteen at most, smiled at me. “What can I do for you?”

I glanced around. “I was wondering if Giana was here today. I came by to see her.”

The girl looked at me for a moment and I didn’t miss the look of suspicion that passed through her eyes. “She is. She’s actually in the lab right now. Who should I tell her is here to see her?”

“Declan,” I told her. “I brought in a turtle the other day, in case she doesn’t remember me.”

“Oh! You’re the one who brought in Pop-Tart, right?”

I nodded, a smile pulling on my lips. My curiosity was piqued now. Had Giana been talking about me? Or perhaps it was just mentioned that someone had brought the turtle in after finding it on the beach.

“Let me go grab her,” she said before disappearing through one of the doors that led to the back section of the facility. I began to wander around the lobby, reading over the different diagrams they had with information on the animals they housed and helped here. There was information on the different tours they offered, but just as I picked up a pamphlet, I heard her call my name.

“Declan,” the girl said when she was back at the desk again. “She said she’ll be right out.”

Just as she spoke the words, Giana walked through the door behind her. My breath caught in my throat at the sheer sight of her. She looked just as I remembered from the other day. She wore a tight-fitting t-shirt that had the name of the center across her chest. Her bright blue eyes shimmered like the sun hitting the surface of the ocean. They widened slightly as she realized it was me.

I smiled brightly at her as I began to close the distance between us. She signed something to the other girl and she nodded before disappearing. Giana walked around to meet me in the center of the lobby, pulling a small notepad and pen from the back pocket of her jeans.

“Hey,” I said softly, as her eyes dropped down to my mouth. She smiled back in response. “You said to check back in a few days about Pop-Tart.”

I watched her hand clutch the pen as she scribbled something on a piece of paper. Guilt rushed through me. I hated that I didn’t understand sign language. There had to be an easier way for the two of us to communicate.

You could have called.

That was it. My phone. I stared at her for a moment as I reached into my front pocket and pulled it out. I quickly unlocked the screen and went to a new message and handed it to Giana. “What’s your phone number?”

Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

“We can text, rather than you having to write everything out.”

There was a look of hesitation that passed through the shimmering hues of blue in her irises. She knew my idea was more practical and I was sure it wasn’t the first time she used it as a means for communicating with someone. Maybe just not with a stranger, which I practically was to her.

She took my phone from me. Her fingers brushed against mine and it felt like a shock of electricity zapped through me. She inhaled sharply. The sensation instantly spread up my forearm, searing my skin. My fingertips were instantly warmed from the feeling of hers and I felt her absence as soon as she pulled away from me.

I watched her carefully as she typed her number into it and handed it back to me. This time, her fingers didn’t touch mine. Giana slid her notepad and pen back into one of her pockets before pulling her phone out from another. I typed out the first message and sent it to her so she had my number.

Declan