Still Waters Read Online Free Page B

feeling warm all the
way through for the first time in days. I’m content for maybe, four or five
seconds before my mind starts ticking again. I’m thinking about the data I
haven’t finished analyzing at the lab and the hair appointment I forgot to
cancel, and the fact that I didn’t even call my mother to tell her I was
leaving. Then I think about my sister Marta and all of the wedding related
appointments I’ve missed and then I can see my dad’s face in my mind, the way
he looked in the boardroom the last time I saw him. Suddenly the bath is too
hot, and I feel like I’m suffocating. I sit up too quickly, my heart racing in
my chest and my head swimming. I can’t do this. I’m going crazy sitting here. I
decide to go for a walk.
    The
rain has stopped and the wind blowing the hair off my face is no more than a gentle
reminder of the storm that hit the coast the day before. There’s even a little
bit of sunlight pushing through the clouds. I’ve changed into a pair of jeans
and a vintage navy and white striped t-shirt that I stole from my mom’s closet.
I turn left at my gate, towards the ocean, and try to keep my mind calm and
empty as I walk down the road. I reach the sand in minutes and decide to kick
off my shoes. I leave them on a fence post, hesitating for a second because,
well, they’re Chanel. I shrug and put them down anyway. I climb over the dunes
and look down the beach. There are a couple of surfers braving the massive
waves that climb over my head before crashing on the shore, but other than
them, I’m alone. I wonder briefly if Crew is one of the guys out in the water
and then quickly dismiss the thought. I’m not going to allow myself to think
about that guy. Hopefully, he gets back on whatever plane he arrived on and
leaves before I have to see him again.
    I
start down the beach, picking up shells along the way to line up along my
bathroom windowsills. The sea is so loud and immediate; it drowns out any
thoughts my brain tries to conjure up and I’m thankful. For the first time
since I left Jefferson, I have some peace. I’m enjoying the smell of the ocean
and the feel of the sand on my feet when I look up and scan my eyes down the
beach. A couple of guys are running next to each other towards me. They look
serious about it. They’re running hard. Neither one is talking or joking
around. When they see me, the taller one slows a little and says something to
the other guy. I can’t make out any detail in their faces because I forgot to
put my glasses on, but I can see that they’re not wearing any shirts and that
they’re both sweaty and packed with muscle. The shorter one looks lean and fit,
but the taller guy is huge. His shoulders and arms pump back and forth as he
runs in strong, powerful strides. I blush a little and look out towards the sea
to cool my face. I may be short sighted, but I never said I was blind.
    When
I look back, the lean looking guy has turned around and is jogging back up the
beach. The tall one has slowed to a walk and is coming right towards me. I look
behind me to see if there’s someone else he might be walking to, but there’s no
one there. Then he reaches a big hand up and pushes the dark hair off his face,
and I realize, far too late, that I know him. And there’s absolutely nowhere
for me to hide.

Chapter
Six
    Crew

 
      “Race you to The Point and back,” Jake yells
through the glass window next to my front door. I sit up with my head pounding
and my mouth feeling like the bottom of a birdcage. Damn jet lag. I must have
passed out on the sofa after I got back to my place, and I’ve slept for at
least 14 hours. I get up to open the door, but Jake is already gone. Bastard is
trying to get a head start. Despite the headache, I still manage a smile as I
throw on a pair of shorts and my runners and pull the door closed behind me. Seeing
Jake almost makes the trip back to Twin Heads worth it. Almost.
    By
the time I make it across my lawn, Jake is