Page 55 of Corrupted Lies

It wasn't that she doubted Jake loved her as a friend, that he cared about her deeply, and he would always see himself as her protector, all those things were true. But could he love her as more than a friend? Could he ever see himself as her partner and not just her self-appointed protector?

If he couldn’t and she let slip that something had changed for her, she would lose him forever. Things would become weird and awkward, and then they’d just stop spending time around one another, and sooner or later, the friendship would disappear.

That wasn't something she could let happen.

So she had to keep those feelings to herself.

Had to.

Seconds ticked by into minutes.

Minutes ticked by into hours.

The sun rose, its light shining through the thick clouds that still covered the sky.

Still Jake didn't return.

How long would it take him to find help?

Surely he must have found someone by now. A house, a road, or some shops. The shoreline was beautiful, and there had to be at least some restaurants close by to take in the stunning views. Houses too. People loved to live on the coast. And more often than not, there were roads close as well.

So why didn't Jake come back with help?

Had something happened to him?

Fear for him clogged her mind, filling her with terror. Losing him would kill a part of her she was sure she would never be able to get back.

Maybe she should go and look for him.

While he’d checked her over for injuries, he hadn't taken the time to pause and take stock of his own body. Determination to get her somewhere warm and out of the weather where they could eat and sleep had clouded his mind, and there was a very real possibility he had some sort of serious injury that adrenalin had been masking.

Or he could have slipped and fallen, hurt himself too badly to keep going.

If he needed her, she couldn’t just lie there in a ball and do nothing. That’s not what he would do if their positions were reversed.

Before he left, Jake had laid out her soaked clothes before the fire, and now she pushed wearily to her feet to retrieve them. They were still damp but a whole lot drier than they’d been before. The salt from the water and the sand and dirt from the ground they’d been laying on made them stiff and scratchy, and putting them back on wasn't pleasant.

But she did it.

If Jake needed her, there wasn't anything she wouldn't do.

The wound on her back from where the life jacket had been damaged in the explosion stung as her shirt brushed against it, and she had to leave her leggings resting low on her hips because the bruise on her side, which was continuing to darken to a horrible bluish black, hurt too much to have anything on it.

Somewhere along the way she must have lost her shoes, but that didn't matter. She was walking with or without them.

Adding a few more sticks to the fire to keep it going, she would need a reminder of their location in case she couldn’t find Jake and had to try to come back. It would also help him to find the spot where they’d been in case he was okay, and it had just taken longer to find help than either of them had anticipated.

Then with a deep sense of trepidation, Alannah headed further down onto the sand and started walking.

Within the first minute, she heard someone call her name.

Hope and relief flooded her system.

He’d done it. Jake had found help.

Turning around, she saw him sprinting across the sand from behind her.

Alone.

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