Page 63 of Something Real with the Sea Monster
“The worst part was afterward.”
At this I look up.
“When she wouldn’t let me help her. When she couldn’t remember where we were. I kept thinking about what she would have done if I hadn’t been there.”
My eyes well up at Jack’s words. “I’m sorry.”
He reaches over and puts his hand on my knee.
The group leader makes a low, affirming noise. “Thank you for sharing, Jack. It sounds like you really care for Tegan and you’re looking out for her.”
“Yeah.”
“And well done, Tegan. It’s not easy to hear about the ways we’ve impacted our loved ones. I want you to know that listening and taking responsibility are some of the biggest first steps.”
There’s a general hum of agreement from the group.
The lady who tried to talk to me before stands. “Hey, everyone, I’m Briony, and I’m an alcoholic.”
“Welcome, Briony,” we all chorus.
“It’s been 262 days since my last drink, and I’m so close to reaching a year, and I just wanted to say thank you to Tegan for sharing.” Her hand trembles as she reaches up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I needed to hear that, and I needed to hear what Jack said about worrying for you. Even though I’m doing really well, I haven’t told my family that I’m an alcoholic yet. I’ve always hidden it. Been OK, pushed through the hangovers and pretended I wasn’t drinking to survive, that it was fun. Only I think it’s time I told them.”
Everyone claps, and the group leader has some encouraging words for Briony.
As the session ends, Briony approaches me and Jack as we’re on our way out of the community hall. “Hey, Tegan?”
“Oh hey, Briony right?”
She nods. “Yeah. I just wanted to say that I can’t be your mentor yet because I haven’t been sober long enough, but if you ever want someone to talk to, someone who gets it, well I’d be more than happy to give you my number.”
I almost say no. Ever since that night in Sydney I haven’t spoken to any of my Sydney friends, and I don’t plan to. And while it’s so lovely to hang out with Jack and his family and I know Mia will be out of hospital eventually, it would be good to have a new friend. “Yeah. That would be nice. Thank you.”
Jack and I walk out into the cool evening air. He wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Hey, I’m proud of you.”
I scoff. “Nothing to be proud of yet. It’s only been a week. I’ve gone longer than that before.”
“This is different, though, isn’t it?”
Eventually I nod.
He unlocks the car, and we get in and make the twenty-minute drive back up the highway to Kraken Cove. Just outside town there’s a clifftop lookout. Jack pulls the car over and parks, switching off the headlights. “Come out to the lookout with me for a minute.”
“Okay.” I follow him out of the car and shiver as soon as the wind off the ocean cuts through the light dress I’m wearing. Jack pulls off his light jumper and hands it to me, and I put it on gratefully. We have to walk down a set of steps to a wooden viewing platform, and suddenly it’s like we’re hanging over the ocean and rocks below. The wind blows up the hem of my dress and makes gooseflesh appear all over my skin. Jack tucks me into his chest. “We won’t stay out long. I just thought this would be a beautiful place for it.”
“For what?”
He slides his free hand into his pocket, and my heart lurches in my chest only to drop over the side of the balustrade and into the ocean when he pulls out the thing I was hoping he wouldn’t.
He holds out the small square box and I take it—what else can I do? When I open it, the ring inside is the most perfect ring I’ve ever seen. It’s a beautiful gold band with an enormous pearl in the center, surrounded by little diamonds. “Oh, Jack.”
“You don’t like it?”
I look up into his anxious expression. “I love it, but I can’t.”
“Oh.” He looks so crestfallen.
I hurry to add, “Not yet.”
