Page 11 of A Crush in the Storm
“No, you’re an idiot.” Walker huffs out a long breath. “I think if you take a risk, she might surprise you.”
“Why, has she said something?”
Walker shrugs. “No, but with her dad retiring, I reckon she’s ready to see what’s beyond this island.”
A sliver of hope worms its way into my hardened heart. Is Walker right? Is Sadie ready to leave Ceto Island, and if so, would she consider doing it with me?
“Anyway, that’s my advice. Take it or leave it.” Walker slaps me on the back. “Good luck, bro.”
I’ll need it.
12
SADIE
If the shack on the other side of the island is Kai’s go-to place, the cove is another. It’s a tiny patch of sand, protected from the elements by towering cliffs, that is accessible through rocks that are weatherworn from the crashing waves at high tide.
At dusk, the tide is out, and Kai is perched on a rock, staring out to sea. Trepidation makes me trip as I trudge through the sand, wondering if I’m crazy for contemplating a new life away from the only home I’ve ever known.
A life with Kai, if he’ll have me.
Since my chat with Dad, I’ve mentally rehearsed what I’ll say to Kai, but it doesn’t make it any easier. He’ll probably shut me down and that will be the end of that. But I have to try, because for the last ten years since he asked me to leave with him, I’ve second-guessed my decision to stay and I’m sick of it.
He senses my approach and turns, his smile making my heart soar. It’s welcoming, genuine, and joyous, a reflection of mine.
When I reach him, he pats the flattened rock beside him and I sit, my skin tingling at his proximity, as if every cell is programmed to recognise him after the hours we spent with our bodies entwined.
“Hey.” He slides an arm around my waist, and I lean into him, fitting perfectly. “Looking for me?”
“Yeah, thought I might find you here.”
“Apart from the shack, I do my best thinking here.”
“I know.”
I know everything about this incredible man, from the way he sprinkles too much sugar on his cereal in the morning to his ritual of having a shower before he goes to bed every night. He loves dogs, hates cats, thinks all men should meditate, and enjoys solitude as much as socialising. We grew up together, and my feelings have intensified over the years. Time to see if he reciprocates them.
“Kai, do you know why I didn’t leave the island when you asked me ten years ago?”
He stiffens and retracts his arm. “It’s okay, we don’t need to have this conversation. You obviously didn’t feel the same way about me as I did about you, and—“
“You’re wrong. I did. I think I’ve loved you from the first moment you picked up a starfish from our favourite rock pool and placed it in my hands when I was seven. And that love hasn’t waned. But one woman had already abandoned Dad, and Icouldn’t leave him too, so I put his needs ahead of mine. Though there hasn’t been a day that’s gone past that I don’t wonder what my life, our life, would’ve been like if I’d said yes.”
Hope lights his eyes. “You wanted to come with me?”
“Of course. What part of ‘I loved you’ don’t you understand?”
“You loved me?” He parrots, stunned, and I laugh.
“Still do. Go figure? And if the offer still stands, my answer is yes.”
Confusion in his gaze gives way to wonder. “You want to leave the island with me?”
I nod. “Absolutely. It’s about time I have a real relationship with the man I’ve loved forever.”
“How did I get so lucky?” He stands and holds out his hands to me, tugging me to my feet when I take them. “I love you too, which is why I need to tell you we’re considering selling the resort, so we may not get back here to visit your dad as often as you’d like.”
Warmth spreads through me at his thoughtfulness. “I had a chat with Dad. It’s all good.”
