Page 17 of Lost in the Current of You

It was then I realised his hair was wet, with speckles of sand throughout it as I dragged my fingers through it. I held him as he breathed out a shuddered sigh against my skin.

I wanted to fix whatever was broken inside him, but it was silly to think that when I knew I couldn’t do it on my own. I wanted to be the strength he needed. But I did have some sense to draw a mental line between us, knowing I could never cross that friendship line. I knew it would just be too messy between us.

He lifted his head off my shoulder after a while and let out a deep breath as a hand dove through his hair. “Wow, that got real deep.”

I laughed, even though it felt as though there was a fist-sized lump in my throat. “Yeah.”

He shook his hands out and stood as he did the same with his legs as if shaking off the emotions that had overcome him, letting it fall to the ground like the clumps of sand that he had just shook off. I knew that I wasn’t getting any more from him, and I wouldn’t force it out of him. I would only be there for him when he decided to talk or just be there for him like he had for me many times before. Even in those times by the river, it was hard for him to open up. But he was my friend and I would show him he could trust me with anything.

He reached an arm out towards me, offering help to stand up. I took it and his teeth showed with a grin as he pulled me up, no trace of anything I had seen in the last thirty minutes we were there.

“Come on, I’ll walk you back to your hotel.”

A strained smile took place on my lips. “Thank you.”

It was mostly quiet as we made our way through the streets apart from the buzzing of the street lights above and the odd couple of cars that zoomed past us.

I hadn’t realised how far away he had strayed when I had made my way to him, but walking back felt like the longest seven minutes of my life.

We were about halfway there when Reece spoke with the crease back between his brows and he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I worried everyone. I didn’t mean to just disappear. I was just lost in my head and needed space. It’s been a really tough day.”

Hesitantly, I peeled back the lid he had slammed shut before on the beach. “What happened? You seemed okay this morning.”

He scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I guess I just didn’t want to think about it. I wanted to distract myself. But then I had a call from my dad and I guess I just—” He cut himself off as he scrubbed his face with both hands before turning to me with a smile that hid everything that was just about to peek through. “Anyway, I’m sorry.” He paused, eyes flicking over my face for a moment as a smirk rose on his face as if he remembered something. “I especially didn’t mean to worry you, Kody.”

The nickname came as a shock to me. Only my mother had called me that. I hated it when I was younger because it sounded like a boy's name. I never heard it again after the divorce was filed.

But with him and the way it came from his lips… well, I didn’t really mind it at all. I wasn’t sure I even hated it anymore.

But I didn’t let him know that as I wrinkled my nose. “I’m not a fan of that nickname.”

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders just like he always had. “Well, all the more to call you that.”

I glared at him playfully but didn’t say anything more about it.

A couple of moments passed before I spoke again. “And I wasn’t that worried.”

He chuckled. “You definitely were. I have texts to prove otherwise.”

I scoffed, but I knew he had me there. I brushed it off nonchalantly as sarcasm laced my words. “Okay.”

“See? You admit it.”

I pushed him off me as he cackled.

We got to my hotel about five minutes later. With the silence broken, we joked and pushed and made fun of each other. Well, mostly he made fun of me, my text, and the new nickname.

I almost wished the trip back was longer but I was tired. It was quarter to three and I was ready to collapse into bed.

Just as I was about to say goodnight, his soft voice pierced through the night with a soft caress against my arm that was gone before I could even register it. “Hey.”

My eyes bounced between his and gone was his playful grin, just a mix of solemnity and gratitude in his stare as a crease formed in his forehead. “Thank you for being there for me. I needed it.”

I reached over to squeeze his bicep. “Always. It’s what friends are for.”

He smiled. “You’re a good friend.” He turned around and started to walk away before throwing over his shoulder, “Goodnight, Kody.”

A burst of laughter escaped my lips. “I hate you.”

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