Page 63 of Reckless Hearts

But I leave him in the room, Jade dragging on, as I head out to the kitchen.

I love this little cottage. I lived here for a couple of months when my mom left. It’s crazy that Mitch let Nate and me live together, given I had just turned eighteen and Nate was only twenty. Two kids who could have done some real damage. But Iguess he knew, and so did we, how good we had it. Neither of us would have dared to fuck it up.

Everything is still in the same place. Finding the coffee in the cabinet, I start a pot. I need it since I’m running on three hours of sleep, and I have to get out on the water today.

Flynn wanders out to the kitchen now, wearing his boxers, his chest bare, the phone still up to his ear. He pulls it away, tossing it onto the counter, now on speaker. Jade’s voice fills the room.

“I want you to find spots away from the tourists. Local spots, like the kind no one goes to. I’m so tired of being noticed here,” she laments, letting out this weird whine-sigh. “So yeah, but make sure the swell is good, and not just white-capped, got it? And see if you can get me a new board. Something custom. Haven’t you made any connections while you were out here? Isn’t that what you were supposed to be doing?”

He rests his elbows on the island, the phone in front of him as he covers his face with his hands. I can tell he’s over this, and I would be too. She’s relentless. I don’t think he’s said a single word since he answered her call.

“Oh, and can you get me an oat milk latte? Make sure it’s oat milk and not soy like last time. And bring my board. It’s at the hotel.”

“First of all, I’m not your assistant, Jade. I’m your coach. And second, where are you?”

This is the first time he has spoken since answering, and his words are clipped and harsh.

She laughs, and there’s something about it that grates on my nerves. It’s condescending and rude, like she’s above him, and while I guess technically she is as his boss, it doesn’t mean she has to treat him this way.

“Yuck,” I mutter, wrinkling up my nose.

“Oh my god, Flynn, stop it,” she quips. “Just get my board and my latte and find me a place to surf away from everything. And no jellyfish. You know I hate jellyfish. It’s not that hard.”

With that, she hangs up. No goodbye, no thank you. Just demands, and the worst part is, she’s going to get what she wants. It’s why she keeps behaving this way.

“Fuck, her parents really did her a disservice,” I say, and Flynn just shakes his head. “She’s spoiled rotten, and nothing good can come from that.”

“I think she’s gotten worse in the last year. It’s like turning eighteen made it okay for her to be a total cunt. Her dad used to keep her in line, but now it’s just a free-for-all.”

Again, he shakes his head, running a hand through his hair. He looks over at me, his eyes desperate for some reprieve, but I can’t help him with this.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go,” he tells me with a weak smile. “I thought we’d have time for breakfast, but…” He doesn’t finish. There’s no reason to, and it’s okay.

“I’ll be here for dinner tonight. How’s eight work?” I ask, not bothering to devote more time to Jade and her neediness.

“That sounds amazing,” he tells me, stepping over to where I’m standing. He pulls me into his arms. “I’m so glad Mitch wrote you that letter.”

“Me too.”

I lean in, kissing him softly before his phone starts to ring again. Letting out a hard groan, he kisses me again quickly. Pushing away, he heads into the bedroom to get ready.

“I’m gonna go, Flynn,” I tell him as I follow him into the bedroom. “Good news, you can tell Jade you got rid of all the jellyfish just for her. You won’t find many on this side of the island.”

“Got any other tips for me? I need to find a spot with no one, but it needs to have good swell and no jellyfish, and lattes and custom boards. I’m sure I’m missing something.”

He says all this, and we both stop, looking at each other. We burst out laughing.

I don’t bother showering,just pull on some boardshorts and a T-shirt before heading into the bathroom to brush my teeth. Last night and this morning were quite possibly the best night and morning of my life, and I fucking hate that Jade has now ruined it.

When I walk back into the bedroom, Alana is standing in her shorts and bra, her T-shirt in her hands. “Stay as long as you want,” I whisper, wrapping my arms around her from behind. “You made coffee.”

She smiles, turning to face me as she loops her arms around my neck. “I’ll take it to go. I should probably get out of here before Nate sees me anyway,” she says, rolling her eyes.

“Do you wanna tell the guys?” I ask her. “If Sage knows, won’t she...?”

Alana shrugs. “She says she won’t, but yeah, I don’t know. Maybe we should keep it on the downlow for a bit longer, just in case.”

I drop a quick kiss on her lips. “I’ll do whatever you want,” I whisper, knowing it’s probably for the best even if keeping us a secret is not what I want.

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