Page 10 of Wild Hearts

The best thing about Ivy is there’s never a lull in conversation. I try to follow along with all of her plans for this year – orientation week, classes, teaching rounds. I nod and smile in all the right places as I pick at the burger and chips in front of me. When Jordan’s phone rings, I excuse myself to go use the bathroom. I need to collect myself before Ivy starts to get suspicious.

I splash some cold water on my face and stare at my reflection in the mirror. The circles under my eyes have darkened, and I find myself wishing I had put on a bit of concealer before leaving my apartment. I roll my shoulders, trying to relieve some of the tension in my body. I knew returning to Blue Haven meant being surrounded by memories of Brady, that it would be impossible not to think of him, but I’d expected to have a bit more time to prepare myself.

Exhaling a deep breath, I open the bathroom door only to come face to face with – Brady. He’s cut his hair. It looks good on him. He looks older than his twenty years. He’s gone from being a cute boy to an extremely sexy man. I feel my cheeks flush. His hand reaches up to rub the back of his neck, and my eyes fall on the pink puckered scar, about ten centimetres long, running from his eyebrow to his left ear. My mind automatically goes straight to the night he got out of the hospital after wiping out at TropSets Surf Fest last year. The night everything changed between us.

I’d been staying over with Ivy, who’d been shaken up after we’d watched her brother almost drown the day before. I got up to get a drink of water around midnight, and I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw Brady sitting by the bay window in the breakfast nook. He was looking out over the water as the sound of the waves pummelling the shore blew through the open window. God, he looked so sad and broken.

“Hey, Rookie.” The name shoots a spark of warmth through me, dragging me from my memories back to the present. He hesitates before stepping in and giving me a brief hug. I can’t help but stiffen in his arms, and he steps away quickly. Despite the distance between us, I’m still entranced by his familiar scent of sunscreen, sunshine, and saltwater. There’s still a sadness in him and I want to comfort him more than anything, but I can’t let myself care. If I do, it’s going to open up a whole new kind of trauma that I’m not ready to face.

“Brady,” I murmur, fighting to keep the smile fixed to my face. My eyes dart to the booth where our friends are sitting, but they’re not paying any attention to us.

“It’s good to see you.” His eyes wash over me and my body tingles under his gaze. He swallows. “I’ve been beating myself up since you left Ivy’s birthday. You stopped taking my calls and replying to my texts. I’m sorry about what happened. I want you to know... I’ve missed you.”

“I–” My hands are shaking, so I clasp them behind my back. “I can’t do this right now, Brady.”

“Wren...” He takes a step toward me, making me flinch. He pauses, his eyes narrowing. “What happened? Are you...” His Adam’s apple bounces. “You’re not scared of me... are you?”

My breathing hitches and the room starts to spin. I’m not scared ofhim. I’m scared of the feelings I get from being so close to him. I still want him. I wipe my clammy hands on the skirt of my dress, panic crowding my throat. I can’t want him like that. Not after...

I need to get out of here.

“I’ve got to go,” I manage to whisper.

I push past Brady, and bump straight into Ivy.

“Did you tell her?” she asks with a grin.

“I... uh–” Brady stutters behind me.

Sucking in a deep breath, I ask, “Tell me what?”

“Are you okay?” Ivy studies my face. “You look a little pale.” Her eyes move to her brother who hasn’t budged from behind me.

“I’m fine,” I force my lips to curve into a smile. “Just exhausted from the move. What were you going to tell me?”

Her face drops slightly. “Jordan’s parents just called. They got stuck in the Gold Coast waiting for a delivery, so we were going to throw a party to celebrate your big move to Blue Haven.”

“I...” I want to say no. Ineedto say no. But looking at Ivy’s excited face, I can’t bring myself to do so. Instead, I smile weakly. “I’ll be there.”

“Great! Brady and I can pick you up at seven.”

“Great,” I repeat, feeling Brady’s eyes boring into my back. “I’m going to head home and finish unpacking.”

“You haven’t even eaten anything.” She narrows her eyes, and my face heats up.

“I’m more exhausted than I thought,” I lie. They’re coming so easy now. Before she can say anything else, I hug her and hightail it to the entrance of Patty’s, calling over my shoulder, “I’ll text you my address.”

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