Page 20 of Wild Hearts

Wren: I’ve already dropped your car back to your place. Called in to see your mum.

Disappointment washes over me. I was hoping if I could convince Harley to drop Ivy home first, with the excuse of going surfing, I’d be able to talk to Wren. I still get the feeling she’s avoiding me. There’s only one way to find out.

Brady: Cheers for that. What’s on for the rest of the day? Wanna catch up later?

My stomach twists into knots as I wait for her reply. The three dots dance across the screen for a long time. They disappear once, twice. I chew on the inside of my cheek. The confidence I had from last night when she replied to my texts is long gone. Of course she’s going to respond to my texts. We live in the same town now, hang around with the same people. She can’t ignore me anymore.

But shecanavoid me.

Wren: Sorry, still got some unpacking to do. Raincheck?

Brady: Yeah, sure. Raincheck.

CHAPTER NINE

Wren

MY FIRST COUPLE OFweeks in Blue Haven are pretty uneventful. Most days are spent with Ivy, either at my apartment or down the beach as we soak in the last few days of summer. So far, I’ve managed to avoid Brady since the party. There’s been no more text messages, and I’m thankful he’s giving me my space.

There’s only one week left until orientation, otherwise known as “O” week, and Ivy and I are making the most of our beach days. The scorching summer sun beams down on us, and we bask on our stomachs in the late afternoon rays.

The beach is packed. We can barely see the sand between the towels and sunshades set up along the two kilometre stretch of ocean. The squawks of the seagulls flying overhead are barely audible over the crashing waves and squealing children. My stomach rumbles at the smell of fish and chips wafting over from the family sitting to our right. Lifting my head, I squint at my watch. 5:00.

“I’m going in for a swim,” I say, standing up and adjusting the straps of my purple bikini top. “Coming?”

Ivy flips onto her back, propping up on her elbows to survey the waves in front of us. “Nah, I’m good.”

I weave in and out of the crowd, until I reach the water’s edge. The cold water is refreshing as it washes over my toes. I let my body adjust to the temperature as I wade in slowly, avoiding the toddlers splashing in the shallows and children on boogie boards. Waist deep, I take a deep breath before diving under the next set of waves, relishing the relief from the summer heat.

I wipe the salt water off my face and let out a sigh as my eyes take in the infinite horizon. I shake my head to clear it of thoughts of a certain dark-haired surfer. As I dive under a few more sets of waves, I make my way further into the ocean.

This time when I break the surface, I stand up, the water now reaching my chest. I run my hands through my hair, gathering it into my hands to ring it out. Another set of waves rolls in and I jump over them, keeping an eye out for any surfers. Turning back to the beach, I scan the crowd and try to spot theSpongebobbeach tent to the left of where Ivy and I had set up, but I’m too far out.

Glancing behind me, I spot the perfect wave for body surfing and I put my head down, my arms slicing through the water until I feel the force of the wave propel me forward. Being back in Blue Haven feels like coming home. Every time I return, it feels like I never left.

I swim back out, looking for another wave. It’s a perfect beach day and I catch another five waves before my body starts to feel the effects of not being in the water for a while. I stand up after the wave passes in front of me and stretch my aching muscles. I hear someone behind me call, “Watch out!” before something hard hits my shoulder and I’m knocked under the water.

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