Page 19 of Amethyst

“Okay, sweetie.” Mom’s footsteps fade away.

I let the robe fall from my shoulders once more, and I take another look in the mirror. My hair is damp, and it falls in ringlets over my shoulders and down my back.

We all wore long hair on the island. The men liked that. It gave them something to grab onto. Some of the girls cut their hair as soon as we were rescued, but I chose not to. I’ve always worn my hair long. I like it long, and that island took enough from me. I won’t let it take my hair.

I’m not wearing makeup, but Max has seen me without makeup many times.

I grab some panties and a bra and then pull on a pair of jeans and my suede slippers. A tank top and a low-cut sweatshirt complete my ensemble.

Then I pinch my cheeks. Why? I’m not sure.

Maybe I want to look good for Max. I want to apologize to him for the way I acted about the amethyst.

I descend the stairs and find Mom in the kitchen. “He’s out on the deck waiting for you, playing with Lexi.”

“Okay.”

“You may want a jacket.”

I head to the hall closet, grab a fleece, and then walk through the sliding glass doors and out onto the deck. Max stands, and Lexi brings him a yellow tennis ball. He bends down to pet her, and I try not to think about how delectable his ass looks in his faded blue jeans. How delectable his shoulders look in his black leather jacket.

“Hey, Max,” I say.

He turns toward me after throwing the ball for Lexi. “Jenna.”

“You wanted to see me?”

He clears his throat. “Yeah. I’m just so sorry about the other day.”

I walk to him then, place my hands on his broad shoulders. And theyarebroad. Broad and strong. “We’ve been through this. You have nothing to apologize for. You had no way of knowing that Amethyst was my name on the island.”

“Still, I—”

I move two fingers to his lips to quiet him. “Please, Max. I’m the one who should be apologizing. I overreacted when all you wanted to do was give me a present.”

“Jen, you don’t need to—”

I slide my fingers over his lips again. “Let me finish. Besides my mom and dad, you were the person I wanted to see most once I returned. When I saw you—saw how grown-up and handsome you are now—my heart just sang, Max. That’s why I smiled when I saw you.”

It’s not a lie. My heart did sing. It also cried, though—cried for the loss of watching Max grow into a man, of watching myself grow into a woman along with him.

“Jenna, I can’t even begin to understand everything that’s happened to you.”

“Good. I don’t want you to. I wouldn’t wish what happened—or even the burden of hearing what happened—on my worst enemy. I’m going to be okay. But I want you in my life, Max. Ever since I was four years old, I can’t imagine a life without you in it.”

And it comes to me then, what I need Max to do for me.

How I can get back onto the saddle.

“Would you do something for me?” I ask.

“Of course, Jenna. Anything.”

I smile, scrape my fingers over the black stubble on his jawline. “You’ve grown so handsome.”

His bronze complexion reddens. He says nothing.

“Not that you weren’t handsome before. You know, once you outgrew your nerdy phase.”

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