Page 20 of A Little Luck

An ache is in my chest, and I wonder if he could know the truth and still want me. Could he accept it or would it be too much?

I remember his soft lips, his possessive kisses. I remember threading my fingers in his hair and wanting him so badly. My phone is in my hand, and I pull up our old chat.

My thumbs move slowly,

I miss you.

Wincing, I delete the letters and try again.

I hope you’re finding what you’re looking for out there.

No, I don’t.

I delete those words and try again. Drew would ask, what do I really want to say to him?

I love you. Please come back.

My nose heats, and I tap the delete arrow thirty times, counting each letter as it disappears.

Closing my eyes, I do my best to sleep. I do my best to keep breathing, to keep trying to be strong. Maybe I wasn’t then, but I’m learning to be now.

CHAPTER4

ADAM

Sapphire blue waters crash on volcano-black sands. A lone bolder stands like a sentry guarding the beaches of the island that’s been removed from the map.

I flew us in on a Cessna jet out of Los Angeles, as seats on passenger jets are impossible to get—even for residents. Eighteen hours later, we’re closing in on the small, emerald island.

“Moloka’i.” A dreamy note is in Max’s voice as he gazes down on the remote Hawaiian island of less than ten thousand full-time residents. “It’s called ‘the forgotten island,’ but the truth is, theyaskedto be taken off the map.”

My eyes trace the verdant cliffs, shaded by clouds passing in front of the sun. The sweet scent of hibiscus floats up to us on the mist from the waterfalls. “These cliffs are amazing.”

“I grew up coming here. Tallest cliffs in the world.”

“It’s perfect.”

A forgotten island is exactly where I want to be after Piper’s rejection. I want to be isolated, working my ass off, doing whatever it takes to get over her.

I want to stay here until she doesn’t fill my mind every time I close my eyes. Until I can sleep without seeing her silky auburn hair falling in waves over her shoulders or her bright green eyes just waiting to crack a joke. Until I can dream without feeling her full lips touching mine.

I don’t know how long it’ll take. Maybe it’ll never happen, but I have to figure out a way to co-exist with her in Eureka for Ryan’s sake. I’ve invested too much time to leave him, and fuck it, I love that little guy.

We touch down on a short airstrip on the top of a small hill. The wind blows in the palm trees, and the tall bamboo sways like a curtain. Giant succulents give the place a prehistoric vibe, and it’s so green, it’s unreal. It’s like I’m looking at the world through a filter.

“Not gonna lie.” Max slaps me on the shoulder before climbing out of the small plane. “Becoming a pilot might be the coolest thing you’ve ever done.”

He reaches into the back to grab his pack and his surfboard while I kill the engine and set the brakes. The landing crew blocks the wheels as we step out onto the tarmac.

I chuckle. “When they told me I could learn to fly, I was way less pissed at my brother for shipping me off to the Navy.”

“That was fucked-up, man. He blackmailed your ass.”

“I don’t know.” I toss my canvas duffel over my shoulder. “Looking at it from this side of the journey, I think it was for the best. I wasn’t going to come out of that tailspin, and I wasn’t any good to anybody that way.”

“Losing Rex hit us all pretty hard.”

Nodding, I don’t want to think about my friend dying the way he did. I don’t want to think about the sliver of relief I felt—which I tried to drink away, smoke away, surf away…

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