“Dinner will be ready in forty-five minutes. Doc and Devon should be back by then,” Brooke informed me. She raised her eyebrows at us all cozy on the couch. “I'm going to go take a quick shower. Don't make out with him while I'm gone, Izzy. No matter what he says, it will not make you feel better.”
“Yes, it will,” Lucas countered quickly. “I'm like a broken heart Band-Aid. Kissing me will make you lose all your troubles.”
“Unfortunately, it would also make me lose my lunch,” I quipped, making a gagging motion. Brooke laughed and shook her head as she headed toward our room.
“You want me to go beat him up?” Lucas asked quietly once she was gone. I shrugged.
“I don't know. It's super tempting.”
He gave me another squeeze. “I know. I'll hold him down and you can hit him. Brooke will totally be our alibi.”
“Alibi? I don't want to kill him.” I frowned at Lucas. He grinned.
“Then we are making progress. Not wanting to kill your ex is a good sign. We'll have you forgetting his name in no time.” Lucas grinned wider as I cracked a smile. He gave me a real hug with both arms this time.
I sincerely doubted that I would ever forget Noah, but smiling had felt good. Life was going to go on. Heartbreak couldn't last forever.
“You smell like fish,” Lucas informed me, pulling back and making a face. I rolled my eyes at him.
“What do you expect? I did all your chores,” I said, feeling more lighthearted. Lucas had that affect on people. He was annoying as hell, but he knew how to pick a person up. “I'll shower when Brooke finishes.”
“Good, you need it.” He pinched his nose and made a face. I just rolled my eyes again.
“I'm going to go feed the sharks. At least they don't care how I smell,” I said, rising to my feet.
“Be careful they don't mistake you for a fish,” he called out as I headed to the back door. I considered making an inappropriate hand sign in his direction, but I knew he would enjoy that too much.
Outside, the air held the sweet promise of evening. The sky glowed purple as the last streaks of red and orange shifted into dusk. The heat from the day still lingered, but with the sun tucked firmly in bed beyond the horizon, it was just a radiant heat instead of demanding. I loved this evening time. The nocturnal world was just coming alive while the day prepared to rest. It was a magical time where anything could happen.
The waves shushed gently in the distance. With the oncoming night, the sharks were active. I watched them for a moment as they glided through the water. They were regal. Kings of the water, even as pups. I kicked off my sandals and stepped into the cool water.
A tingle of electricity went up my legs. I loved being in the water with the sharks. They were still dangerous despite their size, and I craved the surge of adrenaline I felt by being with them. If anything could make me forget my heartache, it was these guys.
I went until the hem of my shorts brushed the water. The larger lemon pup swam close, and then back to deeper water. My little sharks weren't quite so little anymore. The plan had been to release them back into the Grove this week, but with the impending destruction, I hated the thought. They might be big enough to survive when construction begun, but I had grown attached to them. I wanted them to make it and not just possibly survive. They deserved the best chance they could get and I wasn't sure it was at the Grove anymore.
I skimmed the surface of the water with my fingers, watching the moonlight catch and shimmer on the ripples. There was another mangrove outcropping further down the island. It didn't have as large a reef, or as good a placement on the island, but it was an alternative for their release. Unfortunately, it wouldn't work for my thesis. I swallowed down the anger rising in my throat. It just wasn't fair. The Grove was just so perfect for my research and the island.
“You love them, don't you?” Noah asked, his voice soft in the darkness. I startled and turned around quickly to see him on the edge of the pool. He looked handsome in the moonlight, softer and more romantic. It terrified me. The irony that I was in a pool with sharks and I was terrified of leaving it was not lost on me.
“You shouldn't be here,” I said. I was proud that my voice didn't waver, even though I was shaking like a leaf. I wished he would go away, but at the same time I wanted him to stay. As much as I wished it wasn't true, I still loved him. One day of heartbreak wouldn't take that away.
“I couldn't sleep last night,” he replied, ignoring my statement. His eyes were dark pools as he watched me. “I just kept dreaming of you.”
He took a step closer to the water and slid out of his shoes. I stared at his bare feet, hoping that he would come closer and praying that he wouldn't. I stayed silent.