Page 18 of Fish Out of Water

“I just want you to know that you’ll always have a place to come home to here, no matter what happens while you’re in Eventide. I’ll never lock you out or turn you away. You’re safe here.”

“I appreciate that; I really do. But we shouldn’t even need to have this conversation. I shouldn’t have put you in this position.”

“You have your problems.” She patted his hand. “And I do worry about you sometimes. But I’m hoping that being here will give you a chance to stretch out and leave behind some of your bad habits.”

“I’m all right, Aunt Isabel. I’ve managed just fine up till now.”

“Still, I think maybe this community service you have to do is a good thing ultimately. You really do need to make some friends.”

“Well, I met a guy at the bar.”

“Who?”

“Connor something. He seemed nice—and straight.”

Isabel smiled. “Oh, Connor Everheart. Yes, he’s a sweet man. See? You’re already making connections. You just need to open yourself up and not worry about whether you can start a romantic relationship with them.”

Jake was about to counter what his aunt said, but he stopped himself. He had never been looking for aromanticrelationship precisely, but she wouldn’t understand the nuances of that, and he didn’t have the wherewithal to try explaining it to her now. “Yes, Aunt Isabel,” he said. “I’ll try to do that. Now, can I go to sleep? I’m exhausted.”

“Of course, dear. Sleep well and try to eat something substantial tomorrow. You’re not doing yourself any favors by not eating.”

Jake nodded, his eyes following Isabel all the way to the door. As worried as she was about everything else, paramount on his mind was the man who was quickly becoming a persistent problem. He had to stay away from Robbie before he made Jake’s life more stressful than it already was.

Jake sighed and turned over in bed, struggling with the blankets again until they were just right. That, like everything else, was easier said than done.

5

POKER

The sun had risen only an hour or so before Jake got to the beach on Tuesday morning. He was rarely up so early, let alone fully dressed and outside, but he wanted to get there before anyone else went and crowded it. He didn’t need others to witness his humiliation in picking up soggy trash from the shoreline.

Much to his delight, there were absolutely no cars parked in the beach’s parking lot, and he continued down to the water with an unusual spring in his step. The sand, which stretched endlessly in both directions, glittered silvery gray in the sunlight. Little bits of pink and black and gold glinted occasionally. It looked perfect—no trash in sight.

This was going to be easy. He was going to work until it got too hot, then head home and have lunch with Isabel. It couldn’t get much better than this, considering the circumstances under which he was here.

And then he saw a man standing at the water’s edge, the waves licking at his sandaled feet as he gazed out at the horizon. Jake knew that face too well by now, even when it was looking away from him.

“Fuck me,” he muttered, ready to turn around and head back.

It was too late. Robbie had sensed him and turned around, his own face dropping when he recognized Jake.

“Community service?” he asked, a knowing glint in his eye. He was so pleased with himself for predicting the future, even if it was a future neither of them wanted.

“Yep,” Jake said curtly. He took a few steps forward so he wouldn’t have to talk so loudly over the water. “I thought if I got here this early, I’d be alone.”

“You’re never alone here,” Robbie said, gesturing toward the water. “Mier is always present.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “You guys and your water worship. But whatever. I meant that I wouldn’t be around other people.”

“And I ruined that for you.”

“Yeah, you did. Happy now?”

“No, I’m not. I was looking forward to some peace and quiet too. But, hey, I can make the most of having a little company. Besides, you need me to sign your hours off, don’t you?”

Jake squeezed his eyes shut. He’d forgotten about that teeny, tiny,monumentallyimportant detail. “Shit.” He started to rub his face before he remembered the bruise and winced.

“You should know,” Robbie continued, “I volunteer at the beach almost every day, both in the mornings and evenings. I clean up trash and help keep the park grounds looking nice. It’s the least I can do since I tend to have more time than a lot of other people out here.”