AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We’re back,” Jess shouted as she ran ahead, straight into the open arms of a bare-chested guy whose shorts were definitely a size too small for him, cupping his ass without an inch of movement available. “Sorry we were so long.” She gave me a glare before she turned her full focus back to the blond guy and his lips. “Mmm.”
“Put her down, Finn. You lovebirds make me want the sick bucket at times,” the guy muttered as he made his way towards us. “Are you going to introduce us or are you going to let the new girl remain floundering like a fish I’d just caught out of the ocean?”
I closed my mouth, realizing I’d been caught staring at him, but who could blame me? He looked hot with the freshwater droplets drying on his gorgeous, tanned skin and low-rise swim shorts in a sky blue that brought out his skin tone even more. I just wanted to lean forward and grab that slightly curled, thick brown ruffled hair between my hands and see his brown eyes as I licked the water from his skin. Damn, was this what instant attraction felt like? I was so mesmerized by his smooth abdomen and the line of his happy trail to his shorts. The moment I snapped my gaze up to his megawatt smile, I felt myself finally turn into a puddle of goo, and I knew I had to shake myself out of it before he reached me. I couldn’t make myself look like a fool in front of him. I’d never live it down. It would certainly be the wrong first impression.
I shook my head and Amelia giggled next to me before whispering in my ear, “Something the matter?”
“Nope, nothing at all,” I lied with a squeak.
“I knew it.” Amelia took a double take between the two of us and a huge grin appeared across her face. “Oooh this is going to be fun. Hudson…” she bawled across the sand. “Is it taking you so long to get here because you’re trying to show that body off to Summer here?”
“Sorry, I was just trying to make the most of the rays and heat to dry off, but the clouds scuppered those plans,” he states as he jogs the rest of the way across to us both. “Hopefully, it disappears soon. I’m Hudson. It’s nice to meet you. The guy with his tongue down Jess’s throat…” I couldn’t help but laugh as he threw Hudson the bird at his words. “He is Finn. He’ll come up for air soon and give a proper introduction.”
“Jealous because Amelia doesn’t want you?” He pulls back from Jess’s mouth and grabs her hand, pulling her towards us. “It would’ve made hanging out so much easier.”
“Not when he’s more like a brother, you idiot.” Amelia’s nose turned up in disgust at the idea of her and Hudson together. “Plus, I’m enjoying the single life just fine,” Amelia replied before running across the sand and heading toward the water.
I couldn’t help but take steps backwards the closer she edged in. The fear showed evidently throughout my body as the soft touch of a dry hand, in desperate need of moisture, made me jump and I turned to my left in a startled fright.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you?” Hudson admitted, as I noticed Jess and Finn following the lead after Amelia. “Do you want to go in the sea too?”
“No,” I screeched loudly, cowering. I dropped to the ground, putting my arms around my knees, cradling myself tightly. “Sorry Hudson, I’m overwhelmed from the move and tired,” I lied. “Why don’t you go and join your friends?”
I watched as he slid down in the sand and placed his palm on my arm. The tingles that shot along the length of it made me breathless as I turned to face him and saw his slightly widened eyes. I wondered if mine reflected back to him with the same wonderment.
I thought at first, I may have seen judgment staring back at me. That maybe he’d have thought why a woman at nineteen, still living at home, thought she could act like a spoiled, petulant brat who couldn’t get her own way? A woman who’d moved to a stunning area but instead wanted to hide away and retreat from everyone, rather than attempt to make friends with the people who were making an effort with me. If anything, I saw confusion and a hint of want that I shook off. I was the new girl, after all. Someone new to obsess and visualize over. Give it a day or two. He’d be treating me as one of his besties.
Why did I not want that, though? Hudson was sexy and had this instant charm appeal. If anything, I’d love to be his next fascination, but that was what dreams were made of, not what girls like me ended up achieving.
“Summer, have you thought I could talk to my friends whenever I want but you’re the new girl, you’re the one I want to get to know and…” His body shifted a touch closer toward mine, his eyes bore straight into my vision line as he took a step closer. “I want to know why you don’t want to go in the sea?”
“Because I’m scared that I’ll never touch the dry ground again,” I blurted out unintentionally, as the dry sea air that wrapped around Hudson assaulted my head. He was awfully close to me, his proximity dangerously affecting my rationality that my fucking brain had lost all train of thought. Hudson had somehow got me to speak the truth of my fears that other people would’ve never been able to prise away from my body.
Now that was real fear; knowing something no one else did.
CHAPTERTWO
HUDSON
Iwas so excited when I heard the yellow cladded beach house near Beach 69 had finally been sold. It was a beautiful, picturesque picket house that stood out with its sharp coloring on the open stretch. It had been a pity it had been vacant for so long, but Mrs. Akamu needed more support and couldn’t manage the basic upkeep any longer.
I was ecstatic when I overheard Finn’s mum, Mrs. Olen, the local realtor mentioning the woman who’d bought it had a daughter our age that would be moving in too. It had been a long time since any fresh blood had moved to Puako. There have been generations of families living here for such a long time that people had forgotten what it was like for someone new to turn up. An outsider. I mean, they had started turning to us teenagers of late, wondering if any of us would start the next generation. I mean, Finn, Amelia, Jess, and I were the oldest in the area, but none of us were ready for the commitment yet of a family. I mean, Amelia and I didn’t even have a significant other. Finn and Jess hadn’t been together that long in a committed relationship. I didn’t see the family lifestyle for any of us yet, especially when I am the oldest at just twenty and I was more focused on my career than a pretty girl.
I lived and breathed the fresh sea air, so when on moving day I’d been finishing off my shift as a lifeguard on Spencer Beach Park, Finn had decided to keep me company. I thought who best to meet our new addition to the area than Amelia and Jess and bring her down to our relaxation spot. I hoped they’d take the long route here and divert past Pu’ukohola and Mailekini heiaus at the bottom slopes of a volcano, but with their arrival time I guess they didn’t. I knew I should’ve gone and wowed her with the beauty of the area, but work came first. It always did.
I just didn’t expect to be struck by her beauty. I didn’t expect the air in my lungs to be knocked out and my instinctive reaction to grab hold of her and make her mine. What had taken hold of me? When Amelia, Jess and Finn had run into the sea, I’d have normally been the first one on their heels, desperate to catch them, but my focus went straight to Summer and the way she cowered.
I never expected to hear the admission from her lips.
“Because I’m scared that I’ll never touch dry ground again.”
“Why?” I asked. “Why would you be scared of that?”
“I’m not simply scared, I’m petrified. I panic that my body won’t hold me within the water, and I’ll sink below the surface, further and further and not come up again.” Summer begins to shake, curling her head towards her knees and holding her body tighter. “The oxygen goes, and a single bubble leaves my mouth and then it’s pure darkness.”
If I’m honest, I think she was just as shocked as I was that she’d just admitted a pure terrifying fear to me.
“And of all the places you move to in the world, it’s here?” I point out across the rippling water and pure white sands around us, with the odd dotted camping area.
