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“You need to balance on your own. You’ve got this.” He lets go, just like he has the other dozen times, and my legs go to jelly, and I collapse back and tip off the board into the water.
The noise of the beach cuts away for the few seconds I’m under before I jump up and gasp for air.
“I was sure you had it that time.” Jayce steadies me with his hand on my arm as I wipe to clear the sea from my eyes. I can hear the humour in his voice, and as I blink my vision clear, I smile, giving into the funnier side. “One more?” he asks.
“One more. And if I don’t get it, I might have to reconsider my teacher.” I breathe heavily.
“Deal. You just need to trust yourself. Come on.” He wades out into deeper water with me and helps me get back on the board. His has stayed put in the sand.
“Okay, remember, paddle, set your position and then pop up, working your thighs.” I know what I’m meant to do but convincing my body to work is the hard part.
I get back into position and look over my shoulder for the wave, and then go with Jayce’s words in my head as I go through his instructions. This time, something clicks, my feet obey, my legs straighten, and I push up to a crouch.
I see Jayce in my peripheral vision clapping, but his distraction is my undoing, and I wobble, bailing left from the board, straight back into the sea.
As I right myself in the water and stand, sure hands grip my shoulders, steadying me again.
“See, a natural.” He giggles, and it sets me off as I brush my face and blink my eyes open.
Deja vu sweeps over me as the next wave knocks our bodies closer together.
He holds me still against the tide and looks down at me. I’m caught between the present and the past—the memory of this exact moment, twenty years ago. And just like then, he kisses me. Our cool lips meet, and I’m lost. Lost in Jayce, lost in my head and lost as to why I should fight this. Every part of my body, right down to my soul, craves the contact and familiarity of his kiss. His hands cradle my head, and I deepen the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck.
Salt and sea and Jayce.
Unlike when we were teenagers, he leans further into the kiss, opening me up and sweeping his tongue against mine. It scorches my heart, and I sink my fingers into his hair, deepening the kiss and preventing him from stopping. Because I don’t want to stop, and I want him to know there is no question about if I want this or not.
I was right. We can’t be friends.
CHAPTER29
JAYCE
Now
Idon’t fucking want to stop kissing her because if I do, it might break the spell.
She tastes of sweetness and salt, just like she did when we were teenagers.
The kiss wipes the last few weeks away like we’ve hit the reset button, and we’re back to the start.
Here.
On this beach again.
Only there’s a familiar ache in my chest, one that’s dulled over time apart and has slowly awoken again since she came home.
I pull back but don’t let go of her face. My eyes stay shut, not ready to look into her eyes and see anything that resembles regret or pain. “I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“Why?”
“I promised you I wouldn’t kiss you again until I knew there would be no question about us. I don’t regret this, but I understand if you’re not ready.” It kills me to say the words.
“I’m not sorry.”
“Are you sure? Because I’m not messing around, Zee.” I pull back to try and read her eyes, but they’re closed, and her arms tighten around my neck.
“You said you wanted the girl you met at the beach. Right here, now, is the closest I’ve felt to her since you left.” She lifts her head and finally looks at me.
