AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Shit.
Turning back the other direction, Yaz still seems hell-bent on reaching that little hut way, way out over the water, so I can either follow her out there, apologize for whatever I did wrong, and try to ask forgiveness from the resort staff about being out there in the first place, or… or what? Wait to be thrown in resort jail or whatever for breaking the rules and risk leaving Yaz out here to fend for herself?
Oh, hell no.
My mind made up, I take a step out onto the jetty, then another. With the beach behind me now, the ocean really does look endless, and the feeling of being stranded in the middle of it is real.
“It’s fine, everything’s fine,” I mutter to myself, my heart beating loud enough to drown out the gentle sound of the surf as I force myself to keep walking forward.
Whatever that caution tape was about, at least the wooden walkway under my feet feels sturdy, so that’s something. Still, I don’t think I’ve exhaled the breath I’ve been holding for at least ten or fifteen seconds, but I don’t need air right now. I just need to keep going and keep my eyes on that little hut Yasmin is headed for now, putting one foot in front of the other until I get there, too.
It’s open-sided with a thatched roof, and what looks like canvas walls that are currently rolled up but could be rolled down to provide shade or privacy to guests. There’s also clearly some kind of seating, since when Yasmin reaches it, she sinks down and sits, facing out to the ocean.
So… it’s civilized. Safe. Right?
I’m halfway there and make the mistake of looking around me, and holy shit. I’m surrounded by water. Which… of course I am. I’m in the middle of the ocean. For a moment, its vastness almost makes me feel dizzy, like it’s rising up all around me to swallow me whole.
My breath quickens, my lungs feeling tight all of a sudden, and I try calling out again. “Yaz.”
This time, I’m not sure if her name even makes it past my lips.
Not gonna lie, even though I know it’s irrational, I’m scared, and not just of what might be happening to our relationship. There are no crashing waves here, just smooth, serene ocean, and yet a part of me can’t help the terrified thought that the water is already lapping at the sides of the narrow jetty, threatening to take away the thin line of safety it represents.
I force that fear down and focus on what matters here. Whatever is it that’s going wrong between us, I love Yasmin, and she needs me right now, so I need to be there for her, too.
I just wish she could have needed me back on the beach.
If she wasn’t always so damned impetuous… I shake that thought off before it can sour in my heart. It’s actually one of the things I love about her, one of the things that drew me to her in the first place all those years ago. She’s always been the type to ask forgiveness rather than permission, and honestly? There have been plenty of times in my life when I’ve wished I had more of that spark in myself. Or at least when I’ve enjoyed being pushed a little to get out of my comfort zone thanks to her boldness and lack of impulse control.
“Yasmin?” I say, close enough now that I’m sure she can hear me since I can hear her ragged breaths, now. And damn, my heart clenches at the sound of her still crying.
It feels like an eternity has passed since I left dry land, but it’s probably only been a hot minute or two since I’ve started walking along the jetty, and I’m almost there. Almost to the little hut. Almost to the woman I love.
Just a few more steps.
Just a few more steps.
“Baby,” I exhale as I reach it, breathless even though I’ve been practically tip-toeing the whole way out here. “We need to talk. Why did you come all the way—”
“Because we don’t need to talk,” she interrupts me without turning around, her shoulders slumped in despair and the words catching in her throat in a way that makes my heart ache all the more. “Talking is just making things worse, Cade.”
“Okay,” I say, nodding because she’s not wrong. We were fine when we were dancing, but then this. “Then… what do I need to do, baby?”
I slowly walk over to sit next to her, encouraged that at least she doesn’t push me away.
She also doesn’t respond, though. Just shrugs, staring out into the ocean which is, yeah, objectively beautiful but also too much, too wide, sparkling under the moonlight with no end in sight except the horizon. I quickly look away, focusing on her instead, but when I start to put my arm around her shoulders, she flinches away.
I immediately stop, feeling like I’ve been punched in the gut. “I’m sorry, baby,” I whisper, feeling pretty fucking close to tears now myself. “Just tell me what I did wrong and I’ll fix it.”
We don’t have to talk. I’ll do anything she wants me to. Hell, it will be a relief if she can just tell me what to do to make this right.
“That’s just it,” she sighs, still staring straight ahead. “I don’t want to always be the one telling you what’s wrong. The one complaining. The one demanding changes. That isn’t fair to you, and it isn’t fair to me, either.” She finally meets my gaze, her beautiful eyes still brimming with tears. “I don’t know when things got off track between us, but what we’re doing now? All this sniping and petty arguing about nothing? That isn’t healthy. It’s not making either of us happy. It’s not… it’s not what I want.”
I nod. “Me neither, baby. I agree. You’re right, about all of it.”
“I know,” she says, her voice breaking. “And I don’t think it’s going to get any better, babe.”
I’ve had the same worries, but it hurts more than I expect to hear her say it out loud. Or maybe that’s just because I still don’t know how to fix it.
