AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My doubts.
My fears.
Everything’s swirling inside me.
Work is just the beginning when it comes to my reservations. There’s also our histories. Jack’s been hurt before, and so have I.
Letting my guard down while here in Hawaii was one thing. Keeping it down is another.
“I’m in if you are,” he says in that low, rumbly, easy way he has.
“Please don’t be casual about this,” I beg. “It could get really complicated.”
“I know that. I’m still willing to go all in.”
I could lie here and voice every concern I have to him. I could make lists in my mind and worry.
But the sun is sinking lower with each passing moment.
Dinner at the Tiki Grille awaits us, and those otherworldly lights of the inground pool.
Chester’s in the lagoon, swimming around, waiting for our visit. He’ll want carrots.
What should I do, Chester? I ask as if either my turtle friend or my ex-therapist could possibly get the message and offer help.
The only answer I get is more crashing waves, not so far away. And the sight of Jack, poised and waiting for my choice.
Am I going to return to life back home, just like it was? Or will I step into something new?
“It’s a risk,” I whisper.
“Yeah, a big one.”
“I watched a couple of videos of your dirt bike stunts online,” I tell him.
When I’ve been away from Jack these past few days, I’ve caught up on press about him. There sure is a lot of it. “There were a few of your big crash. I saw a clip of you flashing a peace sign when you were on a stretcher after your accident.”
“I’m a survivor.” He flexes his leg just slightly. “Got the metal pins to prove it.”
“What happened, exactly?”
“I had it all under control until I didn’t. Leak in my suspension system, but I didn’t know it. The shocks blew out right as I landed. You saw the rest. The bike flipped and landed on top of me. Broke my pelvis and both legs.”
“You were smiling.”
“Doctors told me later that it was ‘cause of adrenaline. I guess it acts as a pain suppressor.”
“You’re incredible. I just don’t know if I’m as hardy as you.”
If we crash and burn, will I survive it?
“Jack—if we do this, we probably have to keep it a secret. I mean, from everyone.”
He nods. “Everyone except your mom. She can be in on it because now that I’ve heard so much about her, I want to cheer her up, too.”
A smile escapes. “Thanks. And… Brett and Corinne can know. But for now, that should probably be it. You took down that social media post, right?”
“Yeah, it’s toast.”
