the beach after her. For someone who probably only had half her regular lung capacity right now, she was fast. She was almost at her car by the time I came up over the top of the grass and into the car park.
“Maia!”
Either she didn’t hear me, or she was ignoring me. Either way, she didn’t stop. I threw the boogie-boards onto the deck of my truck as I passed it, making a bare-footed beeline for her over the stony ground. When I finally got to her car, she was already sitting in it, staring straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel for dear life.
I tapped on the closed window. “Hey, what are you doing?”
She turned to me slowly, as if she’d never seen me before. No sign of recognition whatsoever, just a haunting, empty look in her eyes that sent a shiver through me. No way was I letting her drive, not like this. I made my way around the car and got in the passenger side, leaving the door open.
The car was like an oven. I glanced over at her, but she was still staring out of her window, away from me. Something was definitely amiss. She was freaking out, no doubt about it. But, unlike most people I knew, she was doing it quietly. It was unnerving. I’d have preferred yelling and screaming and hysterical crying. Anything but this silence.
“You should probably take a few minutes,” I said, as calmly as I could. “You had a bit of a scare out there.”
I didn’t mean to sound condescending, but she didn’t seem to notice anyway. Several seconds passed. Finally, she let go of the steering wheel, her hands dropping into her lap helplessly, as if whatever surge of strength she’d experienced had now deserted her.
“Sorry,” she murmured, staring at her hands.
“Are you feeling okay?”
No reply, just a slight nod of her head.
“It’s happened to me before, too. Still happens, now and again.”
Nothing. I hoped I was making her feel better. Getting dumped by a wave wasn’t something that only happened to grommets.
“Let me take you back to my place, okay? I don’t think you should drive. We can have a cup of coffee – or something stronger, if you prefer – then come back and get your car later.”
Slowly, she seemed to come out of the trance she was in, turning to me. Her eyes were red and glassy, probably from the sea water, and her face and hair were still smeared with sand, but it was her expression that made me want to take her in my arms.
“I’m fine, but thanks,” she said, managing a weak smile.
I had to admire her determination, but she wasn’t the least bit convincing.
“Nice try, but I’m serious. I can’t let you drive.”
The smile faded and she stared at me, her eyes searching deep inside mine. I felt the same sensation I’d felt the first time we met, except for one major difference. Whatever it was she was looking for, I found myself wanting to give it to her. It was a primal instinct, an urge that came not from my physical self, but from somewhere deeper, harder to reach. Somewhere I thought was inaccessible after so long.
I was in real trouble here. Like Maia, I felt like I’d just been dumped by a wave. Slightly breathless, elevated heart rate, body tingling with the last threads of an almighty adrenaline rush.
“Can you just sit here with me for a little while?” she asked.
The vulnerability oozed out of her. She’d just had a hell of a shock, been through an ordeal that had obviously terrified her, and she was asking me to stay with her. At that precise moment, wild horses couldn’t have dragged me away.
“Absolutely.”
I reached for her hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze. She was still trembling, but she didn’t object or withdraw. I shouldn’t be feeling this way. We’d known each other for a matter of days. I shouldn’t want to take her into my arms and soothe her. I shouldn’t want to kiss her. I shouldn’t want to know every single thing about her. Not yet, it was too soon – all of this was too soon.
It felt like we’d missed a
“Maia!”
Either she didn’t hear me, or she was ignoring me. Either way, she didn’t stop. I threw the boogie-boards onto the deck of my truck as I passed it, making a bare-footed beeline for her over the stony ground. When I finally got to her car, she was already sitting in it, staring straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel for dear life.
I tapped on the closed window. “Hey, what are you doing?”
She turned to me slowly, as if she’d never seen me before. No sign of recognition whatsoever, just a haunting, empty look in her eyes that sent a shiver through me. No way was I letting her drive, not like this. I made my way around the car and got in the passenger side, leaving the door open.
The car was like an oven. I glanced over at her, but she was still staring out of her window, away from me. Something was definitely amiss. She was freaking out, no doubt about it. But, unlike most people I knew, she was doing it quietly. It was unnerving. I’d have preferred yelling and screaming and hysterical crying. Anything but this silence.
“You should probably take a few minutes,” I said, as calmly as I could. “You had a bit of a scare out there.”
I didn’t mean to sound condescending, but she didn’t seem to notice anyway. Several seconds passed. Finally, she let go of the steering wheel, her hands dropping into her lap helplessly, as if whatever surge of strength she’d experienced had now deserted her.
“Sorry,” she murmured, staring at her hands.
“Are you feeling okay?”
No reply, just a slight nod of her head.
“It’s happened to me before, too. Still happens, now and again.”
Nothing. I hoped I was making her feel better. Getting dumped by a wave wasn’t something that only happened to grommets.
“Let me take you back to my place, okay? I don’t think you should drive. We can have a cup of coffee – or something stronger, if you prefer – then come back and get your car later.”
Slowly, she seemed to come out of the trance she was in, turning to me. Her eyes were red and glassy, probably from the sea water, and her face and hair were still smeared with sand, but it was her expression that made me want to take her in my arms.
“I’m fine, but thanks,” she said, managing a weak smile.
I had to admire her determination, but she wasn’t the least bit convincing.
“Nice try, but I’m serious. I can’t let you drive.”
The smile faded and she stared at me, her eyes searching deep inside mine. I felt the same sensation I’d felt the first time we met, except for one major difference. Whatever it was she was looking for, I found myself wanting to give it to her. It was a primal instinct, an urge that came not from my physical self, but from somewhere deeper, harder to reach. Somewhere I thought was inaccessible after so long.
I was in real trouble here. Like Maia, I felt like I’d just been dumped by a wave. Slightly breathless, elevated heart rate, body tingling with the last threads of an almighty adrenaline rush.
“Can you just sit here with me for a little while?” she asked.
The vulnerability oozed out of her. She’d just had a hell of a shock, been through an ordeal that had obviously terrified her, and she was asking me to stay with her. At that precise moment, wild horses couldn’t have dragged me away.
“Absolutely.”
I reached for her hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze. She was still trembling, but she didn’t object or withdraw. I shouldn’t be feeling this way. We’d known each other for a matter of days. I shouldn’t want to take her into my arms and soothe her. I shouldn’t want to kiss her. I shouldn’t want to know every single thing about her. Not yet, it was too soon – all of this was too soon.
It felt like we’d missed a
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