CLICKS - The Dolphin Prophecy

CHAPTER 12

“I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner,” he said, leaning in to hug me, “but I had to wait to talk to The Guard.”

“Why? To get your trophy?” I asked, anger oozing with the words. He froze mid-reach for me.

“No,” he said, shocked at my outburst, “they needed statements. To try and figure out what happened.”

“I’m going to give you guys a minute,” Celeste said, attempting to rise from her spot at my side.

“Stay,” I gripped her arm. She settled back on the bench, clearly uncomfortable. But, at that moment, I needed her, and, selfishly, I just didn’t care that I was putting her in an uncomfortable position.

“You go,” I said to Blake. “Now!” Blake’s eyes flashed, golden flecks of fire coming through the silver as he prepared to argue, but I wasn’t about to let him get a word in. “I told you at the beach that I didn’t want to see you! Were you too happy about your win to listen to me?”

  “Cami, I didn’t win. They called the contest,” Blake sighed wearily. “Why are we even talking about this? What’s going on with Mica?”

“Nothing. Nothing is going on with him. He’s flat on a bed, in a coma. Thanks to you.”

“What does this have to do with me?” Blake asked, heating red under his golden skin. He bristled with strength and anger I’d never felt directed at me before. “I had no idea what was happening. You know I would have helped if I had.”

With a couple deep breaths through his nose, he calmed visibly, quickly changing tactics, attempting again to touch me. My body responded defiantly. It wanted his comfort, but my brain didn’t agree. I jerked my arm from his reach as if it were a jellyfish sting.

“Just go,” I whispered, turning my face back into Celeste’s shirt, hoping he’d listen.

But, he didn’t, so I ignored him. With every minute he remained, it got harder to fight the urge to go to him. I wanted to go back to the days where there had been absolutely zero attraction and I’d avoided physical contact with him. Mica’s condition felt like a punishment for finding time for my love life when, clearly, every spare moment should have been dedicated to helping Shay and Darwen.

In hiccoughed whispers, I tried to explain to Celeste, who patiently tried to talk me out of my tree. “Just give yourself time to calm down,” Celeste soothed. I felt comforted by her voice, even though I didn’t believe her words.

I took a peek at Blake, standing tight-lipped in the corner, attempting to respect my wishes, but clearly not wanting to leave. Though he wore headphones and tapped his long fingers angrily on the same board shorts he’d worn in the competition, I still felt him listening. Feeling evil, wanting him to feel my pain, I sent dagger eyes at him to pierce his golden-boy cool.

Immediately, Blake silently slipped out of the exit and down the fire stairs, setting off the alarm in his haste. The jaw-breaking noise sliced though my ears, straight to my gut like a spike. Loud enough to wake the dead, I prayed for it to wake the comatose, instead.

“Mica would never be mad at anyone for playing to win; least of all Blake,” Alysha said in a quiet voice. In the three weeks since Shayla’ accident, Alysha’s sparkle had dimmed.

“I know, but I think…” I paused and swallowed. “That, somehow, the trouble started when Blake and I got together. So, maybe I need to stay away to make it better.”

“I could slap you right now,” Alysha said, carefully digging her chipping black fingernails into her palms. My eyes opened wide in surprise at the anger coming from my least intense friend. “Blake helped you when you got hurt. Did it occur to you that he saved you from the same thing?” She paused, but instead of letting me answer, she held a finger up to my lips. I shook my head, but her rant had just begun. “Seeing you with him, is the only thing that’s given me any hope this summer. You just shine when he’s around—you actually look whole again in a way that you haven’t since Kaleb left. You guys are right. Want to fix things? Figure out why the three of them aren’t alive or dead, but in some strange sleep. Why have twenty-five more dolphins stranded this week? Don’t throw away the only thing about this summer that isn’t wrong.”