12| Blink of an eye

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All morning the news reports talk of a storm, which isn't surprising. The sky outside has turned a strange stormy gray, the exact same shade as Jordan's eyes.

I shake away the thought. I shouldn't be thinking about Jordan's eyes. I shouldn't be thinking about any part of him because he's the reason I'm in this mess. I head to breakfast and join Lexi at the table, glancing at Dad's empty spot. "Where's Dad?"

"He went to get some groceries," Lexi says. "He should be back any minute. You want some eggs?"

I shake my head. I'm not in the mood for breakfast this morning. I am too busy thinking about how today will be my last shift at the Big Fish Cafe.

"It will be all right," Lexi says, able to read my mind. "It's for the best. You would have had to quit soon, anyway. At least now you can start preparing for college."

I close my eyes; if I hear the C-word one more time, I will scream. Thankfully, Dad comes bursting through the door before I can answer, his hands filled with shopping bags. Both Lexi and I jump up, helping him to pack everything away before it starts raining.

"It's going to pour again later," Dad says, carrying in the last bags. "I don't want you cycling to work, Evvy. I'll drop you there and when you need picking up, text me, all right?"

I nod and put away the last shopping before heading upstairs. I take my time in the shower, working the shampoo through my hair until it forms a thick lather. The coconut scent is so fruity and strong it fills up the bathroom.

At some point, Lexi comes along and knocks on the door, shouting for me to hurry up. She's going to the Mainland to see some of her friends, so she'll need at least three hours to get ready.

We've only got two bathrooms in this house, one being the ensuite in Dad's room. The lock on it was broken, and we both learned the hard way never to use it again when I opened the door to Dad on the toilet.

"Two minutes!" I shout.

"One minute!" she yells back.

"Fine!" I wash off the shampoo and work in some conditioner while lathering my body in soap. It seems silly, really, but it is these little moments between us that I think I will miss the most.

When I'm ready, Dad drops me off outside the cafe and kisses me on the cheek. I pull back to look at him and see his hazel eyes have softened. "Have a good last day, kiddo. Try not to be too upset, okay? Everything will turn out all right in the end."

"Yeah," I say, even though he can't possibly know that. "See you later, Dad."

Inside, the cafe looks the same as usual, but I appreciate it more. I don't see the holes and the cracks and the marks, I see the place I grew up in, the place my mother thought so fondly of; I see the place I will desperately miss.

Lina is busy wiping down tables, but she hurries over when she sees me, throwing her arms around my neck. "I can't believe this is your last day," she says. "Are you still going to come over?"

I nod. Lina's mom has planned a little get-together at their house to celebrate my time at the Big Fish Cafe, and while I'm not really in the mood for partying, it's a nice way to say goodbye.

When she gets back to work, I glance at the table by the window. It's the one Mom would put Lexi and me on while she served up our ice creams. It will be strange not coming here every day, but maybe it's better this way. I'll be heading to college soon; I have to let go.

Jordan doesn't show up for the whole of my shift, and I'm glad. I don't think I could take seeing him pottering around on my last day at the cafe, not when he's the reason for this. I chat with the customers and act like everything's fine. When Kali walks past me and sees that I'm smiling, he stops to inspect me.

"Did you take drugs this morning?" he asks.

I frown and say, "No, I didn't," before returning to my table; I must not be a very good actress.

Five minutes before closing, when everyone's gone home, it finally starts to rain. I clean up the tables, trying to close up before it gets any worse, but when I next look outside, it's pouring.

Rain bashes the windows, coming down in pellets that sound like thunder on the glass. I turn off all the lights and get out my phone, about to call my dad, when there's movement on the street. Jordan appears, his hood pulled over his head as he hurries to the door. I beat him to it, locking the bolts while he pulls on the handle.

For a second, he looks at me. He's soaked head to toe, his dark hair sticking to his forehead in tendrils. As much as I hate him, I have to admit, he looks so innocent staring back at me, like an injured puppy that needs saving.

He rests his forehead on the glass, his handsome face littered with raindrops. Thunder rumbles behind him, followed by three lightning strikes, but he doesn't look away. Finally, I take pity on him and unlock the door. He steps through the threshold and slowly turns to face me, wet and shivering.

"Were you really going to leave me in a hurricane?" he asks.

So dramatic. "This isn't a hurricane. How long have you been away from this island, Tourist?"

His eyes harden. "Don't call me that. I should have taken my chances outside."

"Yes, you should have." I reach behind the counter and grab one of the towels, throwing it at him. He catches it in one hand and glances out the window like he's wondering whether or not to make an escape. But he won't be going anywhere–it's pouring buckets now, the only thing we can do is wait it out.

Lightning strikes and Jordan flinches. His eyes are unsteady as they glance at the window. When he turns back to face me, his skin has turned ghostly pale.

A/N

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