Love Bait

20| Caught in a storm

Despite being open since before I was born, I have never seen the inside of the New Wave inn. It's pretty, if not exactly the kind of room I'd imagine Jordan to stay in. 

Its four walls are coral, and the double bed in the middle is draped in fancy pink cushions and quilts, with a large bay window that overlooks a portion of the beach. 

Rain pelts the windows, and when another crack of thunder sounds out, Jordan flinches. I hurry to the window and close shut the curtains, blocking out the storm. We're soaked to the bone and shivering like leaves. With the curtains blocking what was left of the light, the room is almost pitch black. Jordan moves to the light switch and gives it a flick, but the storm has cut off the power.

"This is like my worst nightmare," Jordan says. My mouth falls open. I'm truly offended. "I don't mean being stuck with you," he adds. "I just mean being trapped in a storm with no power."

I sigh and go to sit in the armchair before thinking better of it. I'm still dripping wet. "It's fine." 

Jordan looks over, his eyebrows furrowed. "There's an unused nightgown in the bathroom. No point sitting in wet clothes." He disappears into the bathroom before coming back out with a white, fluffy gown. 

I take it from his hands and ignore the little excited jump in my chest when our fingers brush. I've had more fun today than I have in a long time, but I need to remember what he's really on this island for. "Thanks," I say, and then I disappear into the bathroom and take off my wet clothes, letting them fall to the floor.

In the mirror opposite, I can just about make out the silhouette of my face and body. If I could see my expression, I imagine I'd look nervous at being here with Jordan. He's still a boy, after all–a handsome one.

Back in the main room, Jordan has already stripped off his clothes and is sitting in a black tee and sweatpants. He takes me in, too. "You don't look so good."

I smile and say, "We both know that's a lie." I hover awkwardly. If the power were on, I'd make us both some tea with the kettle, but instead, I stand nervously, not quite knowing what to do with myself. The room is small, just big enough to fit the table, armchair, and double bed, which means there's no escaping Jordan. 

"How should we pass the time?" Jordan asks. 

I look at him and see his eyes have darkened. He's thinking dirty things, I can tell, because I'm thinking them, too. "Not like that." 

He grins and says, "Get your mind out of the gutter, Evvy. I wasn't thinking that." 

I ignore him and sit on the bed opposite, trying to cross my legs in this ridiculously large gown. "So, what did you think of the sanctuary?"

"I liked it." He looks up now. "You know I always wanted to be a vet?"

This surprises me. "You did?" He doesn't strike me as the type to be cooing over animals.

He nods. "I was obsessed with animals growing up. I had this big dog called Bear, and we used to do everything together. Sit in my treehouse, go swimming, watch movies. While other kids had actual friends, I just had Bear." 

I laugh a little, because I'm imagining him as a little kid, and it's so cute.

"Then he got sick," Jordan says. "There was nothing we could do for him, so we took him to the vet. I stayed with him while they put him to sleep. I guess it made me want to do something to help other animals." 

My expression softens. "Well, do you still want to be a vet?"

"I did in high school," he admits, "but I was also a pretty bad kid. Got crappy grades, didn't make it to college. Not that I could have afforded it anyway. My construction job pays okay though, so it's not too bad."