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Chapter 1 

Makayla

“Wait!”

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I pulled my finger away from the lift button and turned back to Nicki and Rosanna, my two best friends. Nicki held her hand out palm down. Rosanna put her hand on top. My hand followed as it had so many times before: a tradition started at our Mathletics competitions in high school.

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“May our holiday,” Nicki started.

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“Be full of fun,” Rosanna continued.

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“And learning experiences,” Nicki said. I held my laughter in. As a scientist, she treated everything as a learning experience, even identity theft.

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They raised their eyebrows at me expecting some sort of wisdom. “We shall be brave and step out of our comfort zones.”

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Our hands separated. Nicki giggled, her blonde curls bouncing, a bright pink streak standing out. “Makayla leaving her comfort zone.”

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OK. Here it comes. I expected nothing less from my two best friends. I faced the lift and pressed the button.

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“The last time Makayla did anything unexpected was in high school,” Rosanna teased.

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She was probably right, but I wasn’t going to tell her that. Not her, who always had perfect hair. Not her, who changed her style whenever she got bored or wanted to try something new. I was lucky to have her as a friend. She reminded me of what I could be. I told my students all the time that they could be whatever they wanted. Now I needed to start believing that myself.

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The lift beeped and I entered as soon as the doors opened. Their ribbing continued as they followed me in and the lift ascended to the rooftop bar.

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The text we’d received earlier said there were other people from our tour staying at the hotel and we should go mingle. And of course, Nicki and Rosanna were keen on that idea. When I stepped out of the lift, I surveyed the bar. Tall tables and chairs stood around the outside wall, the best vantage point.

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“Check out the view,” I said.

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The sky was deepening to the navy of night. On one side, scattered lights lit up windows in the high rises. I turned and surveyed the Swan River on the other side. The city lights reflected in the water gave the impression of an enchanted upside-down city made of reds, blues, and yellows lurking under the surface.

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There was an older couple, heads close together, talking. I didn’t think that’s who we’d be meeting. They hadn’t raised their heads when the lift dinged and we stepped out. She turned her shoulder into him, suggesting she was comfortable in his presence.

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At a table, three men stood watching us. They were all in shorts and buttoned shirts – smart but casual. One of them broke away and strode over. He had an easy, relaxed gait that matched his smile. Even his brown hair—messy but stylish—fit in with his relaxed persona. I was sure he was wearing some kind of fashion label I wouldn’t even be able to afford to look at.

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As he approached, he gazed at us one by one, making eye contact. My stomach fluttered when his hazel eyes met mine; the intimacy was penetrating. He showed great self-confidence, reminding me of Mitchell.

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“Are you ladies with W.A. Adventure Tours?”

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“Sure are. I’m Nicki.”

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“I’m Tyler.”

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He glanced at Rosanna, his hazel eyes intense.

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“I’m Rosanna. Nice to meet you, Tyler.”

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“You too.”

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I’m sure it was nice. With her long black hair, exotic features, and constant smile, anyone would be happy to meet her. Same with Nicki—her blonde curls and friendly face were interesting and inviting. Mitchell had referred to me as 'prosaic' and that's how I preferred to be. It was his way of saying I was ordinary and lacklustre without using such blatantly negative words. My long brown hair and brown eyes had nothing distinctive about them, allowing me to hide from the spotlight.

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Tyler’s gaze moved to me and I was dumbstruck, like all I could focus on was his hazel eyes, and my ability to think disappeared. This was not my comfort zone. I wasn’t used to the attention being on me. Usually, Mitchell would turn the attention to himself. But now I needed to speak, at least to utter my name.

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“Makayla.”

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Tyler smiled, turned, and led us to the table. “Manny, Harrison, this is Nicki, Rosanna, and Makayla.”

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I gave them a half smile, enough for them to think I wasn’t a stuck-up cow. This was stupid. Anyone would think I’d never met new people before. I gave my arms a shake, trying to dispel my nerves.

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“Where are you from?” Manny asked. He ran his hand through his clipped brown hair.

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“Sydney,” Nicki said.

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“We’re from Melbourne,” Tyler said.

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“Oh no, does that mean we have to be mortal enemies?” Rosanna joked.

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Tyler gave her a broad smile. He sure did smile a lot. “I prefer not to have enemies. No need to make life more complicated.”

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Nicki nodded in appreciation. “Love not war, right?”

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“Yeah, loving is my first choice. I can make my own way in life without stepping on anyone’s toes.”

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Fascinating. Mitchell wouldn’t have had the same philosophy. According to him, climbing the ladder sometimes meant he had to climb over people, not just step on their toes. I didn’t agree with it but I’d learnt not to voice my opinion.

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“Mak?” Nicki said.

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She was staring at me. Everyone was staring at me. Heat rose to my cheeks.

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“Sorry, I missed that.”

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“Tyler asked if you’d like a drink.”

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He was studying me, waiting. I was such an idiot. I needed to stay in the present, not the past.

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“Yes, please.”

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Tyler watched me, like he expected more. A drink choice perhaps.

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“Why don’t you come to the bar with me? You can choose when you get there.”

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I nodded. Could I act more like a social idiot? As I walked beside him to the well-stocked bar, I tried to think of something to say. I had nothing. I might as well curl into a ball like a roly poly beetle to protect any dignity I had left.

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“What made you decide to holiday in Western Australia?” Tyler asked.

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“It was Nicki’s idea. She thought it would be good to distance ourselves from our everyday lives.”

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“Yeah. I get that. It feels like a different part of the world here. Do you know what people say W.A. stands for?”

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I shook my head.

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“Wait Awhile. From what I’ve seen it fits. No one is in a rush here, not like Melbourne.”

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“Sydney’s worse. I avoid the city.”

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“Is this a ‘mine is bigger than yours’ thing?” He gave me a lopsided grin.

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The bartender approached us. “What would you guys like?”

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Tyler glanced at me and when I didn’t speak, because somehow my new thing was to turn into a mute whenever I was put on the spot, he said, “I’ll have a Moscow Mule and four beers, please.”

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The bartender nodded. I stared at the bottles containing different coloured liquids that glimmered in the light. Because just staring at these unknown bottles would help me decide what to drink. I rolled my eyes inwardly.

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“What about you, Makayla?” Tyler prompted.

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Step out of your comfort zone, Makayla.

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“What’s a Moscow Mule?” I asked Tyler.

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“Vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice.”

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“I’ll have one of those please.”

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“Alright, time for you to be converted.” Tyler clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

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The bartender nodded. “Put it on your tab, Ty?”

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“Sure can. Thanks, Billy.”

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He was on a first name basis with the bartender?

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“I’ll bring the drinks over.”

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We walked back to the table in silence. Maybe Tyler thought it was easier, or that I was too weird. I wasn’t usually this socially awkward. I was fine at work. I was fine in my friendship group. I could even hold conversations with strangers when I went to dinner with Mitchell and his clients or colleagues. My problem here? The intimacy of it. The way Tyler paid attention to me when I talked. The way, when Tyler looked at me, he really looked at me.

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Harrison focused on us when we arrived at the table. “We were just talking about what we’re looking forward to on the trip.”

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Tyler turned to me. My stomach clenched. Politeness was definitely his strong point. Just like earlier, he invited me to speak first. Mitchell always made it easy for me by commanding the conversation.

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I really needed to stop thinking about Mitchell. It wasn’t helping.

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When I didn’t speak, Tyler did. “Everything. Being away from civilisation. Seeing new places. Snorkelling at Ningaloo.”

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The bartender arrived saving me from having to answer. He handed me my Moscow Mule. “Hope it’s as good as Tyler says.”

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I nodded…because that was appropriate.

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“What’s wrong?” Nicki whispered in my ear.

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“Nothing. I’m just nervous.” Tyler makes me nervous.

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She nodded and gave my shoulders a quick squeeze.

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“Let’s make a toast.” Tyler raised his glass. “To new friends.”

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We clinked glasses. Tyler watched me as I raised the glass to my lips. The heat of the vodka was only a hint against the crispness of the ginger beer. The lime juice held the two tastes apart but at the same time pulled them together. This was a cocktail you would think nothing of drinking and then all of a sudden, wham, you’d be drunk.

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“Like it?” Tyler asked.

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“Very much.”

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“Good. Hopefully I can introduce you to more things you like.”

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Was he flirting with me?

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By the time I was onto my third drink I felt the first touches of giddiness. My grip on my glass loosened and I joined in some of the conversation.

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“You know how we’re going snorkelling?” Harrison asked. He was stockier than his friends with brown hair and blue eyes.

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We nodded.

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“I recommend you don’t do what Ty did.” Harrison laughed and his blue eyes laughed with him.

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Manny grinned and ran his hand through his hair. That’s the second time he’d done that. Was he getting comfortable with a new cut? Or was it freshly trimmed, so it felt soft and velvety? “Show them your scar,” he said to Tyler.

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“I didn’t know the tide was going out. With the water dropping, I got a few scrapes, and then this.” Tyler lifted up his shirt. A scar, about six inches long, was etched diagonally across his stomach.

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“Holy shit,” Nicki said.

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It was intriguing that he hadn’t drawn attention to it when he’d mentioned snorkelling earlier. Was my intuition right? Did he not want to be the centre of attention? He seemed happy just being on par with everyone else. He didn’t need to look better or be the best. Not like Mitchell; actually, the opposite of Mitchell.

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“I didn’t realise it was so bad until I got out. They had to flush the wound and check for coral fragments with tweezers.”

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My eyes strayed from his scar to the rest of his bared skin. Tanned, flat, toned. I wanted to touch it. The scar. I wanted to touch the scar. To see what it felt like. When I raised my eyes, Tyler’s watchful gaze was on me. I blushed as if he had read my thoughts.

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I wish he’d put his shirt down. It was hard to keep my eyes on his face and concentrate on what he was saying.

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“Do you want to touch it?” he asked, a smirk on his face.

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“No.” I stepped backwards, my cheeks on fire. I wasn’t putting my hands anywhere near him.

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Tyler laughed. Was he making fun of me? I looked at my feet; another dead giveaway. I wanted out of there, away from him and my stupid awkwardness.

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“Hey, I was only joking.” His voice was soft, so only I could hear. He dropped the hem of his shirt.

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I nodded. I grabbed my drink and took a gulp.

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“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

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He gave me a small smile. My stomach flipped. He was one of the most genuine, kind people I’d met. How I could determine that in such a short time was beyond me. Well, not really. I’d always been a people watcher. You could tell a lot about a person by how they treated others, how they acted in a group, and how they behaved when no one was watching.

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And working with teenagers for eight years gave me great insight into human nature. Some kids could be nice as pie to the teachers’ faces, but as soon as they turned their back, it would look like they had just sucked on a lemon sour.

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I smiled in return.

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“I like it when you blush. I’ll have to make you do more of it.”

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And then he ruined it.