Page 51 of Into the Blue
Jade seems to realise it too. Her whole demeanour relaxes, and she smiles at Mish. I squeeze her fingers, gently, an ache in my chest. I’m still wary, though, remembering our last argument in the street. But the fire seems to have gone out of Mish.
“Hey,” Jade says, going over to her, pulling me with her. “These are beautiful. Did you make the charms as well?” She picks up one of the bracelets, a twist of green and blue batik, braided tightly, with several silver charms and coins hanging from it.
Mish glances at me, then clears her throat. “Um, we don’t make the charms. Mandy, over in the other pavilion, does that. We just do the bracelets.”
“Do they each have a different meaning?” Jade lets go of my hand and crouches down, sifting through the basket. She pulls out another bracelet, a wisp of braided cotton in the colours of the sea, a coin hanging from it.
“Oh! Well, the coins are all lucky. That one is thePis Nawa Sanga, or the Nine Winds. It’s supposed to protect the bearer from evil spirits.”
“Really? That’s very cool. And this one?”
Jade continues to talk to Mish, and I can see the other woman softening, her smile widening. She pulls a few bracelets from the pile, all in shades of greens and blues, some threaded with glass beads, others with coins. “This one is thePis Rejuna. Good for romantic relationships,” she says, handing it to Jade with a wink at me. I shake my head, grinning.
“It sounds perfect,” Jade says. “I’ll take it. And this one, as well.” She picks up the one with the Nine Winds coin. “What do I owe you?”
Mish shifts on her stool, a line appearing between her brows. I tense. She better not be difficult, not now. But she just mutters, “They’re a gift,” her head down.
“Oh no, I need to pay. There’s so much work in them.” Jade is digging in the pocket of her cargos.
Mish lifts her head. “Please. I want you to have them. I just… look. I’m sorry. I was an asshole, and you didn’t deserve it. I hope your leg’s okay.”
Jade glances at me. I keep my expression carefully neutral. This is not what I expected. I wonder what’s happened to change things.
“Are you sure?” Her voice is soft.
Mish nods.
“Thank you. And, I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have thrown my drink on you.”
“You had cause.” Mish grins.
Jade laughs, a short breathy giggle. Then she holds out her arm. “Would you help me put them on, please?”
Mish, grinning broadly, ties the two bracelets around Jade’s wrist. “There. We’re friends, now. Also, you’re a wicked surfer.”
“Thank you. We should go out there together sometime.”
Mish’s face lights up. “Can we? I mean, is your leg…” She bites her lip, her brow crinkling.
“My leg is fine. Just got the all-clear today. Besides, being out of the water for a few days left me time to do… other things.” She glances at me again, a wicked glint in her green gaze. Shit. I’m getting hard just looking at her.
“We should head off soon. Thought we might go to Dom’s for lunch again.” I feel slightly strangled. I don’t want lunch. I just want to take Jade home and make love to her while she’s wearing the two bracelets. And only the bracelets. I swallow.
Her grin deepens. “Yeah, let’s head back. Although I’d like to come back here again.”
“I’ll bring you up one day,” Mish says. “That is, if Axel lets you go.” She winks at me again and I realise it’s probably pretty obvious what’s going on. Ah well. I don’t care.
As Jade smiles at me, the world in her eyes, I don’t care about anything much at all. Apart from her.
ChapterThirty
Axel
Imanage to get Mish alone for a minute, before we leave the artisan centre, while Jade goes to check out the racks of terracotta pots. “What’s going on?” I ask, keeping my voice low. “I thought I was the enemy.”
Mish shakes her head. “I do trust you, Axel,” she says, eventually. “I know you want to do the right thing by the cave, and the island. So if you say Jade is cool, then I have to accept that.”
I stare at her, wondering if she’s messing with me. But there’s an earnestness in her gaze. Then her face creases in a mischievous smile. “Besides, she’s a wicked surfer. Way better than you. Thought she might be able to teach me something, if I made friends with her.”
