Page 2

Cora

Present Day

I was sitting on my butt in the sand, digging my toes in deep enough to feel the cool dampness beneath the surface. And the morning air, it still had that hint of a chill.

This was my church. This was where I worshipped the Gods and thanked the universe for all its blessings.

It wouldn’t last of course.

Come noon, I’d be cussing up a storm about how damn hot it was.

It’s what I liked to refer to as balance.

See, it was late May in Jacksonville, and that meant come mid-day the Florida sun would be beaming and with it came the humidity.

However, in the early hours, when the beaches were almost empty and everything was calm, it was damn near perfection.

“So then my dad says I can have the Jeep for graduation if my GPA stays above 3.8.” Marley sighed dramatically, flopping back onto her beach towel, drawing me back to the conversation. “Like that’s even fair when I’m taking all AP classes.”

I smiled, watching her blonde ponytail fan out in the sand.

Marley Thompson was the epitome of privileged youth. Designer swimwear under her top-of-the-line wetsuit, a father who was some hotshot surgeon, and a future paved with gold. Some might say she was living on easy street.

I didn’t fault her for any of that, though.

Beneath all that life had blessed her with, she was an amazing kid with a soft heart and a gentle soul.

“Life’s tough at the top, huh, Mar?” I teased, scanning the beach for any sign Beckett, then looking back at my student that had shown up on time.

Marley rolled her eyes but grinned. “You sound like my mom.”

“Oh no you didn’t!” I clutched my chest in mock horror. “Take it back!”

Marley’s lips turned up and a blush tinted her cheeks at my theatrics.

The truth was, I didn’t mind listening to her talk about her problems. It wasn’t up to me to say if they were valid or not. Everyone going through something gets to feel how they feel.

“Do you think he’s going to show?”

The he in question was my other Monday and Friday student, Beckett.

“I don’t know.” I checked my phone again. It wasn’t like Beck to be this late.

In the ten months since he’d stumbled into my life, he’d been religiously punctual despite the complicated situation of his home life.

I still thought about that first morning when he’d shown up out of nowhere. There he was, this lanky, sixteen-year-old kid with shaggy brown hair and wary eyes, watching from a distance as I put my Tuesday group through their paces.

After the lesson was over and everyone had left, he’d slowly made his way over. He was shy at first but once he realized I was up for answering anything he wanted to know, the flood gates opened and he had a million questions about boards and tricks that told me he’d been studying.

I didn’t realize it then, but he’d had this guarded expression that reminded me of myself after my parents had died. This vibe that screamed I don’t need anybody .

Call me crazy, but I’d offered him free lessons on the spot.

The memory made me smile. Aunt Connie always said I had a habit of collecting strays, but with Beckett, it was different.

He was a foster kid that needed someone to care.

And I did. A lot.

“There he is!” Marley sat up quickly, immediately fussing with her ponytail.

I bit back a smile at her obvious crush. The unlikely connection between these two, one from the country club and the other from the life of hard knocks, was unexpected but somehow seemed to work. Most of the time they were bickering like brother and sister, but I wasn’t blind to the way Marley’s cheeks flushed when Beck smiled at her. The girl was smitten.

Beckett had the same crush. He was just better at hiding it.

Beckett jogged across the sand toward us, his old backpack bouncing against his spine. He’d filled out some since our first meeting, his skinny frame now showing the lean muscle of a dedicated surfer. But something in his gait was off today.

“Sorry I’m late,” he mumbled, dropping his backpack beside our little camp. “Got held up.”

“It’s fine,” I assured him. “We’ve got plenty of time.”

Beckett refused to meet my eyes as he pulled his t-shirt over his head.

That’s when I saw it.

An ugly purple bruise was stretched across the right side of his ribcage. Smaller finger-shaped bruises circled both his upper arms.

My stomach twisted in knots.

“Oh my God, Beck!” Marley gasped before she slapped a hand over her mouth.

His face hardened as he quickly reached for his wetsuit, trying to cover the evidence.

It was too late to hide it, though. We’d already seen it.

I balled up my fists. This wasn’t the first time he’d shown up with marks that told stories he wouldn’t share.

He wouldn’t say it, but I knew that someone in the home he was living in was responsible.

I bit my tongue hard. It was killing me not to ask questions. But I knew better. The last time I’d pushed him on it, threatening to call someone who could help, he’d disappeared for nearly three weeks.

When he finally came back, the bruises were gone and he’d acted like nothing had ever happened.

I learned my lesson then—push and I’d lose him.

“Beckett.” I sighed, unable to completely ignore what was right in front of me. “Whatever this is,” I motioned to where he’d just covered the black and blue marks on his body, “It’s not okay.”

His shoulders tensed. “It’s not a big deal.”

He was wrong.

It was a really big deal.

I glanced over at Marley. Her eyes were fixed on Beck and she was being unusually quiet. She was getting a glimpse into Beckett’s real life.

“Let’s grab the boards,” I said, getting to my feet. “Tide’s perfect right now.”

Relief washed over Beckett’s face.

Sighing, I handed him a board.

I’d give him the reprieve for now, but I wasn’t letting it go. I’d find out who was hurting and somehow I’d figure out a way to make it stop.

After grabbing our boards, we paddled out in silence. The feel of cutting through the water took some of the tension away.

The ocean had always been my therapy, and as I glanced over at Beck, I hoped it would work the same magic for him.

“Alright, today we’re working on tricks,” I called out once we’d reached our spot beyond the break.

Beckett nodded, his focus immediately sharpening.

Out here in the water was where he came alive. Out here he wasn’t a foster kid or whatever other labels society wanted to slap on him. Out here in the water, he was in his element.

“You first, hotshot,” I told him, forcing a grin.

He shot me a grin of his own. Beck never needed to be told twice. In perfect execution, he turned his board and paddled hard as the perfect wave started to form. His timing was absolutely flawless. I watched in awe as he popped up to his feet right at the sweet spot, riding the face of the wave with this grace that no amount of money could buy.

It was a thing of beauty.

I glanced over at Marley who was straddling her board beside me and couldn’t help but smile. Lord help her, there were hearts in her eyes as she watched her crush sail across the water. When Beckett finally kicked out and began paddling back, she quickly looked away, pretending to be focused on adjusting the leash around her ankle.

I giggled and shook my head.

Kids.

“Show-off,” she muttered when he paddled up.

“Your turn, princess,” he fired back, his eyes dancing as the hint of a smile tugged at his lips.

Marley’s cheeks went crimson like they always did.

I pointed to an approaching swell. “That one’s got your name on it, Mar. Remember what we worked on last time.”

She nodded and started paddling. Her technique had improved dramatically over the past couple of months. What she lacked in Beckett’s natural talent, she made up for in sheer stubborn determination.

A girl after my own heart, if I did say so myself.

“Go, go, go!”

Marley paddled harder and caught the wave cleanly. She wobbled for a heart-stopping second, then found her balance and was off.

“Yes!” I pumped my fist in the air.

She rode the wave all the way in, her laugh carrying across the water.

“I knew she’d stick it.” Beck smiled.

I looked over my shoulder at him and my smile faltered.

What the heck was I going to do about him? I couldn’t let things continue. It wasn’t right and I’d never forgive myself if something worse happened to him. But then I ran the risk of him bolting if I reported it to social services.

I needed a plan. Even if it was only a short-term solution until I could figure out something more permanent.

I cocked my head to the side. There was the empty storage room at The Burger Shack? No, Earl would have a shit-fit if he found out.

Maybe Aunt Connie’s place, no that wouldn’t work either.

I could always make up a spot for him on my couch. My apartment was only one bedroom but I could probably afford something bigger if I picked up a few more shifts.

“Earth to Cora,” Beckett’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Are you done staring at the horizon?”

Beck and Marley were staring at me as I blinked the thoughts away. “Yeah. Sorry, guys.” I forced another smile. “Let’s catch a few more and call it a day.”

For the next forty-five minutes, I focused on correcting Marley’s foot position and challenging Beckett with more advanced tricks. Once we finally made it back to shore, the sun was completely up.

“Same Bat time on Monday?” Marley asked, toweling off her hair.

A real smile pulled at my lips. Did I mention how awesome this kid was? What sixteen year old referenced the 1960’s Batman tv show? She was totally born in the wrong era.

“Same bat time, same bat channel, kiddo.”

I watched as they changed out of their wetsuits and caught Beck wincing when he bent to pick up his backpack. The bruising was clearly worse than he was letting on.

“Beck,” I said quietly while Marley was distracted with her phone. “You know you can call me, right? Anytime. My number hasn’t changed.”

He didn’t meet my eyes. “Yeah, I know.”

“I mean it. Day or night.”

He slung his backpack over one shoulder. “I know.”

Marley looked up from her phone. “My mom’s here.” She hesitated, then turned to Beckett. “Do you want a ride to school? She wouldn’t mind.”

The question hung awkwardly in the air. We all knew Beckett would never accept the offer, especially not from Marley.

“I’m good,” he said, already backing away. “See you Monday, Cora.”

Marley’s face fell slightly as she watched him go.

I knew how she felt, it killed me to see him in pain, too. “I’ll figure something out.”

She forced a water smile as she wrapped her arms around me. Damn it. I hated seeing her upset.

“It’ll be okay. Trust me.”

“Okay.” She pulled back and wiped at her cheeks.

“I’ll see you on Monday.” I patted her back then tipped my head in the direction of her mom’s waiting SUV.

I stood there until she was safely inside her mother’s car, then turned to catch Beckett’s retreating back as he disappeared around the corner of the beach access path.

The weight of failure was like a vice around my heart. There had to be a way to help him without making things worse. I just didn’t know what it was.

Sighing, I gathered my things.

I could only focus on one problem at a time.

The first was getting my ass to work and making enough tips to pay the electric bill.

Next, I’d figure out how the hell I was going to save a kid who didn’t want to be saved.