Page 16 of Here in My Heart (Here Together #2)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Ade steadied herself, adjusting to the swell of the docked boat beneath her feet. Closing her eyes behind her sunglasses, she lifted her chin toward the brightness of the sky and enjoyed the warmth on her cheeks.

She counted her students on to the boat and awaited further instruction from the skipper that the center had hired for their day trip. Grateful for a moment to herself, her thoughts drifted again to Friday morning and waking up next to Sylvie.

It’d been a dream, laying shoulder to shoulder with the woman she’d developed a growing fascination with over the last six weeks.

She’d focused every one of her muscles on making the right movements and acting as naturally as possible, so that Sylvie would stay just a little longer.

Their conversation had flowed well into the early hours, and Ade had revealed more of herself than ever before.

The weekend had passed without any further drama, and her uneasiness about being in the apartment alone had faded slightly. Either way, she could hardly beg Sylvie to stay longer. She’d already overstepped some sort of unwritten line between professionalism and friendship.

“When are we expecting your colleague?”

Startled from her daydream, Ade looked blankly into the expectant face of the skipper, George. “My colleague?”

“Yes. You need a ratio of one member of staff to four students,” George said.

Ade ran through the safety documentation she’d meticulously poured over the week before. “But we do have two members of staff: you and me.”

George grimaced. “I can’t be counted, I’m afraid.”

Ade’s heart sank. How could she have missed this?

The students giggled at something in the water, obviously excited to be on their first marine trip venturing out on the Mediterranean.

She couldn’t bear to let them down now, not with their life vests zipped and smiles on all their faces.

She’d never seen them look so happy in each other’s company.

She grabbed her cell and fired off a quick message to Sylvie, the only person who could get her out of this.

I don’t suppose you want a trip on the ocean?

There was a long pause. The three, blinking dots teasing.

Morning. This is a surprise. When are you thinking?

Err… no time like now?

Her phone rang, and Sylvie’s name glared at her from the dark screen like she was already shouting.

“I’m sorry,” Ade said. “I’ve messed up the staff ratio on this sea trip, and I need an extra person.”

Sylvie sighed. “The trip you’ve been planning? Today? What time are you due to leave?”

Ade contemplated which of Sylvie’s questions to answer first. “What?”

“When do you need me?”

Ade cleared her throat. “The skipper is waiting.”

“Jesus, Ade, you know how to press my buttons.” Sylvie snorted. “I’m at the campus filing some paperwork. I can be with you in fifteen minutes. Message me the dock location, and I’ll drive straight there.”

Ade ended the call. The students screeched and tousled at the other end of the boat. Suddenly the sea breeze had lost its meditative power, and she pressed her ears to ground herself.

“Ade, when are we heading off? The others are getting a bit restless.” Greg held a stack of clipboards in his hand. “Should I give these out to keep them busy?”

“Great idea.” She put her head in her hands, struggling to come up with a plan until Sylvie arrived.

“You okay there?” Greg asked.

“We’re just going to be a bit late getting started. Professor Boucher is on her way.” She stared at Greg’s eager, innocent face. He was much more of a help than a hindrance. “I got a bit mixed up with the safety guidelines.”

“I’d be happy to keep everyone entertained while we wait,” Greg said. “We can go over the safety procedures and take a quick quiz on the parts of the boat.”

Ade drummed her fingers on the boat’s fiberglass hull. She hated herself for screwing up the plans.

Within fifteen minutes, Sylvie arrived.

She pulled on a life vest and folded her silk blouse beneath its zipper. “I’m hardly dressed for this excursion.” She nodded to the group of students huddled on deck. “Can we talk somewhere privately?”

“Head below deck if you need to,” George said, flashing Ade a concerned look. “I’ll steer us out. It might be a bit bumpy to start with, so hold onto the rails.”

Ade followed Sylvie down the short stairs. “Before you say anything, I know I’ve fucked up here.”

“That’s correct.” Sylvie’s eyes flared.

“I’m really sorry.” Ade swallowed.

“But you’re not appearing to learn any lessons from your mistakes.”

Ade tried to work out whether Sylvie was asking something but came up empty. Silence seemed the best option.

Sylvie ran her hand through her hair, already windswept from boarding the boat. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

Ade clenched her fists. This was going badly wrong.

She’d called Sylvie because she might know what to do, and she didn’t have anyone else to turn to at work.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were asking me to respond.

” And we’re late. We really should’ve been out on the water by now.

She shuffled from one foot to the other, fanning her hands to expel some of her nervous energy.

“I tried to get my head around the paperwork for this trip, and I really thought I’d nailed it.

But when George said he wasn’t included in the numbers, I didn’t know who else to call.

” Ade bit her lip. “I don’t have anyone else to call here. ”

It was too much, dumping her problems on Sylvie. That she’d stayed with her on Thursday night had been a wonderful surprise, but it had obviously pushed Sylvie to her limit of helping Ade out.

Sylvie’s shoulders dropped, and her face softened into the hint of a smile. Was it pity?

“I’m sorry.” Sylvie touched Ade’s sleeve. “You should be able to reach out to me when you need to. I’m your supervisor; it’s what I’m here for.”

Ade scratched her head, confused by the unraveling situation. “So, it’s okay that I called you?”

“Yes. I’m just flustered by having to drop everything and come over here. Now I’m on a boat trip instead of marking test papers.” Sylvie laughed.

“That’s a good thing?” Ade craved clarification and needed to repair the tiny tear in their rapport.

“I guess it is. Who wouldn’t want to go out onto the water first thing on a Monday?” Sylvie pointed to the ceiling. “Talking of which, we’d better go and keep an eye on our fledglings.”

They wandered onto the boat’s deck, where the students had gathered at the stern with their clipboards, ready for observation. For a group that could make a lot of noise and trouble, they were on their best behavior this morning.

“Let’s go up to the bow and watch from there,” Ade said, gaining her sea legs now they’d made it out into the water.

At the front of the boat, the horizon stretched out before them, a wide expanse of nothing but blue sky resting on top of an indigo blue sea. Ade breathed in. She beckoned Sylvie, craving her closeness, but conscious of the audience of George and the students beyond the helm .

“Is this not too loud for you, Ade?” Sylvie asked, raising her voice above the engine noise.

Ade nodded. “A little. But I grew up out on the Pacific. I guess I’m used to the rumble of a boat. It can be quite therapeutic.”

“I see,” Sylvie said. “Are you feeling better after Thursday night?”

Ade paused. She was feeling a little better. In fact, now that she was on the water with Sylvie by her side, she was feeling pretty good. “Yes, I am.”

Sylvie smiled. “Good. How has it been over the weekend?”

“I didn’t really enjoy being there alone.”

Sylvie frowned and looked out into the wide expanse of the sea. “You could’ve called me.”

“I know. But I didn’t want to bother you again.

” Ade smiled, content that Sylvie wouldn’t have minded the interruption.

She cupped her hands around her mouth and inched nearer to Sylvie’s ear to make herself heard.

“We’re heading for a cove up the coast a little.

It’s a great place for bird sightings, and it’s really quiet.

I checked it out with Fernando at the lab. ”

Sylvie smiled. “You picked a beautiful day.” She put her hands on her hips. “I wish I had dressed for the occasion. But I’m happy to be here.”

“You mean, you’ve stopped being angry with me?”

“I’m not angry with you, silly.” Sylvie tilted her head and frowned.

Ade pondered Sylvie’s frown. Its angle wasn’t as sharp as her dad’s, and her eyes looked like they were sparkling. She went to rub the frown away with her fingers and drew back suddenly, realizing the inappropriateness of the touch.

Scott’s deep voice carried across the deck, and Madison howled.

Sylvie snuck a look to check on them. “They’re fine.”

“All accounted for?” Ade asked.

“For now.” Sylvie grinned. “You know when you messaged, I thought you were inviting me out on the water.”

“I was,” Ade said .

“I mean…just the two of us.”

Ade replayed Sylvie’s words and her heart skipped. Was this really happening? Or was she misreading Sylvie’s signals? She couldn’t really be trusted to interpret this kind of conversation. “What would you have said?”

“Exactly what I did say. When and where?”

The boat sliced through the water. The rhythm calmed Ade’s heartbeat, and she raised her eyes to meet Sylvie’s.

Sylvie stepped into her space. “What I mean is, wouldn’t it be more fun if we didn’t have to babysit these teenagers?”

“Sure.” Ade gave a deliberate, slow nod, which bought her some time to work out what was happening. “I’d love to take you out on the water sometime.”

“It’s a date.” Sylvie flashed her the widest grin. “Now, we should check their clipboards.”

They rejoined the group, and Ade busied herself with a checklist of things she needed the class to do before the trip was over.

Glad of the distraction, she dissected the last few moments.

She’d been caught out by the boiling point of Sylvie’s irritation, but it had simmered to something confusing.

Was Sylvie flirting? Did she want to go out with Ade romantically?

A sea bird flew overhead, too far away to work out the breed.

Ade craned her neck up to the sky, shielding her eyes, hoping for answers to the questions that baffled her.

Sylvie’s presence was both calming and exhilarating.

She was like an addiction to nicotine: an anchor and a rush.

But she wasn’t bad for Ade, was she? So far, she’d been nothing but good.

She’d been Ade’s safe space and a helpful friend.

Maybe Ade was reading too much into this morning’s conversation. She wasn’t sure of anything except the sway of the boat and the flight of the birds above her. Everything else was temporary, moveable, shakable.

She stole a glance at Sylvie, sitting on deck with her face to the breeze and away from the glare of the sun.

Her cheeks were flushed, her hair bouncing in the wake.

The smile that twitched at her lips was barely there, but Ade stood fixed to the spot, entranced by the joy that Sylvie brought with her, wherever she went.

Ade could never have predicted meeting Sylvie. She couldn’t imagine a person who would make her feel safe enough to relax and trust herself. If they could be friends this year, it would transform the whole experience from just about bearable to pretty damn wonderful. Anything else would be a bonus.