Page 33 of The First Lost Boy (The Shadows of Neverland Duet #2)
Ava
Steve steers the dinghy through the choppy water between the ship and shore. The sea breeze tears at our hair and clothes and the sun is hot on my skin. Before I know it, we’re gliding through the breakers and run up on the sand. He stands and looks all around us. “Gotta be mindful of salties…” Sydney explains.
“Salties?”
“Yeah, saltwater crocs,” he tells me.
“You’re serious?” I ask, also looking now. I don’t see anything, but I’m not an expert on crocodiles.
“Completely. They prowl these waters.” Under his breath he adds, “As do other things.”
“What other things?”
He smiles. “It’s the ocean, love.”
Oh. Of course. Sharks and jellyfish and all kinds of things live here. “True.”
Steve jumps over the side into the shallow water and offers me a hand. I take it and jump down into the shallow water, soaking the bottom of my shorts. I don’t see any structures or buildings or hear any music or… anything at all.
“What’s the name of this island?” I ask as we walk onto drier sand. Perfectly formed shells are everywhere.
He laughs. “Locals call it Neverland.”
I remember the books we were given before we boarded the ship. Was that from some kind of gift shop? A little joke from those who make this place home?
“It’s hard to find, and even harder to navigate closely to. They say ships never land here… get it?” he says with a grin.
“Yeah.” There are so many palm trees and where they bend from the earth, incredibly thick underbrush. But there’s no sign of life. “Where is everyone?” I turn in a circle, for the first time worrying that I’m on a seemingly deserted island with a stranger… My ribs tighten a fraction and my pulse races as I turn to face Steve, hoping he’s not some crazy person I shouldn’t have trusted with my life.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his face creased in concern. “Maybe you should sit down for a few. Sometimes when you’ve been at sea for a few days, it can mess with your equilibrium.” He holds his arms out like he’ll catch me if I fall.
I press a hand to my head, about to tell him I’m fine when I’m anything but.
“Lifeguard!” I hear from just down the shore. And then…
I see him.
Jogging toward me.
Button-down shirt open and flapping in the breeze, revealing ridges and rows of bronzed muscles. His silver hook glints in the sun, but it’s not as dazzling as the wide smile he wears. He stops in front of me, a little breathless. “You came.”
“You wrote.”
He opens his arms, and I rush into them. The instant I do, that unsettled feeling I’ve had for months evaporates like dew in warm, morning sunshine. With him, I don’t feel lost. I feel found. Seen. Wanted. And understood.
That evening, I get another surprise. When Steve, who goes by Syndey, and his crew start unloading some provisions, a small group of islanders show up to help carry them to whatever home or resort is located beyond the palms. Hudson takes my hand and leads me into the jungle.
“There’s someone you should see before you go much farther.”
“Who?” I ask.
He winks. “You’ll see.”
So many birds trill and sing in the canopy that it’s hard to tell one from another. That’s the beautiful thing about this place. It’s a melody of song and soul. A luscious place to land.
We pass beneath an enormous nest built of sticks, some fresh and brown, others blanched white, succumbing to sun and time.
“Belle!” Hudson suddenly shouts, waving at someone on the opposite hill as she crests it. “We have a guest!”
“Isn’t her name Tink?” I ask, trying to remember if I ever heard her called Belle…
“Ava?” she says, then shouts my name louder and starts to run.
I carefully jog down the path so I don’t tumble down it, and meet her halfway with a bone crushing hug.
Her face is radiant. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for something,” I answer.
She pulls back and tilts her head, tears swimming in her beautiful golden eyes. “What are you trying to find?”
“Home.”