‘I think so. I just… I enjoy swimming, but the idea of jumping off cliffs and climbing over rocks and all that… It’s not really my thing.’
‘Do you want to stay here? There are plenty of cafes where you could wait for us. I think we’ll be about three hours.’ He scanned her face, worried that he’d made the wrong choice for the day, but when he glanced over at Titus, he saw his friend was looking thrilled.
‘No, it’s fine. I can do this. If Finn is up for it then I am too. I can’t promise I won’t be nervous, but I want to try.’
‘That’s my girl!’ he blurted and then swallowed hard as she frowned at him. ‘Sorry! That slipped out then. I meant to say,That’s the spirit.’
He grabbed his rucksack and Edith’s and handed it to her before leading the group over to the building that housed the offices of the coasteering company. Inside, he spoke to his contact and the group filled in the necessary forms. After that, the staff fitted thegroup with wetsuits, helmets, buoyancy aids and gave them a training session.
Rosie seemed to take a liking to one of the instructors, barely eighteen, and he saw Finn clock it too. Rosie was a quiet and studious sixteen-year-old and, with her blonde hair and green eyes, she was a beautiful young woman. Like Reggie, she was slim but not as tall. She was, he knew, also a keen swimmer, so she’d probably excel at coasteering.
The chief instructor showed them to the changing rooms and pointed out where to leave their bags. When they were all kitted out, they met back outside in the car park. It was just a short walk to their starting point, and Wyatt chatted to Titus on the way there.
‘I think it’s probably going to be colder than the last time I did this,’ he said.
‘Where was that?’ Titus asked.
‘Mallorca. A few years ago.’
‘You’re a bit of an adrenaline junkie though, right?’ Titus laughed.
‘I don’t know about that.’ Wyatt shook his head as they walked. ‘I enjoy being active, and I like…’
‘Doing things that keep your mind busy,’ Titus muttered, giving Wyatt a gentle nudge.
Wyatt was about to disagree, but then it struck him that his friend was right. He did like keeping busy. It helped him stop dwelling on what could have been and stop beating himself up about the fact that he couldn’t fix the mistakes he’d made in the past. Trauma was hard to get past, even when it had happeneda very long time ago. But no matter how hard you tried to avoid or bury trauma, it would eventually smack you in the face and leave you reeling. His trauma had shaped his whole life and the choices he made. He knew he could have acted differently, but with his mother as she was, change had never felt possible. He always felt so responsible for her, and that was, well, because hewas. It was his fault she was the way she was, so he had to be there to look out for her.
‘Perhaps you’re right,’ he replied softly.
‘And perhaps you’ll tell me exactly what happened one day,’ Titus said. ‘I’m a good listener.’
‘I know, man. Thank you.’ Wyatt nodded.
When they reached The Gazzle, their instructor talked them through the safety measures again and asked if they had any questions, then they set off along the rocky path.
The wind whipped off the Atlantic, carrying the scent of salt and seaweed, and the crash of the waves below echoed through the narrow coves. Wyatt glanced at Edith just ahead of him. She moved carefully over the uneven ground, her ponytail flicking against her neck, determination written all over her face.
Wyatt smiled to himself. Whatever she was feeling, she was braver than she knew.
Braver than he’d ever been.
17
EDITH
Standing at the edge of the rocky outcrop, Edith rubbed her clammy palms on the legs of the wetsuit. This wasn’t her idea of a good time, but she’d been unable to be honest about that when she’d spoken to Wyatt. She wanted to appear to be fearless, adventurous, and up for trying anything once. Also, if Finn was prepared to go for it, then she didn’t want to be the one to wimp out.
The breeze was brisk, carrying the tang of the sea and the earthy flint of sun-warmed rocks. Strands of her hair had escaped her ponytail and fluttered around her neck, trapped in place by the helmet. The nerves in her stomach surged, as restless as the waves below. She’d never tried coasteering, and the idea of leaping from land to sea and climbing back out again filled her with unease. But she had made herself a promise recently, and that was to stop being afraid, to grab hold of life with both hands. This was a chance for her to prove to herself that she could do exactly that.
‘You OK?’ Thora asked, standing next to her.
Edith swallowed down her nerves. ‘I guess so.’
‘I’m nervous as hell!’ Thora grimaced. ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’
‘Youcando this,’ Edith said, taking Thora’s hand.
‘My kids will never forgive me if I don’t.’ Thora laughed.
