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Allison dropped her head in her hands. It had been an hour. An hour of her head pounding. They had been over all the worst case scenarios days, even weeks, in advance. They had even agreed to let the Hale pack take responsibility. They would be able to survive for a week. Looking at the dispute unfolding in front of her, she guessed she had been wrong.
Scott was talking faster, but Stiles was talking louder. She could barely understand either of them with Malia complaining in her ear. Lydia was sitting on the gray sofa flipping through a magazine. She would pipe up with her opinion every once in a while to correct one of the boys. Kira sat next to her talking on the phone in a quiet voice. It was hard to imagine how she could hear over the arguing. With a sigh, Allison stood and moved across the room. Even a short break from the headache was better than nothing.
Jackson came in through the door behind her with his Hartmann suitcase. He paused next to her and let his eyes wander across the crowd. Allison spared him a glance and shook her head. His lips nearly turned up, but was interrupted by the growl coming from Malia’s throat.
“What is it now?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I can’t even tell. From what I can gather Kira’s parents don’t want her to come, Scott’s worried about a new threat, Stiles thinks it’s not that big of a deal, Malia’s pissed at the whole thing, and Lydia doesn’t care and wants them to decide.”
He called out to Lydia, “You’d really skip a trip to the beach in favor of staying here? Dealing with whatever McCall can do himself?”
She didn’t even look up. “I know that if they decide to stay I know I’ll end up being convinced to stay. I haven’t even packed yet.”
“Seriously?”
“You get used to it.”
“It’s not even some big bad,” Allison murmured. “It’s leprauchans or something. Nothing that the Hale pack can’t fix.”
“So that’s why Lahey isn’t here.”
“That or he was smart and didn’t want to go to the beach with the rest of us. Crowded rooms, a long car ride...”
Jackson sighed and lifted his suitcase. “I’m not passing it up. You can do whatever you want. I planned on this for weeks. I’ll take whatever break from Beacon Hell I can get.”
Allison smiled and moved out of the way. Her eyes followed Jackson as he made it toward Lydia’s front door. His hand reached for the knob but he stopped before turning it. He looked back at Allison for a moment before glancing around the room.
“You coming?”
Her eyes darted from person to person. None of them were paying attention to her. Whatever details they were arguing about were unimportant. There wasn’t a real threat. If there was, there would be no question. She trusted Stiles’ gut instincts. He wasn’t demanding they stay. Lydia didn’t seem to care. Kira wasn’t planning on staying if it wasn’t for her parents. Allison’s father wished she’d get out of town more. There was a tugging in her chest when she looked back at Jackson. She smiled and moved toward the door. Her bag was squished between Lydia’s and the wall, closer to the table. She grabbed the strap and followed Jackson outside.
“Are you guys coming, too?” she called. No response. “We’re going to go.” Still no response. “Last chance.” She shrugged it off and stepped off the porch.
Jackson had already opened the trunk. He gently set her bag next to his and shut it loud enough for the others to hear. No one came outside. Their argumentative words carried down the driveway. Jackson smiled lightly and rolled his eyes. Allison gave a final glance at the house as she opened the passenger door.
“They’ll be fine without us,” he said.
“I’m sure they will be, but I feel kind of bad.” She clicked the seatbelt into place. “They wanted to go.”
He turned the key in the ignition. “Who says they can’t? They can come later if they want. We’re not stopping them, just leaving before them. Better yet” - he backed out - “they’ll go without us.”
It had been a while since Allison had been alone with Jackson, but the thought was almost peaceful. She wouldn’t have to listen to Scott and Stiles arguing over music as Lydia shrieked about how they were in her car. Kira would genuinely try to play with MadLibs before Malia would throw out the most ridiculous words possible. Driving down the highway with Jackson with the windows down was the calm summers she missed. She moved her sunglasses over her eyes and watched the river pass as they went over the Roosevelt bridge. Neither forced a conversation. The silence wasn’t awkward; it was pleasant. It wasn’t that they couldn’t talk, but neither felt the silence had to be filled. Contentment.
When they switched to the middle lane, he glanced over with a lighthearted smile. “How often did you get to go to the beach growing up?”
“Not as much as I wanted. We didn’t live in the right state or close to a coastal town. Sometimes we got to go for a week in the summer. When we moved to San Francisco, I used to go down with some friends a few times a month. Weather permitting. Did you go a lot?”
“A few times a year. Danny tried to teach me to surf.”
The mental of image of Jackson standing on the board in his speedo made her giggle.
He shot her a playful smile and said, “You’ll be the second to know I wasn’t great, but you don’t need to laugh.”
“Sorry. I didn’t assume you were bad. I thought you’d be pretty good at it; like you are at everything else. I had a very specific picture in my head. You could have fallen off the board every time and you’d still be better than me.”
“Eight years gymnastics and you’d be worse than me?”
She pushed her glasses to the top of her head. “You know, you might find that gymnastics and surfing are two different sports.”
“You need great balance for both.”
“Are you saying you don’t have good balance?”
“No, I’m saying that the water was choppy that day and it wasn’t my fault.”
They shared a laugh as they put the Welcome to Hill Valley sign behind them. It was early enough in the morning people were still getting to work. Traffic wasn’t horrible as most were pulling off into the parking lots for office buildings, restaurants, and the occasional medical facility. There were more dentists in Hill Valley than there were hospitals. No wonder they had to come into Beacon Hills.
The two were quiet until they approached the new town. Allison crossed her ankles and rested her elbow on the sill. Her eyes fell upon her reflection in the side mirror. The lighthearted mood injected a brightness in her smile and brought out the crinkles in the corners of her eyes. Even looking happier made her feel it. When she looked over at Jackson, his shoulders were relaxed and he wasn’t clenching his jaw. She automatically checked the backseat. The lack of loud boys allowed the relief to spread in her chest.
Every moment they were closer to their destination the tingling peace in her ribs spread.
Their occasional conversation carried them to the Welcome to Otter Falls sign. She chuckled. Creative name. It was a town she had never been to. There was a vet clinic on the left and a strip mall advirtised on the right. A handful of restaurants lined the highway on one side and several gas stations on the other. Going further into town there were numerous bookstores and local shops. Monstrous trees loomed over them. Otter Falls was a cute name for a cute city.
The first stop was the stout hotel overlooking the ocean. Allison had planned on sharing a room with Lydia, but since Lydia wasn’t there... She glanced a bit nervously at Jackson. No, she could get her own room. It wasn’t a big deal. If Lydia and the rest came later, then she could have the room to herself. Jackson would have ended up the only one with his own room. That was established from the beginning. He wouldn’t even joke about sharing a room with Scott and Stiles. Another mental image bloomed in her mind. Jackson trying to relax in one bed while Scott and Stiles were splayed over the other and snoring for half the night. He’d probably prefer to sleep in the lobby then have his beauty sleep interrupted.
He parked under one of the few covered spaces. Allison undid her seatbelt and stepped out of the car.
“You can share the room with me,” he said. “Unless you want your own.”
She tried out a playful smile. “I thought you might not want a roommate.”
He smiled back and shut the door. “There’s two beds if that makes you feel better. I wouldn’t mind you as a roommate. You I like.” He winked and walked through the automatic doors.
The words caught her off guard. Or maybe it was the wink. It sent flutters in her stomach, which was a bit ridiculous. Jackson was charming, but it wasn’t specific to her. He didn’t mean anything by it. He’d likely have winked at anyone in that situation. Except Scott or Stiles. It didn’t stop the butterflies from zipping through her ribs, though.
The room was on the second floor and around the corner from the elevator. She wasn’t sure if the angle of the room would show off the ocean, but the view was clear. Allison couldn’t help but notice the blue of the ocean was a just a few shades darker than Jackson’s eyes. The sand had been smoothed over by high tide. Despite the nice weather, few people were out. Some couples had a small dog running ahead of them, begging to be unleashed. Some teenagers drew lines for their makeshift football field.
“It’s beautiful here,” Allison said. The sun was like glitter on the water. “I’m almost mad I’ve never been here.” She sat on the edge of the bed closest to the window. The room was rather plain, but she wouldn’t be staring at the fish art when the ocean was right there.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been.” He sat next to her. The space between them was minimal. Hopefully her pounding heart wouldn’t be too obvious. “The last time was a few summers ago.”
“Is that when Danny taught you to surf?”
“Return trip. My mom used to come here with her mom and sister when she was growing up and she wanted me to have that experience, too.”
“That’s nice. The closest I ever got was visiting family in France every summer. It was fun, but our vacations never went beyond that. We didn’t go to the beach as often as I wanted. We always stuck to the same crowds, you know.”
He found her gaze in the reflection of the window. “I’d be happy to show you some sights here.”
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
“Let’s go. Seal Bay is pretty cool. It’s cold, though, so take a jacket and maybe some extra clothes.”
“Did you slip and fall in the mud one too many times?” she teased.
“I’m going to tell you Danny did.”
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The moon shaped parking lot was filling up. Jackson maneuvered into one of the side spots and they strolled down the dirt path along the railing. Seal Bay was just as beautiful as the view from the room. Most of the area was grass. It had sloped off into a short hill where the grass stopped and the sides melded into dirt, which joined with the sand and rock near the perimeter. Signs telling visitors not to feed the wildlife and not to go beyond the fence were tacked lazily to the wood stands.
The water crashed against the rocks creating a light spray in their direction. Allison hugged her jacket tighter and stuffed her hands deeper in her pockets as if it would protect her from the chill in the air. If she had known how cold it would be, she would have brought gloves.
“I can’t believe how beautiful it is here,” she said in awe.
“It is. I’m glad you came with me.”
“Me too.”
She leaned against the fence and watched the seaweed float over. Every once in a while there would be a spray from an unseen animal’s blowhole. Jackson kept trying to point out the whale, but she couldn’t find it no matter how hard she looked in the direction he was pointing.
“Here.” He gently grabbed her shoulders and moved her directly in front of him. Her back was pressed into his chest. Her heart was beating fast enough she worried he might feel it if he couldn’t hear it over the roar of the water. She suddenly felt the warmth course through her. He pointed straight ahead and dropped his voice to a whisper. The words tickled her ear.
“Right out there near the whitecap. It stays in that area, it might be further out now.”
She swallowed.
“Can you see it?”
She could feel it. “Definitely.”
Once the whale had disappeared, they moved around the edges. As she kept her eyes on the water and trying to calm her heart, she tripped over a rock in the path. Jackson’s hands steadied her, gripping her arms tightly. She placed her hands on the railing to reorient herself for a moment. As she turned around, her hair whipped him in the face. She chuckled.
“Sorry.”
“It’s alright.”
The narrow path around the edge was basically a trench. Allison smiled as the top of the fence rose above her shoulders. She stopped by the small dugout big enough a dog or a small child could crawl through. The water was littered with seaweed that swayed back and forth with the rock of the waves. A handful of seagulls had landed on the rocks and screamed out to their friends.
“Watch out for the birds, too.”
“Lower flyers?”
“Some of them. Others will shit on you.”
“Danny?” she teased.
“Obviously.”
She missed playful Jackson. She was glad to see him return.
Down the highway another few minutes were a collection of shops. Overall they shared the nautical theme, but each one offered something different. She picked out a few things she could take back to her friends. If they ended up arriving later, she could save it for Christmas or something. She bought the seashell picture frame for Lydia, but she considered keeping it for herself. There was an endless possibility of pictures to take. She already snapped a couple dozen at Seal Bay and the lookout across from the shops.
“That’s pretty,” Jackson said.
“That’s what I thought. I’ll have to decide which of the eleven hundred twenty four pictures I took to put in it.”
“Wait till we get down to the beach. You’ll have at least thirteen hundred.”
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On the way back, the windshield got a light mist that turned into a drizzle the closer they got to the hotel. It would be too rainy to go to the beach, but they had a few days to get down there. As they pulled into the parking lot, there was a tickle in Allison’s chest that wished her friends would skip. With Jackson she wouldn’t have to argue over a place for dinner or where to go next. They had more time. With just the two of them, all the worries had melted and were left in Beacon Hills. Whatever was going on wasn’t their problem. The only thing they had to worry about what what they would do until the rain let up.
Jackson pulled the key card from his wallet while Allison noticed the pool. It was indoors and half blocked from her view, but it appeared empty. It wasn’t close to olympic sized, but it was roomy enough they could have a corner to themselves even if they weren’t alone. She stepped inside once the door was open. Jackson must have noticed her staring since he asked if she wanted to go for a swim.
“We could rematch.”
He dropped his things on the bed and took off his jacket. “You think you can beat me?”
“I could try.”
He winked again. “You’re on. You can change first.”
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Before they stepped inside the pool room, they were assaulted with the scent of chlorine. Ironically, it dissipated when they went inside. The pool took up most of the space. The was about five feet of room on any side to walk and in the corner straight ahead was a circular hot tub. White plastic lawn chairs were strewn about to hold towels and key cards. Allison slipped off her flip flops and slid them under the closest chair. As she wrapped the towel from around her, she kept her head down and shyly glanced up to see if Jackson was looking. Not that he hadn’t seen her in a swim suit before. She used the hair tie around her wrist to pull her hair into a lopsided bun.
Jackson moved into the water first. He inched his way down the three steps and wandered to the side.
“Is it cold?”
“It’s not bad. It could be a bit warmer.”
On the first step the water rose to her ankles. A shudder ran through her as she lowered herself to the second step. “What do you mean it’s not bad? I’m freezing.”
“Start swimming.”
“At least the school had a heated pool.” By the third step, the water rose to her thighs. “How can you stand it?”
“Not all of our swim meets were at the high school. You get used to different temperatures.”
“I’m glad I wasn’t on the swim team.” She sunk to her waist.
“Are you sure you want to race?”
She nodded and slunk down, submerging her shoulders.
“You’re a brave one.”
“Do we start here or on the other end?”
“We can start here. Go to the end and back?”
“And back?”
“You’ll warm up faster.”
“We have to swim the whole time,” she said with a shiver. “We can’t walk just because we can stand. Just to keep it fair.”
He lowered himself until the water cut across his chest. “Deal. On three. One.”
She positioned herself with her back to the edge. “Two.”
“Three.”
She pushed herself into a breaststroke. The one flaw in her thinking was forgetting he was a werewolf. If he was faster than her before, he would be then. She propelled herself forward despite his already touching the six-foot tile. She grabbed the edge and kicked up her feet to plant firmly on the wall. Bending her knees, she pushed off like a missile and moved into a backstroke until she lost momentum. She twisted around to find the wall was inches within her reach. She wiggled her fingers as she approached as if it would get her there faster. Her fingertips brushed against the edge half a second before Jackson’s.
“There’s no way I beat you.”
“When you pushed off the wall, the water sloshed in my face.”
She giggled. “Sorry.”
“Smart move. Rematch?”
“I’m all warmed up.”
In spite of Allison’s newfound confidence, she lost round two. She couldn’t be disappointed; she was too surprised she won the first round. She remembered the joke about how aerodynamically suited to water his cheekbones were and questioned the legitimacy of her win. He was competitive. He couldn’t have let her win. Did he?
“Good race,” she said.
“You, too.”
“You’ve become a more gracious loser.”
“Can’t get mad at you for winning.”
She half expected him to wink. Was he trying to flirt with her or had she just hoped? She spent the next thirty minutes trying to dissect the easiness of his smile, how close he stood to her, how he spoke. He was a much gentler version of Jackson as opposed to the I-Have-To-Be-The-Best-All-The-Time Jackson. Was it because he grew out of that or because of her?
Around four, her shivering overtook the ability to swim for warmth. The water was too cold no matter how consistently she moved. She kept the conversation going without bringing up the goosebumps covering her arms. She inched down the pool from the six foot marker to the five and a half and waited. He moved with her. She would gradually move closer to the stairs and he would follow. So, when she climbed into the hot tub, he only said “Sly” and continued with his story as he sat next to her.
At some point Allison hopped out of the tub to find the jet dials. She nearly slipped going around the corner and carefully stepped back into the tub. With the bubbles foaming around their shoulders, she couldn’t even see her feet. She reached up to scratch the sudden itch on her opposite shoulder. Resting it on the seat, her fingers brushed his and she yanked her hand away.
“Sorry.”
“No problem.”
Did he sense her nervousness? Did her chemosignals betray her? Did he know what it meant? What would he want it to mean?
“What were you saying?”
“Oh! Right.”
Her story took a minute to tell, but she felt it dragged on for an hour. Maybe because it was boring. Why was everything she said lame but everything he said interesting? Well, she knew why, but she ignored it, pushing it down like the bubbles. It was like the conversation they had in his car. One would talk and the other listened. He hung on her every word and nodded appropriately just like he did in high school.
When the conversation shifted slightly, so did she. Allison turned to sit with one leg under her and prop her head up with her fist. Water splashed onto the tiles beside her, splashing lightly in her eye. She blinked out the water, gently wiping at the corners. Suddenly it stung. Air hissed through her teeth as the pain prickled her eye.
“Are you okay?”
She shielded it from the hot bubbles. “I think I got an eyelash in my eye.”
“Let me see.”
Moving her hand, she forced it open for a second before squeezing it shut and rubbing at it. She could only open it if she was squinting. Jackson softly touched her jaw to tilt her head up. The air got stuck in her lungs. Even if she tried to breathe it wouldn’t get through.
“Look up. Just your eyes.”
She looked to the ceiling and waited.
“It’s working its way out.” He brought his other hand to the side of her face to keep her steady. “It’s almost out.”
The breaths kickstarted and began racing against her heart to see which would kill her faster. He didn’t move - aside from gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. Her heart was definitely going to kill her first. But it was his fault; he was an enabler.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
He dropped his hand, and her heart plummeted with it.
“It’s been a while since lunch. Are you hungry?”
“Always.”
Third wink.
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Most of the restaurant was packed. They were led to the far back where few tables were occupied and the noise levels were vastly lower. All the tables in the back had candles in ribbed red holders, but theirs was the only one that got lit. Allison’s blush could have matched the shade of the holder. Jackson said nothing of it, but he suppressed a smile. The waitress didn’t suppress anything. She was an older woman who beamed every time she came to the table.
During the breaks in conversation, Allison would watch the rain pick up outside. It was perfect timing. All of it. The mini emergency in Beacon Hills that kept everyone at home. Jackson being in town for a visit was a stroke of luck in of itself. The rain had let up when they got out of the hot tub, which gave them just enough time to get dressed and leave for dinner. As soon as they were seated, it started again.
They talked everything they forgot to mention before, other than the waitress clearly thinking they were on a date. Was it a date? It almost felt like one. But they didn’t discuss that, either. The thought shouldn’t have made Allison feel as giddy as it did. With every smile she couldn’t force away, she stuffed her mouth with food.
The rain had slowed to a stop as they got settled in the car. The summer sun would be a while off from setting. The wind wasn’t strong, but it made her hurry to the room. She sat in the center of her bed and watched Jackson sit at the rounded table.
“It’s not raining anymore,” she said. “Are you up for that walk?”
“I would love to. You never know if we’ll get another chance.”
Even for a coastal town, it didn’t rain frequently in the summer. There would be plenty of opportunities to go down to the beach. The forecast projected sun with minimal clouds for the next week. Allison looked it up while she was waiting for him to change out of the trunks that clung to his wet skin too well. Regardless, he was right. Everything was perfect.
The climb down the rickety stairs took more out of her than the actual walk along the beach. It was worth it, though, to stand in front of the ocean as it invited her into its arms. Her only complaint would be the sun creating a blinding glare off the water as it began to dip below the horizon. But she couldn’t complain about anything standing at the water’s edge with Jackson next to her. She turned her attention to the purple shell by her feet. She brushed it off and flipped it over.
“I’m glad you came with me,” he said.
“Me too. I had a lot of fun today. More fun than I’ve had in a long time.”
“And we still have the week ahead of us.”
The fear the others would find their way to Otter Falls prickled in her chest like pins and needles. A deep breath filled her lungs and the fresh air washed away the feeling. The gentle prodding of his hand against hers made her forget about it all together.
“I look forward to it.”
Instead of facing the sun, they walked along the shoreline. It didn’t make the sun any dimmer, but it gave Allison the excuse to look at Jackson. He didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. Even without his sunglasses he didn’t squint or drop his gaze. He continued looking back at her like there was nothing wrong in the world.
There was one spot free of glare where they paused. The echoes of waves crashing filled the quiet between them. Allison kneeled down and swirled her finger in the sand, the loops and curves of the letters taking the shape of her name. She dotted the I with the seashell. A soft breeze carried the sand in her direction, pricking her arm. She rubbed away the sensation as she straightened.
“Cold?”
“The sand was a little rough, that’s all.”
Jackson shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her. The warmth, the scent, the softness enveloped her. She kept her eyes locked on his as he rubbed her arms.
“Aren’t you cold?” she murmured.
“Not at all.”
The racing of her heart quickened when his lips pressed against hers. It was like tingles of electricity on her skin. Seeds of warmth sprouted in her chest as he cupped her face. His breath tickled her skin when their lips parted briefly. She brought her hands to his neck, pulling him into her, their lips reconnecting. Her smile broke the kiss, making her duck her head briefly.
“Definitely not cold,” he whispered.
The setting sun painted the sky orange before it slipped behind the surface, letting them melt into the background and each other with another heart stopping kiss.