Chapter One – I’ve Arrived!

Elisha P.O.V

My mouth is agape as I stare out the taxi window at the passing scenery of Lai’eloa; the tropical plants and dense rainforest are simply… breathtaking. I’ve been hearing about the island’s rich history and deep-rooted culture since the driver picked me up from the small airport, and I still can’t believe I’m here.

We finally arrive outside my new home, a raised one-story beach shack right on the water’s edge, after what seemed like an eternity because of my excitement. Quickly paying the driver, I open the taxi door with a big smile and take a deep breath; the smell of the ocean filling my senses as I step out into the warm tropical breeze of spring. I take my bags from the taxi’s boot, then walk along the stone path and up the few steps to the small front porch.

With giddy excitement, I unlock the front door and walk inside, leaving my bags at the door to look around. The photos did not do this place justice. Despite its small size, it is fully furnished with everything I need. It has an open floor plan, and a sliding door at the back of the living room that leads to a deck with a small jetty that leads into the water of a small cove.

I open all the windows and the sliding door to let in the sea breeze, then take my bags to my room to unpack briefly and take a much-needed hot shower.

After drying off and getting dressed, I text my parents to tell them I have arrived safely before stepping out onto the deck and leaning against the wood railing. I gaze out over the vibrant topaz-coloured water, and I have to pinch myself on the arm just to make sure I’m not dreaming.

“Ouch. Dumbass,” I chuckle to myself, and return my gaze to the water.

I can see dolphins swimming and playing in the distance, just past the cove’s entrance, and there are children squealing as they build sandcastles and chase each other along the beach near my house. Couples walk along the water holding hands, laughing, smiling, and looking hopelessly in love. I can’t help but feel slightly jealous of them. My previous experiences with men would not exactly qualify as stable, loving relationships. My thoughts return to home, and I reflect on my life in my hometown.

Oakridge was a wonderful place to grow up. A small town with a close community, it’s the kind of place where you can walk down the street, and everyone you see knows your name. However, it also meant that everyone knew your business.

Both my parents, Betty and Bradley, are warm and loving people. My mother is a beautiful jazz singer who is always the life of the party. My father is handsome and strong and a talented saxophone player who is more comfortable out of the spotlight. I had a loving upbringing, but I always felt like the odd one out in my family. I didn’t inherit my mother’s grace or my father’s mild temperament.

I did, however, get my Nan’s temper and clumsiness. She was always the person I felt the most connected to in the world. No matter what, she always understood me. When she died unexpectedly when I was fifteen, it felt as if my entire world had died with her. I fell into a deep depression, and nothing my parents did could bring me out of it. I eventually stopped hanging out with my regular group of friends and started hanging out with the wrong crowd. When I turned sixteen, I started partying a lot with them, drinking, sleeping around, and eventually doing drugs to escape the darkness I felt I was living in.

I made my parents’ lives a living hell. I kept sneaking out and stealing their money to support my partying, and I eventually dropped out of school. After a while, I couldn’t face them and their disappointment anymore, so I left.

I spent the next few weeks couch surfing wherever I could, but my reputation in the town was going downhill quickly. So, when I heard that a couple of my friends were moving to Blackfield, I decided to go with them.

The three of us moved in with one of their cousins, Glen, who was a dealer and would hook us up with whatever drugs we wanted. But because of my age and dropping out of school, I had trouble getting a job to support myself, and my drug habits had used up the small amount of savings I’d had. I went to Glen and told him about my problems because I didn’t want the party to end, and he offered to let me stay with him and keep supplying the drugs if I slept with him. I took him up on his offer, and the following months were a blur of partying, sex, and drugs. I was having the time of my life, and as Glen and I grew closer, I fell in love with him. Being young and naïve, I thought he loved me back.

On my seventeenth birthday, everything went to shit.

Glen and I had stumbled into his house, returning from a party and completely plastered, to find his house trashed. We stood there stunned for a few minutes, looking around the room, trying to work out what had happened, when two large men burst out of the kitchen, taking us by surprise. One of them tackled Glen, while the other grabbed my arm firmly before I could react. They dragged us into the living room, threw us on the couch, and held guns to our heads. Glen, it turned out, owed his boss a lot of money, and these men were there to collect it.

They beat Glen for what seemed like hours, trying to get out of him where the money was. They made me watch as I sobbed, trying to tell them I had no idea where their money was and that I had nothing to do with Glen’s drug dealing. Glen eventually caved and admitted that he didn’t have the money. He then proposed trading me for his boss’s prostitution ring in lieu of the money, telling them I could make the boss a fortune. My face paled, and my heart shattered into what felt like a million pieces. The men’s expressions told me they were thinking about it, and I knew I had to get out of there. I’m not sure how I did it, but I managed to get to a neighbour’s house safely.

It was there that I broke down completely; the ordeal forcing me to finally realise how out of control my life had become, and for the first time in over a year, I called my parents for help. After promising to go to rehab and get the help I needed, they got in the car and drove the ten hours to come and rescue me.

When we returned to Oakridge a few days later, there were already rumours floating around about what had happened to me in Blackfield. I’d found out later that Glen was pissed that I’d bailed on him, leaving him to deal with the thugs on his own, and he made sure my reputation was ruined beyond repair. Nobody ever let me forget my mistakes, and rehab had been a welcome distraction from the torment of the people of my hometown.

I was finally allowed visitors after about a month in rehab, and I was surprised to see that my old best friend, Maggie Wyman, had requested to see me. I never expected her to talk to me again after everything, but the 5’4 blue-eyed, blonde-haired firecracker who had been by my side since the second grade never gave up on me coming home and straightening out my life. She was the light at the end of the tunnel and helped me finally leave the darkness behind.

It has taken me four years to get to where I am now, and I don’t think I would have made it without her.

I wish she was here with me right now.

Blinking back tears that threaten to fall, I decide to do some exploring. I walk inside and into my room, where I go through the rest of my clothes, finishing packing them into a wardrobe and dresser as I go. I keep out a pair of jean shorts, a black V-neck tank top, and some wedged sandals, not wanting to wear the sundress I put on after my shower. After applying some light makeup, I comb out my hair, deciding to let my curls dry naturally. I quickly check myself in the mirror, then go to the front door and step outside, locking the door behind me.

The breeze is still warm as I walk onto the beach and remove my sandals to feel the beautiful white sand between my toes. There are still a lot of people out and about enjoying this beautiful evening. Some smile and wave as they pass me, and I return the gesture, everyone seeming friendly and relaxed. I walk down to the water and wait for the next wave to wash over my feet, and it’s surprisingly warm. I stand there for a few moments, breathing deeply as the water flows over my feet, making me sink into the sand.

With a giggle, I walk further up the beach, and after about ten minutes, I hear music in the distance, so I walk towards it, and after a short time, I come across a small pub. I walk towards it, pausing briefly to wash my sandy feet in one of the nearby outdoor showers before putting my sandals back on. As I get closer, I can hear more clearly the music coming through the large open archway and windows, as well as laughter and cheers.

I take a slow, deep breath and make my way to the pub’s deck. I enter through the archway, walk towards the back of the small space to the bar, and take a seat on a barstool as the bartender greets me.

“Hey there, what can I get you?” she asks with a friendly smile.

“A white wine, please,” I answer shyly.

She nods and places a wine glass in front of me, then steadily pours the wine. “You must be new to the island. I’m Eva,” she introduces herself as she returns the bottle of wine to the fridge behind the bar.

“That obvious, huh?” I ask sarcastically, causing her to giggle. “I’m Elisha,” I introduce myself with a smile as I take a sip of the wine. Its crisp, fruity taste is refreshing after a long day of travelling.

“What brings you to Lai’eloa?” Eva asks.

“It seemed like the perfect place for a fresh start. It’s so beautiful here,” I answer.

“It really is,” she says with a kind smile as another customer comes up to the bar.

“Another round, Uku?” She asks as she starts to line glasses up on the bar.

“Thanks, Eva!” He says, as he smiles at me. “Hey there, I’m Uku.” He holds his hand out to shake mine.

“Elisha,” I say, shaking his hand. I take a larger sip of my wine as Eva pours his beers and shots.

I turn on the stool and take in the atmosphere of the small pub. There’s a small dance area in the corner with an old jukebox, a few round tables near the bar, and a long table with a group of people sitting at it near the open archway entrance.

“I haven’t seen you around before. Are you here for a holiday?” Uku asks.

“I just moved here. I only arrived today,” I reply with a smile, taking a moment to look him over as he pays Eva. He is gorgeous. His long black hair is in locs and pulled back in a ponytail, showing off his deep brown eyes and high cheekbones. His unbuttoned white shirt reveals a lean but muscular body, and his golden-brown skin is adorned with tribal tattoos across his chest and forearms.

“Wonderful! You’ll love it here. Did you come here to work?” He asks, returning his attention to me.

“I, uh, don’t have any employment at the moment. I didn’t plan that far ahead; I just knew I wanted to live here.” I blush with embarrassment.

“Well, I might be able to help with that! Would you like to join my friends and me?” He asks, nodding towards the group seated at the long table near the archway.

“Oh, ah-“ I pause and turn to Eva, hoping she can help me here.

“Don’t worry, they’re safe,” she says with a smile.

I turn back to Uku and nod. “That would be great, thanks.” I grin and help him take the drinks back to the table where his friends are.

“Everybody!” He yells out, getting his friends’ attention. “This is Elisha. She’s new to the island. Elisha, this is Mitchell, Bob, Ailani, and her husband, Keoni,” he introduces everyone as he pulls a seat over for me next to him.

“Hello, everyone,” I say shyly as I take a seat at the table.

“Hey, Elisha! It’s great to meet you!” Ailani says.

“It’s nice to meet you as well,” I respond. Before I can even get comfortable in my seat, everyone starts asking me questions about myself, and I quickly get drawn into easy conversation with them. So far, they all seem lovely.

#

I look down at my watch, and I’ve been so engrossed in the wine and conversation that the hours have flown by, and I realise it’s turned dark outside. I’ve learned that they’re all colleagues and work for Bob, who is the owner of Sanctuary, a small conservation group on the island, and their work sounds so interesting. I wait for a pause in the conversation, and I excuse myself to go to the bathroom.

After I finish up and wash my hands, I check my phone and realise I have a missed call from Maggie. So, I call her back, and I’m greeted with a squeal. My heart leaps at the sound; I miss her so much already.

“ELISHA! How is it? How’s the house? Is the beach nice? Is it as beautiful in person? TELL ME EVERYTHING!” She squeals again.

I giggle, “Oh, Mags, it’s beyond beautiful. It’s better than I could have ever imagined. As soon as you have some holidays saved up, you have to visit. You would LOVE the little pub I’m in right now,” I chuckle.

“What?! You’re hitting the town already? I’m so proud!” She says, and I can envision her wiping away a single non-existent tear. “Any hotties?” She asks coyly.

I laugh and tell her about the new friends I’ve met. Then, after chatting with her for a few more moments, I promise to call her tomorrow. We say our goodbyes, and I head back into the bar.

“Hey, you’re back. We got you another wine,” Keoni says as I get back to the table.

“Oh, thanks! Luckily, I don’t have a job to go to in the morning,” I say with a laugh.

“We were discussing that while you were gone. I have an entry-level opening at Sanctuary if you’re interested,” Bob offers.

“Oh my gosh, are you serious? That would be amazing!” I squeal.

“Absolutely! But don’t get too excited. It’s hard work and not much pay,” Bob warns.

“Hard work doesn’t scare me,” I say, beaming. “You guys are awesome! I would love to work with you!”

“To new friends!” Uku holds up his beer in a toast.

“New friends!” We all cheer and clink our glasses.