Displaced Read Online Free PDF Page B

churned and dragged at my stomach, reminding me how I felt when Matiu walked away from me. This was completely different, I scoffed to myself. Matiu and I had been together for hundreds of years. I’d spent one day with TJ. One perfect day. And he was leaving soon. Better that he thought I didn’t care, than to wait for me, hoping I’d come back.
    Was that what Matiu had thought too? Had he wanted to stop me from pining for him? I couldn’t decide how I felt about this.
    I feasted my eyes on TJ, from my obscured position in the waves. He would get over me. With those sparkling eyes and bright smile, he’d make new friends and lovers easily. My chest heated at the thought of another man touching him, and I pushed the emotion away.
    He was not mine. He never could be.
    Eventually, TJ walked to the water’s edge and dropped to a crouch. He was making another offering. He must be going to Kapiti Island again today. The sea was calm as a millpond, and it would be a beautiful day for his trip. I’d collect some clothes when he left, and go sit on another beach today, just in case he came back. In fact, I’d stay away until I was sure he’d left the country next week.
    I couldn’t risk seeing him.
    ****
    I watched the little boat speeding away toward Kapiti Island and wondered if TJ was aboard. Wondered if he was thinking about me. Did I need to maintain this separation? Surely I could just enjoy what he offered while he was here?
    I’d never been a coward before, but I’d never felt such an intense connection before. Not even with Matiu. I had to stick with my decision.
    I spent the day staring out to sea as usual, but further up the coastline, in a position where I’d see TJ’s boat when it returned. He wouldn’t see me, but I’d know he was safely back.
    The afternoon crawled. Sitting on a rock, waiting for the time to pass, I noticed a disturbance in the water near the island. I squinted to see more clearly. In the space of a few minutes, clouds thickened and a strong wind whipped up from nowhere, creating white foam horses on the waves. Heavy rain lashed the island and moved toward the shore, sending holidaymakers scattering for cover.
    This was not normal. This had the mark of the Sea Gods.
    Logic battled with fear. TJ was out there on a tiny boat, at the mercy of the elements.
    Maybe he wasn’t on the boat after all, hadn’t made the trip today? I ran to the boathouse, heedless of the other people darting for cover from the rain, and I barged through the doors. Skidding to a stop on the tiled floor, I spun around. There must be somebody here that would know.
    A young woman stood behind a counter, her eyes wide as she stared at me. I sucked in a quick breath and strode toward her. “TJ. Was he on the Kapiti Island trip today?”
    “TJ Morgan? Yes, he’s the guide.” She hugged a clipboard to her chest, as though it was a shield. “And you are…?”
    “A friend. Are they in difficulties?”
    She frowned, and pushed her blonde hair back from her face. “Not as such. They’ve just had to delay their return trip with the weather.”
    Relief flooded my chest, and I acknowledged how fiercely my heart was pounding. “They’re not on the water at the moment?”
    “No. They’ll wait until it clears. What did you say your name was?”
    I just nodded to her, turned around and left. TJ was safe on the island. My knees sagged, and I dropped onto a nearby bench, unable to walk any further. Think, Henare . Why would the Sea Gods be angry? All had been quiet in the ocean the night before. And more to the point, why were they targeting Kapiti Island, at exactly the time that my lover was there?
    Mighty Tangaroa, had I put TJ at risk? I couldn’t breathe past the ice that filled my lungs. Was this down to Matiu? Was he jealous?
    Ignoring the wind and the stinging shards of hail, I sat on the beach and watched the island, and waited for the storm to pass. The rain made visibility difficult, and cut down on