Enigma (5 page)

I walked toward my car and found a red envelope wedged underneath a windshield wiper. Suddenly, last night came flooding back to me. Grabbing the envelope, I frantically jumped in the car, put on my seatbelt, and sped off. Once around the corner, I pulled over and with trembling hands, pulled a folded piece of paper from the envelope:

Dear Kate,

Thank you for returning my ripped T-shirt, although you shouldn’t have bothered because I have plenty of others to wear! This is going to sound strange, but please don’t contact me again. Trust me. It’s for your own good. Don’t tell anyone about the incident with your car, and whatever you do, don’t mention anything about the beach. I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you why.

Jack

I re-read the note. If nothing else, it was a relief to finally be acknowledged and to know my mystery guy’s name. I put the note back into its envelope, and couldn’t help thinking about why Jack didn’t want me to contact him again. Maybe he had strict parents, or worse, maybe he’d heard rumors about my dysfunctional family moving into the neighborhood. But why would he want to keep the incident of me running him over a secret when it was
my
fault?

And then I suddenly understood the reference to the beach. It was Jack who had saved me from drowning and told Brett where to find me. I was suffocating from curiosity. I didn’t care if Jack thought it was for my own good not to be involved with him; the urge inside of me was too strong to resist.

Whatever the consequence, I had to know him.

CHAPTER 5

O
ver the next few days, there had been no sign of Jack in his pool, and since I hadn’t seen his face, there was no way of knowing if I had passed him in the halls on campus. I knew I was being ridiculous, obsessing over someone I barely knew, but I had to respect his request. I couldn’t betray his trust by going over to his house and approaching him.

On Saturday, I sat on my balcony until the sun began to fade, waiting for another glimpse of Jack, but he never showed up. After being cooped up in the house with my mind working overtime, I slipped on some flip-flops and headed for the beach.

When I arrived, the beach was crowded and I wanted to be alone with my thoughts, so I walked to a secluded area by the weathered cliffs. I loved the fresh scent that the beach air evoked, and breathed deeply while watching the waves calmly drifting in and out. I felt peaceful hiding behind the rocks, away from the partying crowds. I loved dancing and should’ve made the effort to join the party, but my thoughts were on Jack; I couldn’t focus on anything else.

Suddenly, I heard a noise. I looked over my shoulder and saw a guy standing a few feet away from me. Staying hidden, I watched as he took off his clothes and threw them down on the sand. He was gorgeous, wearing black swim trunks that hugged his muscular thighs. His tanned skin looked smooth and his perfectly sculpted abs were flawless. He ruffled his short, honey-blonde hair with his fingers, and looked up at the sky.
Maybe he’d take my mind off of Jack for a while,
I thought. The guy left his pile of clothes behind and began climbing up the cliff. I hid behind the rocks, watching him until he disappeared. I wasn’t sure where he was going, but I sat and waited for him, knowing he’d have to come back for his clothes.

I looked up at the stars that were beginning to appear. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone standing at the very top of the cliff edge. I gasped as he dove off the jagged cliff, surrendering himself to the deep, dark ocean below.
This isn’t the same guy who just climbed the cliff,
I thought. It would take at least thirty minutes to reach the top of the cliff by foot. This man was trying to kill himself.

Before I had a chance to stand up and call for help, the guy who’d undressed before my eyes came running out of the water toward me.
How had he managed to reach the cliff top so quickly?
I thought. Even if he’d run all the way, he couldn’t have been
that
fast. He showed no sign of being out of breath, and the water was probably cold at this time of the night, but he didn’t shiver at all; he was perfectly calm and composed. He wasn’t trying to kill himself—he was cliff diving.

Sitting quietly behind the rocks, I continued to watch him as he headed back up the cliff again. When he disappeared, I decided to follow him. The cliff was steeper than it looked, and after a few minutes, my legs ached and I was exhausted, but I found hiding places along the way.

As I continued climbing, the cliff diver passed by me four more times when I hadn’t even managed to make it to the top once. He ran past me so quickly that he was a fuzzy blur and my hair whipped up in the air. Not wanting to be defeated, I took off my knee-length, red dress, and stuffed it behind a rock. The sea breeze cooled my skin, and wearing only a red bikini, I carried on with my mission. Finally, I made it to the top. Now all I had to do was hide and wait for the gorgeous cliff diver to return so I could finally see his face. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait very long, but he moved so fast, jumping off the cliff again, that I only caught a glimpse of the back of his head. He dived off the cliff edge like it was a natural thing to do, and I found his play with danger and ability to move so swiftly, fascinating.

I walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. The drop was steep and the cliff diver would’ve needed to launch himself a fair way off to avoid hitting the jutting rocks on the way down.

I felt a sharp fingernail run down my back. Gasping, I nervously turned around to a drunken, unsteady guy and two of his friends standing in front of me. They were shirtless and wearing shorts. I hadn’t seen any of them before, but guessed that they were part of the crowded party below. The leader reeked of alcohol, and I became queasy as he moved closer to me. His Mohawk was spiky and his goatee unkempt; his lips were cracked and a cigarette was wedged behind his pierced ear. He reached out once again and ran his finger down my arm.

“So, hot stuff, what are you doing up here all by yourself? You really should be more careful. You never know who’ll be around, or who might be following you,” he said, grinning and exposing a set of yellowing teeth.

One of his friends moved closer to me. “Yeah, you should be careful! You look red-hot!”

The third guy walked in front of the second creep and they all closed in on me.

“Quit teasing and just do it!” the third guy said callously, almost whispering. His dreadlocks hung over half of his face, but I could see a sinister eye peering through an untidy gap in his hair. My head spun at the thought of his insinuation. I was completely paralyzed, desperately trying not to think about what they planned to do to me. I’d been so distracted by the cliff diver that I hadn’t even noticed I was being followed. What was I doing climbing a cliff in pursuit of a complete stranger, anyway? This wasn’t like me.

I took a small step back and found myself standing closer to the cliff edge. The drunken leader of the trio walked closer to me.

“Oh, don’t be shy. After all, if you go around taking your clothes off in front of men and parading your body like you are, don’t expect a lack of attention, if you know what I mean.”

The trio laughed. I knew exactly what he meant and I had no way out. I wasn’t parading myself in a bikini for attention; I’d been hot climbing up the cliff. What was I thinking, taking off my clothes halfway up a cliff? My mouth ran dry and my heart began to beat faster.

“Of course she knows what you mean,” the second creep said, with his bleach-blonde surfer curls hanging over his sweaty forehead.

I tried to avoid looking at them while I frantically thought of how I could get away. I looked behind me and instantly regretted it. The drunken trio laughed. My heart was thumping. There was no other escape; I would have to jump off the cliff. But I wasn’t sure if I was more afraid of jumping, or the three drunken creeps who were plotting to attack me.

The leader took the cigarette from behind his ear, and taking a lighter from his pocket, he lit it and took a long, hard drag, before blowing smoke in my face. His friends laughed as I choked and heaved. I moved my face away from his, praying that he wouldn’t touch me again.

“Now don’t be shy, sexy.” His eyes narrowed as he blew smoke up in the air.

I was so scared that I couldn’t speak and I certainly couldn’t scream.

“Yeah, don’t be shy. A girl who dresses so sexy is asking for it,” the third guy said. His smile was crooked and his lips were plump. He pushed his dreadlocks to one side and I saw that his nails were dirty, just like his insinuation.

“She’s begging for it! Ask her who she wants first,” the leader chimed in. His yellowing teeth were disgusting and the thought of his mouth coming anywhere near mine made me want to barf.

I wanted to cry, but I had to remain tough in front of them. I had to jump and it had to be now. I stepped back on trembling legs, took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. But just before I jumped, I heard a comforting voice.

“Hey, back off!”

The cliff diver stood on top of a rock behind the drunken trio and had everyone’s attention, especially mine. Finally, I saw his handsome face, which complimented his toned body. He jumped down off the rock with ease and casually walked over to me. His piercing blue eyes drew me into him and I felt relieved. He was possibly going to save me from these creeps. But there were three of them and only one of him, so our chances were slim.

The two guys who stood behind their sinister leader launched themselves forward and grabbed the cliff diver’s muscular arms, but he threw them off with ease. I watched as they flew high up into the air over their leader’s head, landing on the rocks with a heavy thump. Neither of them had anything to say now as they were unconscious, but their persistent and perverted friend thought he had a shot at fighting the cliff diver and stumbled toward me, throwing the remainder of his cigarette on the ground.

“Hey, I said back off! Now! Don’t come any closer!” the cliff diver shouted, pulling me close to him. I finally felt safe when my body touched his.

“Geez, we were only having a bit of fun. No harm done! Calm down, buddy.” The drunken letch was disgusting.

The cliff diver was furious, his eyes wide with anger. “Fun?” he questioned sarcastically.

I felt his entire body tense up and I put my arm around his waist. He pulled me closer to him, and despite his comfort, I still hadn’t managed to find my voice.

“Okay, we were just teasing. Come on! We didn’t mean any harm. We weren’t going to touch her.”

“You see an attractive girl and you decide to intimidate and frighten her while she stands inches away from the edge of a cliff. Tell me what part of that is fun for her?”

The leader looked over at his unconscious friends. “Geez! Relax, will you?”

The cliff diver glared at him. “Get out of here before I do something I’ll regret!”

The creep finally relented and walked away. My heartbeat slowed and I sighed with relief. My handsome hero walked me away from the cliff’s edge and told me to stay put. Before the last drunken guy had a chance at freedom, the cliff diver grabbed him and pinned him up against the jagged cliff. He held him with one hand wrapped around his throat and lifted him high off the ground, pushing him into the jagged rocks. The drunk screamed out in pain and begged him to stop, but the cliff diver offered no mercy. The pain on his face as the rocks pierced his skin made my stomach turn and I looked away.

“If I ever see your face again, I’ll kill you! Get out of here now!” He released the creep and he fell to the ground, hitting his head on the corner of the cliff and joining his friends in an unconscious state. I tumbled forwards after my shaky legs finally gave way. The cliff diver caught me before I hit the ground. Now my heart was racing for all the right reasons.

“Kate, are you okay?” I almost forgot that I was still in his soft, warm arms. “What are you doing up here by yourself? It’s dangerous up here, especially at night. That’s why nobody hangs out by the cliffs.” He looked at me and his beautiful blue eyes were dazzling.

“How do you know my name?” I asked.

“Answer my question first,” he responded, placing me on my feet.

I smiled and folded my arms, suddenly becoming aware that I was only wearing a bikini.

“Well, I’m fine, thanks to you.” I looked up at him like I was in love with him. “I’m not afraid to be up here, even if it’s dark. I just didn’t realize I was being followed.” I looked at the ground, feeling embarrassed that I’d been so stupid.

“It was luck that you decided to ditch your dress. Otherwise, I would never have known you were up here.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Your dress blew off the cliff. That’s how I knew you were up here,” he explained.

“How did you know that was my dress? Hey! You still haven’t told me how you know my name,” I said.

He laughed, his smile inviting. My heart raced and I moved closer to him.

“So, are you into cliff diving Kate?”