Chapter 112 112. Fishermen
Tabitha’s POV
We end up at Hakai Pier.
The moment I step out of the car, the smell of salt hits me and my chest tightens in a way I can’t explain. I have been here before. Not long ago, actually. Yet something about coming back after everything that happened makes the place feel heavier, like the air itself remembers things I am trying to forget.
The sea stretches endlessly in front of us. Boats rock against the docks, their hulls bumping softly against the wood and the familiar sound settles into my bones. I take a few steps forward without thinking, my feet guiding me the same way they always do. I know this place too well.
After everything that came out between my mom and me, especially what she revealed about my dad and the way he died, I knew I needed to step away and clear my head. I needed to come here before my thoughts crushed me under their weight.
And I thought, there’s no better place to take a breather than here.
This place has always been where I come when my chest feels too tight and my head feels too full. The sea has a way of listening without asking questions. This place is where I feel closer to my dad than any place in the world.
I stand near the edge of the pier and stare out at the water. It moves the same way it always has, rolling in and out like it never learned how to stop. It feels like it is breathing with me.
I remember a day from long ago. I must have been seven or eight. My dad’s hands were rough and warm as he held a fishing rod out to me.
“You see this, Tabi?” he said, grinning. “This is a fishing rod. You put the worm on the hook like this. See? Nice and secure. Then you throw it out as far as you can. The fish won’t come to you if you’re shy.”
I wrinkled my nose and recoiled. “Eww, worm?”
He laughed, the sound echoing over the water. “The fish love it. And you love fish, right? If you want them for dinner, you have to touch them first. You have to learn to use this worm.”
I scrunched my face, but I wanted to eat the fish. I wanted to impress him.
He guided my hands again, showing me how to thread the worm carefully.
“Now throw it with all your strength. Don’t be afraid. Let it fly,” he instructed.
I took a deep breath and flung the rod with everything I had, but it barely went a few meters.
He snickered.
I pouted, glaring up at him. “Why are you laughing at me?”
“Sorry, sorry,” he said, chuckling. “I just didn’t expect it to be that short. Try again. You’ll get it.”
And again, he patiently showed me the motions. He never lost his smile, never let me feel like I was failing. I remember thinking that I could stay here forever, just learning, just laughing, just being with him.
The memory leaves a lump in my throat, and I blink quickly to stop the sting of tears. The breeze carries the same smell of salt as it did then. I close my eyes for a moment, letting it wrap around me like a warm embrace from a time when life was simpler.
Dad…
My eyes sting before I even realize I am crying.
I tell myself it is just the wind, but I know better. This place always does this to me. It reminds me of him too easily. I can almost hear his voice calling my name, telling me not to lean too far over the edge, laughing when I never listened.
Jace comes up beside me after a moment. He does not touch me right away. He just stands close enough that I know he is there. “You look like you’re somewhere else,” he says quietly. “You alright?”
I let out a breath that I did not know I was holding. I wipe at my eyes and force a weak laugh. “Yeah. I’m fine,” I say, clearing my throat. “I was just… I was thinking about my dad. He used to fish here all the time.”
Reed and Luca drift closer. Evren puts a comforting hand on my back while Jace looks at me sympathetically. All four of them do not question me. They stay by my side, silently taking in the pier with me while I try to pull myself together.
Ugh, I should stop looking like some pitiful, wounded puppy. They are being understanding now, but if I keep acting like this, the brothers might start asking questions. And I don’t trust myself enough to keep my mother’s secrets if that happens.
I take a slow breath and let my eyes wander across the pier. Fishermen move about with practiced ease as they mend their nets and haul crates across the worn planks. I watch one of them curse under his breath when a rope slips from his grip, and I almost smile at how familiar the scene feels. Further down, a few locals argue loudly over the price of the morning catch while others rinse their boats with buckets of seawater. I catch myself staring at a pair of old men sitting on overturned crates, talking like the world has never once rushed them. Children run past them with bare feet slapping against the wood, their laughter sharp and careless, and for a moment I forget everything else. I feel my chest loosen as the sea breeze brushes my face, and I realize how much I have missed this place. It feels alive in a way nothing else does, like the pier itself is breathing alongside me. It feels like it’s murmuring the words I wish my father would tell me if he was still alive.
The scene before me used to be my whole world.
Sure, it was not a fancy life. It was not impressive. In fact, it was very far from the luxury that the Aldairs and their money provide for me and my mom. But it was honest. My dad worked hard, and he came home tired, and he smiled anyway. We did not have much, but we had enough. And that was everything to me.
If he were still here, my life would be so different. I would not be standing between people who carry his face and people who might have destroyed him. I would not be torn in half like this.
My gaze drifts back to the brothers.
They stand together, and from where I am standing, I realize how much these four men resemble Emery Aldair. Evren has the same cold eyes their father has while Luca moves with the same grace and confidence. Jace laughs the same way, especially when he’s letting out those sarcastic snorts. It almost feels like I’m watching Emery Aldair sneer at something he finds beneath him. Reed also looks exactly like him when he scowls.
They are pieces of him, whether they like it or not. Whether my heart acknowledges it or not.
My chest tightens again.
If my mom is right, then the man who caused her so much pain is standing in their shadows. The man who took my father away is written into their faces. That thought should make me hate them. It should make my blood boil.
Instead, I feel nothing but confusion. I hate that I don’t hate them. I hate that I did not hate them enough to keep the walls I built around myself standing. I hate that I let my walls crumble so easily, and that I let them step closer before I even realized I was lowering my guard.
I hate that I can stand here and talk to them like this, like we are normal, like my life was not ripped apart. I hate that I am starting to feel comfortable around them.
God, my mom was right. I am eating their shit and asking for seconds.
Luca turns to me with a worried expression. “You must miss your dad a lot.” I know he’s just trying to break the ice. My silence is probably too much to bear.
I flash a weak smile.
“Yeah,” I say softly. “I do. I guess that’s why I wanted to visit him today.”
Jace glances at me, his forehead creased. “Visit?”
I nod and gesture at the sea in front of us.
“When my dad died, we had him cremated. His ashes were scattered into the sea. He loved the water. So, my mom and I decided to make it his resting place.” I pause. “It’s kind of like your mom’s tree.”
“Makes sense.” Luca nods slowly. “I always think that the departed should rest in the place they enjoyed while they were alive. Our mom lies beneath the earth she loved, surrounded by flowers while her favorite tree grows from her grave. It is symbolic, but it is also the best way to honor her. It’s nice that your father gets to rest in a place he once loved as well.”
I hum in agreement.
“I used to beg him to take me fishing, you know.” I glance at the fishing boats that are docked on not far away. “He always said I would get bored, but I never did. I just liked being there with him.”
Jace smiles faintly. “Sounds like good memories.”
“They were,” I say, nodding. “We sold his boats after he died. They weren’t anything special, really. Just two raggedy old boats, but they were his. Letting them go felt like losing him all over again.”
We would have kept them, but when we decided to leave the island, we sold everything we own here in Kaelara, so we can start a brand new life on the mainland.
I never thought we’d even get to go back here again.
“Well I’ll be damned. If it isn’t little Tabitha again!”