Chapter 9: Dried Page and "Quiet" Morning

jaxon woke up early again. sky still had that cold blue color before the sun came out. air smelled like wet wood and salt. he sat up slow, stretched his arms, looked over at lina. she was curled up on her side, blanket barely covering her legs, hair messy. she always looked peaceful when she slept. different from when she was awake. less loud. less teasing. quiet like the morning.

he stood and stepped out of the hut. ground felt cool under his feet. fire pit was just ashes now. the ocean wasn't far. he walked to the shore.

waves moved soft and lazy. soft sound of water hitting rocks. he looked out at the water for a while. sometimes things washed up. wood. plastic. sometimes useless metal. but today there was nothing. just the slow rise and fall of the sea.

he crouched and picked up a small smooth stone. rolled it in his hand. it didn't mean anything. but it gave his fingers something to do.

behind him, a voice.

"you always leave me so early, jaxon. it hurts my heart."

he didn't turn around.

"you don't have a heart," he said.

lina laughed. her voice was still sleepy. soft but playful.

"that's rude," she said, stepping up beside him. "what if i said i was dreaming about you?"

jaxon stood up, brushed sand off his hands.

"then you're dreaming wrong."

she smirked. "or maybe i'm dreaming right and you're just in denial."

jaxon walked back toward the hut.

lina followed, arms behind her head. "you know, most guys would kill to be stranded with a cute girl."

he didn't answer.

"but not you. nope. you act like i'm just a talking coconut."

jaxon stopped in front of the hut.

"you talk more than a coconut."

"i'll take that as a compliment."

he stepped inside. light came through the holes in the walls. his eyes went straight to the corner where the book was.

he picked it up. pages stiff but not wet anymore. cover still warped. but readable.

he sat on the floor, opened the first few pages, and started reading again.

lina leaned in the doorway, watching him.

"what's that? your little secret?"

jaxon didn't answer. flipped another page.

lina tilted her head. "you know, ignoring me doesn't make me go away. i'm like sand. i get everywhere."

he turned a page again.

"you're like a fly," he muttered.

she gasped, fake offended. "jaxon. that hurt. i'm delicate."

he didn't look up.

after a few seconds, she sighed and sat down across from him.

"what's in the book?" she asked, calmer now.

"just… stuff."

she raised a brow. "like what? survival tips? recipes for grilled boar?"

jaxon nodded slightly.

"actually, yeah."

he read quietly. the page showed a simple hut drawing, stronger than the one he built. he studied the way the vines were tied, how the roof had extra support.

his eyes narrowed a little.

he could make that.

lina watched him read. her teasing faded. there was something about him when he was focused. not just serious. he had this quiet weight to him. like he was always thinking five things at once but didn't say any of it out loud.

"why do i keep watching him like this," she thought. "why do i care what he's reading? he doesn't even look at me when i talk."

she leaned back on her hands.

"you really like being alone, huh?"

jaxon didn't reply.

"before this island… were you always like this?"

jaxon turned a page.

"i don't like noise," he said.

she smiled. "so i'm noise to you?"

"sometimes."

"and other times?"

he paused.

"…still noise."

lina laughed. loud and real.

jaxon's mouth twitched. not a smile. not fully. but close.

he didn't say anything. but lina caught it. her eyes widened just a bit.

"oh my god," she said. "was that a smile? did i just witness a miracle?"

jaxon flipped another page. "it was a twitch."

"it counts. i'm writing it down. first smile: day nine. reason: me."

jaxon closed the book. stood up.

"you done watching me?"

lina shrugged. "depends. you gonna do something interesting?"

he looked outside. "maybe."

she stood too. stretched her arms. "good. i'm bored. let's go break some rules."

jaxon walked past her. she followed, hands in her pockets, that same smirk on her face.

"hey jaxon," she said.

he looked over.

"you ever think maybe this island's not so bad?"

jaxon raised a brow.

"why?"

she smiled. "cause you met me here."

he kept walking.

"i was trying to survive. not suffer."

"rude," she said again, laughing.

but she liked the way he kept walking. like she didn't bother him as much as he pretended. maybe he even liked it a little.

maybe.