A Love That Binds

By Rochelle Chase

A Love That Binds is a fresh, debut novel surrounding the colourful lives of Jessica Gardener and Lillian Stone. Set between Washington DC, Las Vegas and New York comes a story of strength, courage and inspiration. Two friends that unapologetically follow their dreams no matter what adversity comes their way. Two friends who are not afraid to think big, feel deep and live boldly.

"I'm essentially writing about the human condition and the journey of two incredible women who are proactive and share a deep care for nurturing relationships and the community at large. Ultimately, my hope for readers, is to not only be entertained, but to be inspired, if even in a subtle way. Writing this novel has certainly inspired me.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tablo Publishing
• Release date: Jul 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9781925939903

Rochelle Chase

Rochelle Chase is a New Zealand-born artist who lives in the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia. Rochelle studied at the University of New South Wales Art and Design. When she isn't creating artworks or writing, she enjoys paddle surfing out on the ocean. 'A Love That Binds' is Rochelle's first novel and her foremost hope in her writing is that readers will be able to connect with the ethos of her work.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Rise and shine, ladies, exclaimed Ms Mitchell as her high heels echoed down through the dorm hallway. It’s an exceptionally beautiful day. We meet in the quadrangle in thirty minutes and there won’t be any excuses for lateness.

Ms Mitchell, our head teacher, was always impeccably dressed and strikingly beautiful, even into her late sixties. She had never married or wanted children of her own. It seemed that her only love was her career and she absolutely adored all her girls at Brightonsfield.

As Lilly struggled to get herself out of bed, I was surprisingly wide awake. Whatever the amount of vodka shots we had carefully snuck in and consumed the night earlier, well, they certainly knocked me out into a deep, comatose state, and thank God for that. I was fortunate enough I never developed any type of hangover, unlike Lilly … let’s just say I did feel sorry for her.

How can you be awake, so bright and cheerful? It’s six in the morning, Lilly snapped, as she squinted her eyes at me.

I don’t know, Lilly, I guess it’s just part of my genetics, I replied, trying to use my most sympathetic tone.

Argh! This is serious torture! Who even needs to get up at this ungodly hour, Lilly moaned as she attempted to brush her wild, frizzy, dark auburn hair.

Lilly’s my best friend, full of wit and humour and a lot of fun to be around, except for when we were subjected to early morning wake up calls.

The bus ride to the breakfast stop was a little over three hours from DC. I listened to my play list most of the way there, and I sensed Lilly was counting down the minutes. That girl needed a bacon and egg roll, pronto! It felt like forever, but we finally arrived and scrambled out of the bus to get a bite to eat.

Are you going to eat that, Jess? Lilly asked, as she bit into my half-eaten roll without a seconds’ thought.

Obviously not now, I replied, trying to keep a straight face. As Lilly devoured the last pieces of bacon, I couldn’t refrain from giggling, you would have thought she hadn’t seen food in weeks.

Lillian Stone and I had met in kindergarten and, I know this sounds cliché, but I honestly couldn’t imagine life without her. We had no secrets between us and we both shared this unequivocal desire to make our mark in the world. We had sworn that our friendship would last our lifetime.

We relied on each other and it felt comforting, especially with both of us being only children. I guess what we missed out on in siblings, we found in each other.

Five hours! Are you kidding me? Lilly exclaimed. Did you hear that, Jess? We’ve five more hours before we even get there.

So what, I replied. It’s not like we are in any rush to go camping, pitch a tent, fetch wood and locate a spot in the bush to pee. We may as well enjoy as much civilisation while we can.

I guess … you’ve got a point, Jess. Want to stock up on chocolates? Lilly asked as she looked around at the dreary spot we’d stopped at for our breakfast rolls.

Yeah sure, good call, I replied as I jumped up and raced Lilly into the grocery store.

I picked out one of my favourite chocolate bars and could see through the corner of my eye that Lilly had her hands full, indulging with every type of sweet you could imagine.

I’ll have all these, thank you, insisted Lilly, as she decided to clear out the confectionary section.

The elderly man behind the register glared at us both, unamused. That will be $62.35, girls, he muttered, as he attempted to fit all the sweets into one bag.

This is an emergency purchase, Lilly assured him. We need backup food, we’re going camping and you’re our last stop.

The man was stunned as Lilly tried to justify her extravagance. I understand, girls, I was once your age too, you know, he explained as he waved us off.

You could say we over indulged on our chocolates and sweets on the bus, as we both ended up dozing off. We were knocked out for most of the bus ride and awoke about fifteen minutes before we arrived at the camp. It was a little after three o’clock and, I have to admit, the scenery was sensational. The tall, manicured palm trees, the never-ending ocean and the exquisite white sand; it was picture perfect.

As we drove into the main gates of Palm Centenary Cove, Lilly was in awe and broke out into a huge smile, This is going to be a blast, it was certainly worth the drive, she screamed happily.

As we stepped off the bus, I felt the warm sun glowing on my untanned arms. I couldn’t wait to hit the beach. The scene could have been straight out of a tropical island film. It was too good to be true and so much more beautiful than we had anticipated.

Oh my, he’s cute, I said as my jaw dropped, eyeing up a young boy. He was carrying backpacks, helping our bus driver unload all the luggage.

Both Lilly and I had never entertained the idea of having a boyfriend, although we enjoyed looking at boys. Boarding school was extremely strict and we were only seventeen, so we were still unable to leave the premises in the evenings. The only boys we saw were the ones that played football on our oval on the weekends, and even then, we only spied on them from a distance.

He is cute, Jess, he’s yours, Lilly insisted, as she chuckled.

Thanks Lilly, you’re too kind, I joked, as we walked over towards the main campsite.

By the time we assembled our tent and unpacked all of our belongings, the sun was still glistening on the ocean and we were ready to hit the beach. We saw the cute boy carrying paddle boards out from a storage room behind the shower amenities.

Can we go for a paddle now, Ms Mitchell? Lilly pleaded, throwing her towel over her shoulder, preparing to leave.

Girls, you can, if you promise to stay close to the shore and please be careful, Ms Mitchell urged.

Yes Jess, let’s go! Lilly cheered and ran straight towards the pristine ocean.

The water was lukewarm and our paddle boards were in mint condition. There were a few other girls out in the water swimming and we heard them laughing and having fun. Lilly and I kept to ourselves and stayed in the ocean for hours, racing each other up and down the shore and catching a few mini waves in.

The boy we saw earlier started paddling out towards us. He looked like a Greek Adonis and possibly a few years older than Lilly and I. He had dark silky hair, piercing blue eyes, and it was obvious he worked out often as his body was fully toned. I tried to refrain from staring as he came closer towards us.

Hi girls, I’m Joe. You two are pretty dope, perhaps even good enough to compete, Joe exclaimed.

Both Lilly and I smiled. So, the cute boy had a name and was very complimentary.

Thanks Joe, I’m Lilly and this is Jess. We are here on camp for a week.

Do you work here? I asked, as Joe paddled closer.

Yeah, I sure do. This is our family business, I help out my folks from time to time, particularly when we have large groups arrive, Joe replied as he sat down on his board. His eyes were even more blue close up and there was a thoughtful warmth to his voice.

You have such a beautiful place here, I commented, not sure what to say as I was still mesmerised by his charm.

Would you girls like to go to a campfire party tonight? Joe asked us. A few of the locals are meeting at the end of the bay around eight o’clock. We’re going to boat over to one of the secluded islands and it will be a lot of fun, he said as he pointed out a group of tiny islands in the distance.

Okay, sounds great, we would love to, Lilly quickly replied, before I could get a word in. We will see you then, Lilly insisted as she looked over at me sternly, in case I was about to decline.

Unreal, well, I better get going, I’m meant to be helping out in the kitchen, I’ll catch you girls later, he said as he paddled towards the shore effortlessly, showing off his perfectly muscular back.

As Joe left, I looked over at Lilly and shook my head. Are you kidding, how the hell are we going to be able to leave our tent so early, with no one noticing? I objected, wondering what kind of plan Lilly was instigating.

Stop stressing, Jess, I’ve got a plan, Lilly instructed in her usual tone that I had always been wary of.

Dinner was at six thirty, shortly after the sun had set. We all sat around the campfire enjoying our burgers and Hawaiian chicken skewers. Ms Mitchell was busy, preoccupied with handing out the salads to all the girls and making sure we were eating. There had been talk over the past month that a few of the girls had refused to eat so they could lose weight. We were warned of the seriousness of this disease, which happened to be quite common. I heard that Sally Dawson and Emily Drifts from a year above us were caught out. Apparently, they were throwing up after their meals and were punished with detention for a week, which in my opinion was pretty harsh.

As we finished our dinner, Lilly whispered that she was going to let Ms Mitchell know that she had a splitting headache and would like an early night. She suggested that I should mention how tired I was a little later. By then, it wouldn’t seem obvious, and besides, the girls would be settling down in any case.

Sounds like a plan, ninety-nine, I agreed, knowing that I didn’t really have much of a choice – Lilly wouldn’t have let me live it down if I said no.

No, no, no, Lilly said as she shook her head. You’re ninety-nine and I’m so much more Maxwell Smart, she remarked as she rushed off to speak to Ms Mitchell.

At seven forty-five, Lilly and I snuck out of our tent and headed towards the end of the island where Joe had asked us to meet. He introduced us to some of the guys, everyone was in high spirits, and we arrived at the island around half an hour later.

As we stepped off the boat, Lilly grabbed my hand. Stop stressing, Jess. Everyone is busy doing their own thing, no one knows we are here and we are going to have some fun, we deserve it.

What the hell, I thought. It was such a beautiful evening, I may as well enjoy the night.

You girls drink? A Columbian-looking boy with a large afro and bright white teeth brushed past us while we were walking to the bar.

We sure do, Lilly replied. I’ll have three tequila shots, please, she said as she sat herself up on a bar stool, eager to begin the night.

Okay girls, drink up and let’s light up, said the Columbian boy as he pulled out a large joint and lit it up with no hesitation.

The music was crazy and everyone was dancing around in their swimmers, enjoying themselves. I was approached by a few guys who invited me to dance, but I refused them all. I was actually quite happy just watching everyone else.

Are you ever going to get off that bar stool, Lilly finally exploded, after possibly five or six shots, not to mention the copious amounts of weed we had inhaled. She had been dancing with the Columbian boy. I think his name was Jarrah – he was too out of it to even pronounce his own name by the time he told us.

I’m okay here, thanks Lilly, I said as I pointed over to the boy behind the bar that my eyes had been glued to for the last half an hour.

Okay, Lilly replied, and happily danced her way off again.

                                               * * *

It’s seven-thirty, girls, breakfast is ready, Ms Mitchell announced as I heard a loud, annoying ringing noise in my ears. I had a terrible feeling I was about to experience my first official hangover.

Oh my God, I feel terrible, Jess, this is the worst of them, Lilly groaned, trying to sit up and shuffling around, searching for her water bottle.

Urgh, me too, I uttered, trying to balance myself up.

I can’t even see straight, we were so wasted last night, how the hell did we get back?

I’ve no idea, I don’t remember, but my whole body aches, Lilly replied, puzzled.

We both had no clue how the night had ended.

We quickly ate all of our breakfast and drank as much water as we could, trying to sober up before anyone suspected us. After we showered, Lilly and I started to feel better and we all went for a walk along the mountain trek, which took us a good hour.

When we arrived back at the campsite, Joe spotted Lilly and me. He waved us over to the storage room where they kept the paddle boards.

Hi girls! Well, don’t you both know how to have a good time. We are going into town tonight if you are up for it? Joe asked.

Hah, there’s no way I can cope with another one of those nights! I said as I looked straight over to Lilly, hoping she felt the same way.

Oh, c’mon Jess, we’re on holidays, let’s live a little, Lilly pleaded.

Okay, I said reluctantly. I’ll see how I feel, Joe, and thanks for bringing us back to our tent this morning.

Joe looked puzzled and hesitated. I didn’t bring you back, you girls disappeared around three so I guessed you found your own way back, don’t you remember?

No … I replied.

Lilly looked at me, equally puzzled. I can’t remember a thing, we drank a lot and we were smoking something strong last night.

Oh, I didn’t know you girls were smoking, Joe said, a little shocked.

Yes, Lilly replied, your mate Jarrah gave us some weed.

I had no idea, who is Jarrah?

The Columbian boy. Lilly was getting a little frustrated.

I’m so sorry, girls, I really don’t know who he is. I’m going out for a quick paddle before I help set up for lunch. Come join me if you like? Joe said, before he ran over to the water.

Jess! This doesn’t make sense. Last night Jarrah talked about Joe, he told me they were friends, I don’t get it. Lilly started to look worried.

Maybe he’s a local and he just knew of Joe, I replied. I started to wonder what had really happened. Lilly looked stunned.

I have a feeling we kissed and made out a bit, but my memory is really vague. Something happened, though, Lilly slowly sat down, trying to remember the events of last night.

Well, congrats Lilly, your first kiss and you don’t remember.

This isn’t funny, Jess, something bad happened last night, and I can’t remember what. There was a scared tone to Lilly’s voice.

Are you sure? You’ve only brought this up now, I asked. I was starting to get concerned, things weren’t making sense.

My memory is slowly coming back. Oh god, what did I do! Lilly shrieked as she started pacing backwards and forwards.

Calm down, let’s just go for a paddle and maybe we can talk about this later, okay? I insisted. Lilly needed to chill out a bit and I thought the paddle would do her some good.

As we paddled, Lilly was preoccupied with last night’s mystery. I paddled over to Joe to try and get some answers before Lilly went crazy.

Joe, something happened last night, something bad, and Lilly is freaking out. Are you sure you don’t know anything about Jarrah? He said he was your friend, we wouldn’t have hung out with him if he hadn’t said that.

By now, Joe had started to look worried, too. I’ll have a chat to the other guys, maybe they know him. I don’t remember him there, did he come out on the boat with us?

I don’t think so, he may have already been on the island.

Some of the guys are a little strange. Let me ask around, Jess. Tell Lilly I’m onto it, Joe reassured me and then paddled off.

In the afternoon we went out on another walking track. This time it was much longer, we didn’t get back to the campsite till four thirty in the afternoon and all the girls were exhausted. Ms Mitchell didn’t walk with us this time, she said she would be busy setting up for games night. As we walked back, we noticed that something was very wrong. Ms Mitchell looked like she had been crying and she called Lilly over to her tent.

A few minutes later Ms Mitchell came up to me, tearful. Jess, I think you need to come with me, she said and we both walked back to the tent.

Lilly was sitting down, worried, and we both assumed we were caught out from the night earlier. It turned out to be much worse.

Ms Mitchell’s voice was shaking when she told us the devastating news.

There has been a plane crash, Lilly, I am so sorry, both your parents were on the plane, she said, quietly.

My heart was pounding, I looked over at Lilly and saw her hands shaking and tears started rolling down her cheeks.

Ms Mitchell hesitated for a moment before continuing, Oh dear, Lilly, I’m so very sorry to tell you this, but no one survived.

Lilly just froze, more tears rolling down her face.

I placed my arms around her as she wept and tried to calm her as she was shivering with fear. Her heart was pounding and I felt helpless. She had lost the two most important people in her life and there was not a thing anyone could do to change it.

Jess, please stay with Lilly. I need to go and make a phone call, I will be back in a few minutes, Ms Mitchell said as she left us alone in her tent. I guessed she would call a doctor or someone who could assist with this sort of tragedy.

Lilly’s parents had decided to take the week off while we were at camp and were on their way to Hawaii. They often travelled to Hawaii and this was their twentieth anniversary celebration. Lilly had no other family, both her parents were only children and her grandparents had passed away years ago.

I didn’t know what to say except to just hold her. She hadn’t said a word.

Ms Mitchell came back with a cup of herbal tea. Please Lilly, drink this, she said, handing over the warm cup.

Lilly held the tea in her hands. She was shaking all over and still overflowing with tears. This was the most devastating day of her life.

Ms Mitchell gave Lilly two herbal tablets to help her sleep, and luckily the pills worked. At least Lilly would be able to get a good night’s sleep. After about half an hour I left our tent for some air. I couldn’t believe what had happened. It felt like our whole world had changed. Lilly’s certainly had. It was all such a shock, I needed to re-group somehow.

As I walked to the shore, I watched the moonlight, it was so beautiful and quiet. I just sat and wondered what would happen now. Poor Lilly, she had no one left, all she had was me. In that moment I started to cry.

I heard someone running up behind me and as I looked around I saw that it was Joe.

Jess, Joe yelled out as he ran towards me, breathless. I found out who Jarrah is, he comes from a very dangerous family, the Jolmatta family. They are powerful underground drug dealers that have hurt a lot of people. He’s boasting to all the locals that he slipped Lilly a pill and took advantage of her on the island. Where is she? Is she alright? Joe looked around, a worried look in his eyes.

"She’s asleep. What do you mean he took advantage?