“I can have Mara move out of the cabin if you’d feel more comfortable there. You were gone a long time. I know it might take a while before you feel comfortable here again.”
“No, I, uh,” I stammer. “That’s not what I meant.” I lift my shoulders to my ears, curling in on myself before letting out a sharp breath. “I, um, wanted to be alone. With you.” I meet his gaze, and watch as his eyes sparkle, making me shiver, but not in the way I used to.
Not the way that Weston makes me.
This shiver is cold and fearful, because I can’t tell what is going on behind those eyes anymore. I can’t tell what game he’s playing, or my role in it.
“I like that idea,” he says, then leans down, pressing a kiss to my lips. I let him, unable to keep hold of the distance I created yesterday for any longer, especially going into tonight.
He breaks away and his thumb reaches back to stroke my cheek. “Do you want to go to our beach?” he murmurs.
“No!” I blurt out before regaining my composure. He rears back slightly, my shout taking him off guard, and I scramble to find an excuse not to return to the beach.
“No, sorry. I just mean, I hoped that maybe it could just be you and me tonight.”
A grin widens across his face. “Yeah, we can do that.”
I look up through the canopy of trees at the sky again. “I wanted to ask when it was early enough so we didn’t leave after dark. I don’t want to be out in the dark.” I let my voice tremble with fear, and he pulls me closer, lowering his face so our noses almost touch.
“I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re too important to me.” I give him a soft smile, and he brushes another quick kissover my lips before grasping my hand and pulling me through the trees. “Let’s get moving so we can make it before the suns go down.”
Back in the clearing, Voyagers are trickling in as everyone heads up to the tavern for dinner. I quickly assess my bunk, trying to remember if I left anything I need there, but I didn’t. I don’t care about any of it.
Everything I need is back on the ship.
EveryoneI need.
Except Roley. There’s no choice but to leave him here, if only for another few days. I hope he keeps his promise and meets me so we can keep him safe.
Acting like I won’t be back tomorrow would raise suspicion. I can’t say goodbye, or do anything unusual. I need to walk through that portal and not look back.
“Lilly,” Dane calls as she appears in the clearing, coming in from her day of searching. I haven’t really seen her since I’ve been back, but I can tell being on the island has changed her. I wonder if the change in me was just as noticeable.
She looks up at Dane, waiting for direction.
“Tell Storm I’ll be out tonight. He’s in charge.”
“I will,” she says and passes us with a wave, heading toward the ladder.
Once we’re on the main path, I take a deep breath, steadying myself and bracing for the next step in the plan.
Here we go. I can’t be too obvious.
I start the conversation I’ve been practicing in my mind every night since Sig and I made this plan, the conversation that would ensure I was safe and on my way home.
“I didn’t even think about staying to eat first. Do the safe houses usually have food? I’ve never stayed at one before.”
“They’re just like camp. They’ll have everything we need. You don’t have to worry.” He gives me a closed lipped smile, and leads me down the path, heading toward the mountain.
My footsteps stutter as I let him lead me. Sig will be waiting at the safe house on the other side of the island, so I need to get him to turn around.
“Where are we going?” I ask hesitantly. “You said you wanted to go to the beach before. Why don’t we go to the house on the other beach? The one right around the bend? Maybe we could walk over and watch the waves.”
My heart pounds in my ears, waiting for his answer as I gradually slow my steps and tug on his hand, pulling him in the opposite direction.
“Well, I was going to surprise you. Once you mentioned the safe houses, I got an idea. There’s one I want to take you to. It’s possible there’s a clue about the dust there.”
No, no, no, no.
