Now I just had to find her.
My foot bounced against the floorboard as the edge of Old Town came into view. I’d instructed the driver to drop me off at the same place we’d all originally planned to meet. I jumped out of the car and scanned the immediate surroundings. My stomach sank when I saw no signs of Lila or the others.
I cursed myself for the hundredth time for ever allowing us to be separated in the first place.
My only move was to head into the maze-like pedestrian streets. I’d have to wander down them and hope to find her. I didn’t want to think about what I would do if I didn’t. While there was always the possibility she could have headed back to Santorini when I failed to show, I couldn’t even fathom the idea of leaving this island without being sure of where she was.
I set off jogging down the cobbled streets. I kept my pace quick, but still slow enough that I could jerk my head in every direction to make sure I didn’t miss her. Thankfully, my brain was already wired to hyperfocus on Lila, so any faces that weren’t hers all seemed to blur together.
After fifteen minutes of searching, I stopped in the middle of a particularly crowded intersection to stand on a step, attempting to examine every passerby. My heart raced for reasons that had nothing to do with my sprint around the town.
Then, my heart nearly stopped altogether. Fifty feet away, disappearing around a corner, was a flash of red hair on top of a sundress. My chest exploded with relief as I hopped down from the step and tore off after her.
TWENTY-THREE
Lila
The packedstreets had cleared out a bit since we’d first arrived in town, as hordes of tourists shuffled back to the port to rejoin their cruise ship.
Bailey, Paige, and Kate had gone a little while ago to catch their ferry. They hadn’t wanted to leave me, but had prebooked earlier tickets back to Santorini for a dinner reservation they’d made for tonight. I had thought about going with them; at least that way I could try to track down my phone back at the hotel. But in the end, I couldn’t stomach leaving without knowing where the hell Harrison was. And if you get separated from someone and can’t communicate, the best spot to wait for them is the spot in which you last planned to meet, right? I wasn’t sure, but the logic made sense to me.
My worry had grown immensely in the past few hours, but I wouldn’t allow myself to turn into a blubbering mess. I refused to collapse into full-on panic until I was back at our hotel in Santorini and he wasn’t there. But I wouldn’t even allow myself to think of the possibility.
My eyes started to blur as I looked in yet another shop window. I had been dying to shop when we’d arrived this morning, but now nothing could ease my wandering mind.
If I just had my stupid phone, none of this would be happening.
“Lila!”
My heart sprang into my throat and I almost cried at the sight of Harrison running toward me. I took a few steps toward him, and he dodged a few passing tourists before colliding with me. He wrapped his arms around me and tugged me tightly to his chest. The hug might have taken me by surprise if I wasn’t so relieved to see him. I nestled into his T-shirt and breathed him in. When he rested his chin on my head, all of my tension and fear melted away.
“Are you alright?” he asked, not loosening his grip on me.
“Are you kidding?” I wanted to laugh. “Areyoualright? What happened? I've been freaking out thinking about you lying in a ditch somewhere.”
He brushed his hand along the back of my hair.
“It’s a long story.” He sighed and pulled back. His eyes searched mine, and my stomach dipped as if I were in some sort of free fall. The look in his eyes felt new.
Before I could question him further, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “Can you do me a favor and just hold onto this until you have yours back?”
I smiled. “I don’t need?—”
“Please,” he begged. “For my own sanity. Then at least I have a way of reaching you.”
I took it from his hands and smiled. “Okay. If it’ll make you feel better.”
“It will,” he said, not breaking eye contact.
He ran a hand along his jaw and looked me up and down, as if searching to make sure every hair on my head was in the correct spot.
“So? What happened?” I asked.
His eyes narrowed. “Nigel and his asshat friends happened.”
I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. Instead, he reached up and tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear. My breath caught in my throat. He was acting strange, almost nervous.
“Those idiots dragged us halfway across the island. I’ll tell you everything, but first, can we finally talk about last night?”
