By the time the boat pulled back to the resort jetty, the sky had shifted to deep gold and soft pink. He stepped off first and turned, offering her his hand. This time, he braced himself for the now-familiar spark, the quiet rush of heat that slid from her skin into his the moment her fingers curled around his.
They walked side by side along the wooden path toward their rooms, the evening air cooler now. She stopped at a fork in the road.
“I’m this way,” she said.
He nodded in the other direction. “And I’m over there.”
She studied him for a moment. “Well, that was unexpectedly fun.”
“It was,” he replied. Then, after a beat, “It was nice not being at war with you.”
“You and I not fighting… was different.” A small smile touched her lips. “It was nice. Maybe we should keep this new equation even when we go back.”
He held her gaze. “Yeah. Maybe we should.”
She stepped back slowly. “See you for dinner.”
“See you.”
She turned, halted, and then walked back to him.
“I want to apologize for last night,” she said quietly. “I shouldn’t have said what I did. It was… unfair.” She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “I had no right to judge you. That was rude and completely uncalled for. I was angry, and I said something I shouldn’t have.”
He watched her silently for a moment.
When he didn’t respond, she asked, “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
“I’m thinking.”
Her brows lifted. “About what?”
His lips curved. “That this might be the first time you’ve ever apologized to me. I ought to cherish it for a moment longer.”
She threw him a dark glare, but he lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Relax. Apology accepted, Shauna.”
For a brief second, something flickered across her face. But then she smiled, gave him a slight nod, and turned to walk toward her room.
He watched her walk away before turning toward his own room. He knew why she’d been angry. He’d been pushing her to talk about that night in Singapore, to perhaps get an idea of what she’d actually felt about it. As always, she hadn’t wanted to talk about it, and that’s why she’d lashed out at him in the worst possible way. He was glad she had taken the step to clarify and ease things with him.
He sighed. There had been a time, years ago, when they had been as easy with each another as they had been today. When they had smiled and chatted, when there had been no friction, just friendship and a hope of something more. And somehow, today, he’d found that version of them again.
Back then, he’d found out his truth and had forced himself to walk away from her. A truth that had changed their equation forever. That truth that still stood between them. And the moment it came to light, it would splinter this fragile peace, if it even lasted. The moment Shauna learned it, she wouldn’t just be angry.
She would hate him.
Forever.
He exhaled slowly. That truth didn’t have to surface tonight. Tonight, he would take this reprieve. He would welcome a fewmore hours of this unexpected calm. A few more hours of not being at war with her. Because once he returned home to Mumbai, he knew everything would change.
5
Shauna stood before the mirror, fastening the delicate clasp of her earrings. Night had begun to settle over the island, the sky deepening into rich shades of indigo. From her window, she could see the lanterns flickering to life along the pathways of the resort. She paused, catching her own reflection, and her mind drifted back to the day.
When they had first met that morning, the air between her and Akash had been thick with tension. But as the hours passed, something had shifted. The memory of the jellyfish sent a small shiver through her. She could still remember the sudden grip of his hand around her wrist underwater, the urgency in his eyes as he’d pulled her away just in time.
Akash had saved her from a nasty sting.
After that, the hostility between them had slowly softened. And to her surprise… she had actually enjoyed herself with him. For the first time in years, being in his company had felt… right. Comfortable, even.
