Page 37 of Hate To Be Mine

I stared at him. “You’re asking for my input? Voluntarily?”

“Don’t make me regret it.” But he was smiling, and it wasn’t the cocky model smile. It was something more genuine. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up and you can tell me all the ways I’m about to kill someone with this lagoon.”

He stood and offered me his hand. I looked at it for a moment and tried to determine if the gesture of peace was real. I wasn’t really in a position to deny it. I needed water. I needed an ally—even if it was only an ally of convenience. He pulled me up easily.

I knew I looked a mess but there was nothing I could do about it.

“Ready?” he asked.

“As I’ll ever be.”

We walked back through the trees, but instead of going toward the lagoon, he led me to the craft services tent. I braced myself for another confrontation with that woman. But Sebastian walked in ahead of me, all confidence and charm.

“Cookie, my favorite lady,” he said, flashing that smile. “Can you hook us up with some water and food? We’ve got a hungry insurance rep here.”

Cookie looked at me, then back at Sebastian. “Of course, honey. What do you need?”

“Two waters to start. And a couple of those turkey wraps if you’ve got them. Can you believe her company sent her out here with nothing?”

She pulled out two bottles of water from the cooler without hesitation—the same cooler she’d barred me from earlier. Sebastian took them both, handed one to me, and I nearly cried again from the sheer relief of it.

I twisted off the cap and drank. The water was cold and perfect, and I didn’t care that I probably looked desperate as I gulped down half the bottle in one go.

“Easy,” Sebastian said. “You’ll make yourself sick.”

I forced myself to slow down, taking smaller sips even though I wanted to drain the entire thing. Cookie appeared with two turkey wraps on paper plates. Sebastian took both, handed one to me, and kept the other for himself.

“Thanks, Cookie. You’re the best.”

“Anything for you, Sebastian.” She gave me one more look—less hostile than before, but not exactly friendly—and went back to organizing supplies.

“Can you eat and walk?” he asked. “Everyone is already down there.”

“Yeah.”

I was ravenous. And thirsty. I took a bite of my wrap. It was simple—turkey, lettuce, some kind of spread—but it tasted like the best thing I’d ever eaten. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until that very moment.

“Better?” Sebastian asked.

“Much.” I took another bite, then another sip of water. “Thank you.”

I could feel my body starting to recover, the water rehydrating me and the food giving me energy. My headache was still there, but it wasn’t as intense.

We walked toward the lagoon. I could hear the crew working, all of them talking with each other. My stomach tightened with anxiety. They all still hated me. That hadn’t changed.

We stepped into what was very clearly paradise on earth.

Sebastian raised his hand. “Hey! Everyone! Can I get your attention for a second?”

The crew stopped what they were doing and turned to look at us. I wanted to disappear into the sand.

“Look,” Sebastian said, his voice carrying across the lagoon. “I know this morning was rough. And I know I didn’t help matters. But I want to make something clear. Ms. Simmons is here to help us. Yes, she’s a giant pain in the ass, but it’s because she’s trying to keep everyone safe and make sure we pull this off without any disasters. We’re all working toward the same goal here. So let’s be polite and show her that we’re not complete savages. Got it?”

There was a moment of silence. Then, slowly, people started nodding. A few even looked a little sheepish.

“Good,” Sebastian said. “Now let’s make some magic before we lose the light.”

The crew went back to work, and I stood there, stunned.