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Nowhere. To hell. I don’t fucking care!

I didn’t say any of those things. I shot a quick text to my dad to let him know I was fine and alive, and then one to Soma to tell her that I was a big boy and had been feeding myself for years now. Then I dropped my phone on the seat and covered my face so I could let out a silent scream.

I didn’t feel any better when I was done.

When I dropped my hands, my breath caught in my chest because god, there he was. Tiago had his jacket slung over his shoulder and his glasses still on, and he was gently scraping the edge of the curb with the tip of his cane.

There were at least half a dozen cars waiting, but no one was there for him. And one by one, people got into the cars and left. And one by one, Tiago’s head followed the sound of them driving off.

Time began to tick by, first too slow, then too quickly. Five minutes turned into ten. Ten turned into half an hour. He made three calls, but it was obvious no one picked up.

And no one was coming for him.

Turning the car on, I pulled out of the spot and carefully made my way through the weird maze of concrete dividers until I was able to get into the pickup queue. I drove slowly, coming to a stop a few feet away from him, and I saw his entire body stiffen.

I took a breath, then opened my door. “Tiago.”

His entire body froze, and then he licked his lips. “Uh. Yes?”

“I…it’s me.”

His shoulders sagged. “Yeah. I…I thought it was, but I wasn’t totally sure.”

“Can I give you a lift?”

“My brother’s coming.”

I let that sentence hang between us for a beat. “Is he?”

Tiago ran a hand down his face, then tipped his head back and groaned. “I don’t fucking know. I think they forgot about me.”

“That’s a big dick move. In a bad way.”

He snorted, then took a step toward the car. “Why are you still here?”

“I, uh…” I couldn’t tell him I was watching him, could I? That was such a creepy fucking move. But also, I couldn’t lie. He would have seen me if he could, you know, see.

“Aravind.”

I shuddered at the sound of my name on his lips. “I was waiting to see if your ride showed up. I know Ubers on the island suck ass and cost a year’s salary for six miles.”

He grimaced. “Not a year of my salary, but yeah. They do.”

“Just get in, will you. This island is, like, ten miles wide. You can’t possibly be far from me.”

“Quarter Moon Cove,” he said.

The spot was slightly less posh yet somehow more snobby than where my dad had bought, so I was going to safely assume it wasn’t Tiago’s place.

“Ten minutes from me. Come on,” I said again. “I can help with your bags.”

He put his hand up and shook his head, then turned and grabbed his suitcase with one hand, using the other to poke his cane around until he found the car.

Apart from my carry-on, my bags were all in the trunk, so he fit his single suitcase and his smaller travel bag in the back seat without an issue, and a moment later, he was sliding into the car beside me.

He shifted, then ran his hand over the console. “I know this car.”

“Uh, trust me, you don’t,” I told him.