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“Because he was touching you. I didn’t like it.” He reaches across the table to take my hand.
“But we’re not…” I start.
“Look, I’m always going to be protective over you, no big deal. Come on.” He stands and starts clearing the empty dishes away.
“Where are we going?” I ask, trying to keep up with him and still reeling from his confession.
“I want to take you on a sightseeing trip.”
“I don’t have anything to wear except this.” I look down at my damp bikini.
“Don’t worry. We’re not leaving the boat.” He takes the leftovers down below deck, and I’m still left wondering what’s going on – with everything.
“Suck it up, Isla,” I whisper to myself.
The boat engines spring to life, and we start to move, so I head to the back of the boat to watch the water. I kneel on the cushions of one of the small chairs and stare out at the wake we’re creating.
“Lil!” Liam calls, but it's hard to hear over the motor and the water. I turn around and see him still at the controls, waving his hand for me to come up, so I do.
“Yeah?”
He nods forward, and I look to see a green island in front of us. “Is that where we’re going?”
“We’re not going ashore. What we’re looking for is in the water.”
“Dolphins?” I ask, suddenly excited.
“No. Turtles.”
“Really?”
“If we’re lucky. We can’t get too close. The development of tourism at this end of the island has caused problems for the turtles, so now there are areas where they are protected,” Liam explains.
He cuts the engines and lets the boat lap with the water, a way off the island.
It’s beautiful.
“Go to the back of the boat or climb around to the front to watch.” I rush to the back of the boat and lean over the chrome rail, staring into the clear blue waters. I feel Liam come up behind me, his hand resting on the small of my back as he peers over the edge.
“What are we looking for?”
“A turtle.”
“Duh. Just anywhere in the sea – there’s a lot of sea?” I shove at him.
“Just keep your eyes peeled – they’re bigger than you think.” He steps closer to me again as we both scan the water. “There!” He points his arm out to the water.
I look but can’t see anything. “Where?”
“One o’clock. About fifty meters out.”
I focus on where Liam’s pointing but don’t see anything. The changing shapes and shades of blue in the water keep my eyes busy until, finally, I see a darker shape. It drifts closer to the boat and to the surface of the water, and I can make out an outline. For only a moment, the head of a beautiful green turtle lifts above the surface to take a gulp of air before diving back below.
“Oh my god,” I shriek as my smile erupts over my face.
“I know.”
“Did you see that?”
