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Declan came back up and this time he was carrying my small suitcase. “You were packing?”
He shook his head. “I know we need to have certain things ready for when our transport arrives.”
“Like a change of clothes?” I asked, puzzled.
“No. Like our passports and such. I found mine and yours. Is there anything else you need now?”
“Just to know we’re going to be okay,” I said honestly.
He walked over and sat beside me. “We will be. I checked and I didn’t see any water coming in.”
“So, the boat isn’t damaged?” I asked, feeling hopeful.
“I didn’t say that. I could see the damage when I looked over the edge. Just don’t know how bad it is. We can’t risk staying on here. But help is on the way,” he stated.
“The Coast Guard?”
“We’re not in the States. They don’t have such things around here. But I put out a distress call, and there is a boat about thirty minutes away. They are on their way to us. If we keep an eye on the horizon, you’ll see it soon.”
“What will they do? Tow us in?” I asked.
“That is an option, depending on what our boat looks like when they get here,” he said.
I sighed. “I hope you know you’re horrible when it comes to saying something to ease my mind. Everything you say makes it sound...dire.”
“Venus, I won’t lie. It might be dire. I just can’t tell without diving off the boat and checking it out myself. I figured you wouldn’t be happy with me jumping off the side right now.”
“God, no.” I held onto him as tightly as I could with our life jackets on. No matter what was going to happen, I wanted us to be together. If he went into the water, I...I knew...I’d never see him again.I can’t lose you. I just can’t.“I’m glad you’re not doing that. It’s just a boat. Granted, not your boat, but still, let it sink. Well, once we’re on another boat,” I replied. My voice echoed the fear within me and sounded uncertain. I trusted him, but I knew there were things out of his control.Like a fucking orca attacking our boat.
He held me close and said, “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good. I don’t want anything to happen to you,” I said. “You know, you’re not the only one who worries. I worry about you too.”
He smiled down at me. “I like that.”
Mouth gaped open I said, “That you have me worried?”
Declan shook his head. “That you care enough to worry. Besides my parents and brother, I can’t recall anyone caring this much. It feels...nice.”
I couldn’t believe he was talking so calmly as though we might not end up treading water in the open sea. He said this could be dire. Why wasn’t he freaking out like me?
“I’m glad my worrying about you feels nice, but I’d rather notneedto worry about you.”
“Agreed. I won’t do anything risky. Not unless it means keeping us both safe,” he replied. He leaned over and kissed me, then added, “Deal?”
I nodded. “Deal.”Still don’t like it.I had no idea what to do to help in this situation, and I knew Declan would do whatever it took so we didn’t perish.
He tried distracting me by changing the subject. “I am sorry that we didn’t get our vacation out here like we planned.”
“That’s okay. I realized that there were items we forgot to pack.”
“Like what?” he asked.
“Likerealfood,” I joked.
“I guess that is what I get for bringing food to a woman who owns a restaurant. You know good food. And I guess PB&J doesn’t fit in that category.”
“It might not have even been on our menu, but it didn’t suck. And for the record, I’ve made plenty of them. There were a few years when MaKayla was in elementary school that it was all she would eat for lunch,” I replied. “The school even called me once to ask if I needed any lunch suggestions for her. I was so embarrassed, and maybe a little insulted. I tried sneaking different foods into her lunchbox after that, but they always came back home. Untouched.”
