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Seven or so more hours that ought to be easy to endure, but somehow became the most excruciating.
Once we’d finished food course number one, Neri cleared the dishes, and Jack dragged me into his office to offer my opinion on the latest echolocation equipment that he was thinking of upgrading to on The Fluke. The entire time he pointed out the pros and cons, my ears stayed perked for sounds of Neri and her mother in the kitchen, longing to hear Neri’s laughter.
Three days since I’d had her on her knees in my room.
Three days since I’d given her what she needed.
Three days since I’d seen the relaxed and confident version of the girl I’d kill for.
Even though it took everything I had not to go into her room and sink inside her, I’d meant what I said. I was done enabling her.
She needed to face it. Accept it. Deal with it. And move on.
I was aware I was a fucking hypocrite for forcing her to do the very thing I was incapable of doing, but...I’d lived the path she was travelling down, and I would do whatever it took to stop her before it was too late.
“So what do you think?” Jack asked. “Worth the investment?”
Forcing myself to pay attention, I finished my beer and shrugged. “The sonar you have right now seems to work okay. Are the frequencies that much better to justify the upgrade?”
He nodded, pursing his lips. “Good point. I’ll pull up the manual of our unit and compare the ranges. Just because this one is newer doesn’t mean it’s got better mapping capabilities.”
“Good idea.” I jammed my hands into my beige cargo short pockets, glancing into the corridor just in time to see Neri walk past.
Our eyes caught.
My heart punched me in the chest.
I tripped all over again, drinking in her gorgeous sun-streaked hair, garish flower-print shirt, and white miniskirt.
I smiled.
She tensed before forcing half a smile and darting toward her bedroom.
Her door closed quietly, and Jack moved to my side, staring after his daughter. “Wonder what’s her problem? Unlike her to be so quiet on Christmas. She’s usually high as a freaking kite and sneaking presents when we’re not watching.”
He sighed, finished the last mouthful of his beer, then patted me on the shoulder. “Might go ask Anna if she knows anything. My little fish has been off for a few weeks, and I’m not liking it.”
I froze. “You...you’ve noticed she’s not herself?”
He frowned. “Noticed? ’Course, I’ve noticed. She’s my baby. If she’s not driving me loopy or laughing her head off, then something’s up. Ever since she went to see Zara, she’s not been herself.” He turned to face me. “I know she said that her and Zara weren’t able to swallow their differences and the friendship is over, and I know she said she slept on The Fluke to have some privacy—without asking permission, I might add—but did she say anything to you when you guys went to Low Isles the next day?”
I forced myself not to flinch.
Neri and I had both agreed to stay as close to the truth as possible about that night. She hadn’t come home and after our day swimming on Low Isles in full view of tourists and local fishermen, there was a high probability that someone would recognise the boat and say something to Jack at some point. So...our story had been: Neri had crashed on The Fluke, called me early in the morning, and finally gotten me into the sea. Needless to say, Anna had flung herself at me when Neri proudly announced I’d dived for the first time. And she conveniently used the story of the shark and its rusty hook to volley any questions about what’d happened at Zara’s.
She was sneaky, my little siren. Sneaky and secretive and a little too clever at spinning a tale.
Swallowing hard, I answered Jack, “Nope, she didn’t say anything to me. Obviously, she’s sad about the break-up with Zara but...” I cursed myself as lies fell out of my mouth. “I think it might just be everything happening at once, you know? School’s ended. University starts next year. She has to move away from you guys...”
Jack nodded with a relieved grin. “Yeah, you’re right. She’s no longer a kid anymore. Guess I’ll never get used to that and, if I’m perfectly honest, I’ll forever see her as my little girl who literally rules my heart and soul.”
A rock lodged in the back of my throat, witnessing the unconditional love on his face for his one and only daughter.
A flashback of sitting in the back of his Jeep, a few days after I’d been plucked from the sea, all while Neri ran inside to pick up Italian takeaway, tore through my mind.
“You are welcome in my home, on my boat, and in my family but if you ever touch Nerida in a way that is anything more than platonic, you will be on your own so fucking fast you’ll wonder how it happened.” His gaze narrowed. “And I don’t do second chances.”
