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“This can’t be happening,” I mumble.
I gingerly climb out of the boat and try to push it off this fucking underwater sand dune from hell, but it won’t budge. Am I not strong enough? Is this some sort of Bermuda Triangle bad luck juju?
“This is why you got a guide in the first place, Bristol. It’s all your fault for leaving Hayden behind because you were afraid that you’d jump his damn bones today.” I scoff, “As if he’d want you.”
I swallow hard as the insecurities from my curves, the ones I’ve been fighting against my entire life and thought I finally had a handle on, rear their ugly head. I squeeze my eyes closed and try not to cry. This is fucking awful.
Do I go to the beach? The island isn’t that big, but I don’t know which way I need to go to find civilization or what I’ll find as I’m walking. What’s the safe option?
To not have gotten stuck in the first place after not going off alone.
Ah, yes, always the voice of reason too damn late, subconscious, thank you.
It takes me a few tries, but I climb back into the boat and sit, trying to get my fear and my racing heart to calm down. I didn’t even bring my cell phone with me, another tick in the ‘stupid’ column, because I was afraid of it falling overboard and being ruined. I would be lost without my phone and so would Soren, who will be arriving tomorrow expecting everything to be taken care of.
How long does it take before a search party is sent out?
When I feel a raindrop against my skin, my eyes snap open and I look up in horror to find the dark clouds are now overhead and no longer far away in the distance. What the fuck?
Right before my eyes I can see the sheet of rain moving toward me and I’m dreading the moment it reaches me. This sucks. Sucks so fucking big. Just as I’m about to scream out in frustration, I hear the motor of a boat and swing around to see a much larger vessel coming my way.
I squint, but I can’t see who is piloting—or is it captaining? driving?—it until they’re closer. I gasp when I see Hayden standing there while bringing his boat as close as he can get to me. His mouth is set in a pissed off scowl which has me wanting to shrink into myself.
I watch in awe as he drops his anchor and then dives off the side of the boat with a rope in his hand. He walks onto the sand dune thing, water rolling off his body as the rain continues to pelt both of us. I couldn’t tear my eyes off him even if I wanted to.
“Seems you found a sand bar,” his voice is gravel and I strain to hear it over the sound of the rain and his boat. I nod mutely as he ties the rope in his hand to the boat with intricate knots that I don’t doubt for a second will hold for whatever he’s planning to do. When he’s done, he walks up to where I’m sitting and the disappointment in his eyes has me looking down in shame. His hand appears in my eyeline, the command in his voice making my nipples harden even though now is not the right time, “Come on, time to go, Trouble. I’ll dislodge this boat and then I’ll tow it back.”
I slip my hand into his, but I can’t bring myself to look into his eyes, hating myself for what I’ve done. As I let him lead me off my stranded dream of doing it on my own and into the water, his grip tightens. It almost makes me feel hopeful. Almost.
By the time we’re back on the deck of his boat and under cover, I have no doubt that I look like a drowned rat. I want to run away and hide, just like a rat too. So, yeah, rat just all the way around.
“Go down and get dry, Bristol,” Hayden probably points or something as he speaks, but I still can’t look at him.
With a mute nod, I follow his directions, barely taking anything in when I find a bedroom and then a bathroom loaded with fluffy towels that look like heaven.
I strip and hang my wet coverup and bathing suit over the top of the small shower before wrapping a towel around my body. I’m not cold at all, but I still find myself shivering. Maybe it’s because Hayden is so close. Maybe it’s because I did something so stupid.
“Bristol,” Hayden saying my name behind me has me whipping around so quickly that I almost trip over my feet. His eyes rake up and down my body as I stand in front of him, water dripping from the ends of my hair and my hands clutching the towel to ensure I don’t flash him all my bits. “What you did was incredibly stupid.”
I might agree, but the way he says it has my spine straightening. He watches my reaction and his lip twitches which only has me narrowing my eyes at him.
“I know,” I bite out, not sure if I want to yell at him or thank him. My good manners win, and I swallow down my damn pride. “Thank you for coming to my rescue,” I tell him and hope he can hear the sincerity mixed with the annoyance in my tone.
I’m annoyed at myself.
I shouldn’t have done what I did.
Hayden closes the distance between us in only a few strides, his hand shooting out and gripping the back of my neck where his fingers tangle in the wet strands of my hair. I gasp at the contact and the way he presses his body against mine. I want to melt into a puddle at his feet, but I can’t.
Right? I can’t.
I shouldn’t?
“Hayden,” I breathe out as I stare up into his dark eyes.
“You scared the shit out of me Bristol. You put yourself at risk,” there’s a note of desperation entering his tone. “Why would you do that? Why would you go off on your own?”
“Because you scare me too,” I whisper, and he freezes.
