“Yes, that’s right. We were at Maui, our last stop, and then it’s three days out at sea. Jordan can’t possibly be on board, can he? I saw him standing on the dock when we left.”
“Maybe he left his phone on board or he chased down the ship,” Jade says. “Whatever he’s doing has me worried. Why is he hiding from you?”
“Because he screwed up. He spied on me for Stephen, and I can never, ever trust him again.”
“Oh, Dani, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know he’d turn out like this. He seemed so sincere, wanting to cheer you up. I would never have let him take my place if I didn’t think he was on the up and up. I believed he had a crush on you.”
“He did cheer me up and make me forget Stephen,” I admit. I give my bestie a summary of how I opened my heart to Jordan. “I was willing to run away with him. I wanted all of his surprises, because I thought they’d be good surprises. What he did to me is the worst surprise ever.”
“I’ll kill him if I ever get my hands on him.” Jade sounds like an angry mama bear. “Dani, I’m truly sorry. Is there anything I can do to make up for this?”
“Nothing. You meant well with this trip. I guess the only thing I can do is have as much fun as I can until we return to Los Angeles. Like you said, success is the best revenge.”
“You do it,” she encourages. “Aiden and I are on your side. Let’s meet up after the New Year and do something fun.”
“Yes, let’s roast Jordan. I’m going to make a giant Jordan Reed piñata and beat the snickers right out of him.”
* * *
I toss and turn all night. The mattress on my bunk is uneven, so I move onto Jordan’s bunk. I hug his pillow to my face and try not to bask in the scent of his cologne.
Jade says his phone is on board the ship. Maybe he left it behind. Since I can’t sleep, I flick on the lights and unpack the things I stuffed in his duffel bag.
He betrayed me, so I deserve to snoop.
Humpf.
I refold his clothes and arrange his boxers back into the bureau. His socks are scattered on the bottom of the bag, so I carefully match them and tuck them, one into the other.
A string of seashells fall out of a tube sock.
It’s a puka shell necklace I admired at one of the jewelry stores I visited with Jordan. It’s not expensive, just a string of small, white shells that are roughly round worn as a choker.
My heart softens a bit as I recall him saying he had to go to the restroom and disappearing for a few moments. He’d gone back and bought it.
I put it back into the sock, not wanting to assume. Maybe it’s a gift for Jade.
After sorting through his socks, I replace all of the little bags and boxes into the drawer under his bunk. The shopping bags have wrapped presents inside, and the boxes are small, with the names of jewelry shops embossed on them.
I shake a few of the boxes and detect either necklaces or bracelets. There are ring boxes among them, but I dare not imagine they’re for me.
Despite denying he lives off women, these could be gifts for his current and future sugar mamas.
I’m tempted to peek, but I’m not that dishonorable. Sighing, I push all of his purchases into the drawer and put his duffel bag into the small closet.
His personal toiletries are next, but I’ve already been through them all. I return them to the bathroom and stop short when I see what’s in the sink.
It’s a conch shell, the typical spiral one with a large, pink opening. A note sticks out of the shell. It reads:
Place this shell to your ear.
You’ll hear the sea and know I’m near.
My voice always calls for you.
Believe and hope for what is true.
It has to be Jordan. He’s on this ship somewhere, and he’s playing hide and seek with me. Despite my disappointment, I put the shell to my ear. There is a soft, hollow sound, but I no longer hope for anything since I don’t have a clue whether what I hope is true is only wishful thinking.
“This isn’t funny!” I say, looking around for a hidden microphone, or even worse, a camera. “Jordan, you’re a chicken. A coward. If you’re here, I dare you to confront me. You have a lot of explaining to do. You hear?”
Obviously, he doesn’t jump out of the shower and scare me half to death. There aren’t many nooks and crannies for him to hide, so I retire back to my bunk, and this time, despite the lumpy mattress, I fall asleep sometime in the wee hours of the night.
