Tomorrow I’d have time to figure out how to get off this island. It wasn’t far from the bay, and if anything, there had to be boats all around the place I’d be able to flag down once daylight came. I could help her get in touch with her family, who could explain there was no time lapse, and they could help her understand she wasn’t married. It could all be laughed off, but in the meantime, what do I tell her about what we were doing on a boat in a storm?
I couldn’t tell her I was running away from thugs, but I pondered if maybe I could tell her about the map…I mean, we had made it to the island without even trying, and I was going to hunt for the treasure tomorrow. She would be full of questions about it. It might be nice to have some help, but then she’d want to split it with me, and she already had tons of money, and that didn’t seem fair. Reaching to my side, I patted my satchel, making sure it was still there. “We were um, trying to get away to have some time together.”
“I love that,” she cooed, leaning her head back on my shoulder again. “I love that even after marriage, we still put each other first.”
Maybe it’s how lies taste, but a sour coating crept into my mouth. I found myself rolling my tongue on the roof, trying to rid myself of its flavor. I was a thief, and proud of it, but I had never been a liar, and I didn’t like the taste it left in my mouth. Not wanting to add any more lies to keep track of, I was done talking for the night. “What do you think?” I casually looked over at her but made sure to lean away, careful not to imply anything as I stretched out on the ground. “You must be exhausted? You should close your eyes to rest, and I’ll keep watch for you. It’s going to be a big day tomorrow.”
Her eyes traced my face, and if I’d I ever wanted to be able to read someone’s mind, it would have been now. There was a shyness that took over her gaze. “Sure.” She followed my lead, spreading out next to me, our bodies lined up parallel. Perhaps she’d been expecting us to cuddle, and it would have made sense with the whole camping situation and all, if we had actually been married. Something about lying next to her felt like it was going too far. Before she made any suggestions, I rolled over on my side and stared out of the cave entrance, keeping my gaze far away from her.
Afterall, I have boundaries! I might be pretending to be married, but there would be no spooning with a stranger!
five
Evie
I was sleeping when a faint rustling drew me from my sleep. Pulling one eye open into a slit, trepidation budded in my chest when I searched for the noise. The fire had waned into nothing more than glowing embers and smoky haze, but it was enough to make out the shadow of Jasper sitting up. Seeing the noise was only him, I calmed until I noticed he was holding out a tattered piece of paper and tilting it toward the light while seemingly deep in thought.
Just as I had suspected. He had the stolen treasure map!
I had guessed it had been in that satchel he’d been guarding all day. Men were always so weird about their possessions, but he had been hypervigilant. Especially since he had taken the care to save it from the shipwreck. Even though I now had my suspicions about him being the thief confirmed, I was unafraid.
There was something about this moment, being so close to him, and being able to study him when he had no idea, that felt sacred. Jasper was intriguing to me. He had his mysteriousways, yet he was obviously caring because he had gone out of his way to go along with my amnesia skit even though I could tell he was totally uncomfortable, and terrible at lying. The poor guy was nearly trembling when I leaned my chin on his arm. If he had wanted to hurt me, he would have done it by now, and he sure wouldn’t have gone out of his way to find me after the boat crashed.
Those thugs I had seen on the docks were bad dudes. Everything, from the way they spoke of murder, and revenge, to how filthy gross they were. I felt it in my core just being near them, but Jasper didn’t give off any dark vibes. Oddly, I had learned to trust him in this short time, but was still insanely curious as to how he got messed up with dudes like them.
He had to be so brave. I didn’t believe for a minute he was a ship captain, but he had a life outside of stealing treasure maps. He was extremely handsome. I noticed it right away, but especially now that I got to see him this close. He did have a deep scar on his neck below his ear, but that didn’t hurt his appearance. If anything, it made him more alluring. I wish I could ask him about it, but I don’t want to offend him, and the shape was so odd, it didn’t look like an accident.
Who are you?I mouthed without sound.
I don’t know how much time passed while I studied Jasper before my eyes drifted again. A moment later, a soft touch on my cheek brushed away the hair that had fallen in front of my face. His touch was so tender, it sent a thrill of goosebumps right through me. The warmth of his body so near wafted off of him, and I held my breath, debating on whether I should open my eyes or not. My gut told me to keep them closed. It was clear when I was awake that Jasper wore some sort of a shield, but now that he’d assumed I was sleeping, he seemed to be truly concerned about me, taking watch through the night while I slept.
Time passed, and Jasper got up. I opened one eye to see him kindling the fire, and when that was done, he took several laps around the cave, pausing at the entrance to gaze out into the night. I drifted in and out of sleep, and I was about to offer to take a turn at watch so he could rest when he made a scuffling noise. I assumed he had finally laid down because it got eerily quiet. I opened my eyes to check, and he was gone.
six
Jasper
Not wanting to risk having to play four hundred questions with Evie about what I was doing tomorrow, I decided it was best to get a head start on the hunt tonight. If I was as lucky as we’d been thus far, I would find the treasure, claiming it all for myself. I rubbed my hands together excitedly as I walked away from the cave. The treasure will be all mine, and nobody will even know about it.
Then I’ll return to find Evie, and we’ll figure out how to get off this island and put this awkward marriage play behind us. She really was a sweet lady, and I feel terrible she hit her head and all, but I had zero interest in being anybody’s husband—real or pretend.
I pulled myself together, but didn’t take my satchel. If by chance I wasn’t back by the time she woke up, I wanted to leave something to show her I was coming back, and that’s all I had. I could easily say I was out looking for berries or something. Besides, I wouldn’t be able to read the map in the dark anyway.At this point I had it memorized. The X was on the beach on the other side of the island, which according to the scale shouldn’t be more than a quick walk. I wasn’t going to think about how I had already determined the map scale was off.
The best path would be to hang along the water’s edge so I wouldn’t lose my sense of direction. If I didn’t fall in a hole or something, it would be a super simple trail. As I strolled along, I marveled as the whole island seemed to be wrapped in a peaceful vibe emanating from the waves crashing against jagged rocks and the rustle of trees swaying in a never-ending perfect breeze. The air was heavy with the scent of wildflowers, while exotic birds sang harmonious melodies. That was odd, because on the mainland, birds didn’t sing at night. It was just another ridiculous thing about this island. It was paradise.
When the cave was no longer in my sight, and the first daylight broke the sky, I stumbled across something—let’s call it a clue—that made me doubt I had thought this plan out as thoroughly as possible—pirates!
And not just any pirates.
The ones whose map I had stolen!
They crowded around me, like pigeons on breadcrumbs. Before I had time to think, it was too late to run.
“You know what we want.” The burliest one stepped forward, putting his hands around my neck. “Give it back now, and we’ll let you go free.”
My hands flew to his massive-superhuman hands on my neck. I tried to pry them loose, but they didn’t budge. He retaliated against my feeble attempt at defense and pulled upward, until only the tips of my toes touched the ground. It was a bit of a compromising position which left me struggling to breathe, but he must not have known who he was messing with.
If he thought I was going to hand this map over after everything I went through this week, he was nuts. He may be anugly pirate with bad breath, but I was one of the most successful thieves. I never gave back my loot. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I managed to choke out.
