Tomy nods, but he doesn’t believe me. “And here?”
Dylan is still talking to the two men from the boat. “He clearly knows them. It’s not unreasonable to believe they’d be friends. They all live on the islands, right? Besides, that guy was obviously punched. I imagine everyone knows about it.”
Tomy nods. We continue to watch, and my heart jumps when Dylan steps onto the boat. Oh god, how am I going to keep from staring at him?!
“I guess,” Tomy agrees and turns away. He grabs my hand and pulls me to the railing.
With his back turned, he doesn’t see Dylan look my way or see our eyes lock. Dylan doesn’t smile, but his eyes are intense. I get a strange feeling that he’s here on purpose. That he’s here for me.
Swallowing, I turn back to Tomy when he stops. “I wonder which side has better views,” he says.
I don’t answer. All around us, everyone is talking. Some about the beat-up guy, some about the upcoming tour, some about nothing at all.
The loudspeaker clicks on, and we turn our attention to the front. The guy with the bruise is standing on something to see over the crowd. Or maybe so we can all see him. Dylan is standing with the other guy from check-in.
“Welcome to the Site Seer. My name is Cash, and I’ll be your tour guide. Before we start, I’m going to address the big bruise on deck.” He points to his eye. “Yes, I was hit. I’m fine. Promise. I’m away from the situation, and there were no permanent injuries incurred. It’s just going to look ugly for a while. So this is your visual reminder that domestic violence is serious, so please seek help for yourself or a friend if you suspect something.”
“Did you beat his ass?” someone in the front asks.
“No,” Cash says.“Idid not. But yes, his face looks worse than mine. Any other questions?”
“I hope the guy who hit him drowns,” Tomy whispers. Several around us who overheard him glance back and nod in agreement.
I smile, squeezing his hand. “Same,” I say.
“All right,” Cash says. “Thank you for your concern. I’m constantly reminded of how wonderful the people who visit Kala are. It gives me hope for the rest of the world. Now. On to business. Safety first. This boat is equipped with three life raftsable to hold a dozen people each.” He points to various places on the deck as he continues. “They can be found at each end of the boat, under the middle benches, two in the back and one in the front. There are forty-five life jackets, which can be found stowed under the seats. You are not required to wear one, but if you’d like to, please feel free to help yourself.”
We shuffle a little as people look for lifejackets.
“A couple rules. Do not stand on the rails. Do not climb over the rails. Do not stand on the benches or, furthermore, jump from the benches. Do not throw anything overboard. Do not try to push other people overboard, even as a joke. Do not hit anyone.”
Several people chuckle as Cash waves at his eye.
“Do not try to take someone else’s partner. No fornication on the boat. Keep your hands above clothing and off private parts. Failure to abide by these rules will result in this tour ending early, with you being returned to the dock and a negative note on your profile. You’ll also have twenty-four angry guests to deal with. No smoking, no drinking, no eating, no pets, and finally, no, you cannot take any of the wildlife home with you.”
My eyes snag on Dylan as he mentions not taking someone else’s partner. His eyes are already locked on me.
“This cruise is ninety minutes. We’ll be navigating around the islands and visiting some beautiful locations. You will see stingrays, sea turtles, shipwrecks, reefs, colorful fish, and clear water. We will be remaining on the boat, so please do not ask if you can get in the water. This isn’t that kind of tour. However, when we return to the dock, you can sign up for one of those tours. You may see a shark or two. While it’s unlikely, there is also the chance that you might see a whale. We have in the past, and while we’re not directly on a migratory route, nor is it that time of year, we’ve been surprised before. You may see the occasional dolphin or even pods of dolphins.
“Last, this is the time when I inform you that every inch of this ship is being recorded.Do not worry.These feeds are not connected to the internet in any way. These private feeds serve as a safety means for you and us alike. For security reasons, we keep them for up to three months. Yes, they record voices as well. Also, we’ve signed NDAs just like you, so whatever secrets you have, they’re safe.”
“How many times do you think he has to say that in a day?” Tomy wonders.
“I’d imagine at least four. That’s a six-hour shift just in tours.”
“That would be so boring.” He turns to the water. “Do you think he’s immune to this view at this point? I can’t imagine I’d ever get tired of seeing this every day.”
I glance at Dylan. “Me neither.”
“For today alone, we’ll be serving a little bit of bubbly in celebration of the New Year. Also, a little plug: there’s an additional tour added for tomorrow night due to popularity, where you can watch the fireworks at midnight from the sea! Be sure to check it out! Okay, everyone with me now. Let’s tell the captain we’re ready. On three, yell—Ahoy, Captain!”
Once more, I look over my shoulder at Cash as the group yells for the Captain. Unsurprisingly, I don’t see him at all. The only person I see is Dylan.
Chapter Seven
DYLAN
Because I ownmy own business, I can set my hours. I’ve scheduled a few days off over the New Year holiday. I’m both regretting and glad about it. It means I don’t need to put myself in a position where Larson can randomly show up at my place of work again, but it also means he can’t show up wherever I am.
