But that’s not going to happen. He’ll be gone all day, getting done what needs to be done, and when he gets back, we’re going to carry on as though we’re just survival buddies, and nothing more.
I spend the next few hours reading and dozing and dreaming about him, then go back into the house to try my phone. There’s no signal, and my phone is eerily silent without all those notifications that typically come in every few minutes to keep me engaged in my job. I stare at it, wondering what is happening at my office. Does Guy assume I’m dead? Has he replaced me already? I could totally see him doing that. The thought is like a punch to the gut.
And what about everyone I love? Do they think I’m dead at the bottom of the sea? I shake off the thought, knowing that dwelling on it won’t change anything. Opening my messages, I re-read my last texts with Vivian, wondering if she’s figured out that I’m missing. I’m sure she has. She’s probably all over it, and any minute now, the Coast Guard will arrive.
I type her a message, knowing it won’t get to her before I’m rescued. But part of me just needs to reach out to my bestie.
Me
Hey girlie, I hope you’re all right. I wish I could tell you that I’m fine because I’m sure you’re worried. You might even think the worst has happened, but I’m alive. I’m also in love. Yup, with the super-sexy, surly pilot. He’s actually quite wonderful. I sprained my ankle and cut my knee really badly a few days ago, and he bandaged me up and carried me down a freaking mountain. He’s smart and witty and caring, and just so manly. He knows how to do all the survival things and he’s crazy strong (like honestly, the body on him is a knuckle-biting sight). He told me I’m beautiful and he likes my voice. He said it’s strong and smooth, which is a pretty great compliment, no? He also said I’ve got curves for days and it would be a shame if I lost them. A real shame. He also said I’m a good person and I deserve to be happy, and that the only thing wrong with me is that I think there’s something wrong with me. So, yeah, I’ve fallen for him. How could I not? The problem is, he’s never going to fall in love with me. All that to say, I apologize in advance for the hot mess I’m going to be when I get home. Because I will be a. HOT. MESS. Possibly forever. But I will come home, I promise. Love you. Miss you tons. Wish you were here.
Mac gets back to the house long after sunset, looking exhausted. Since I already ate, I reheat some spaghetti in the pot with a little water to steam it while he takes a shower. His bedding dried out and there’s no sign of rain in the air this evening. I’ve already resigned myself to thefact that our night of sharing a bed is going to be a ‘one and done’ thing, just like his trip down the aisle.
By the time he comes out of the bathroom, I’ve got his plate waiting, along with a regular iced tea. No booze tonight for either of us. I need to keep my head on straight so I don’t make a total fool of myself.
“Thanks, Paige. This looks amazing,” he says, settling himself at the table.
“How’d it go today?”
“Good.” He nods while he twirls the noodles onto his fork. “I made it all the way to the northeast corner of the island. I set up the other dummies and made a new S.O.S. sign with some logs. On one of them, I painted ‘stranded on southwest part of island.’ It’s only a matter of time before someone sees one of the things we set out.” He pops the forkful into his mouth and chews, then swallows. “My guess is the signs on the top of the mountain are our best bet, but, if they’re passing by on a boat, those dummies will definitely attract attention.”
I smile at him, a sense of pride coming over me. “I hope so.”
“I know so. You really came up with some creative ways to get us noticed,” he says, having a sip of iced tea. “It’s impressive.”
“Nah, anyone would’ve thought of those things.”
He shakes his head. “Nope. I disagree. You’ve got talent, Paige. Don’t let anyone make you think otherwise.”
Rather than argue with him, I simply say, “Thank you,” then I bank that sweet little compliment for a future text to Vivian.
“So, that’s all we can do,” he says. “Now, we just wait.”
I let out a long exhale. “I am so bad at that.”
He snorts. “Same here. Not exactly my strong suit.”
“We’ll just have to find ways to keep ourselvesoccupied,” I say, looking down at the table to avoid making eye contact with him. The eye contact would totally give the game away. But without it, I could be making an innocent comment—one I would make if I were, in fact, stranded here with a group of women.
“Yup, we will,” he answers in a low tone.
I glance up at him, but he’s not looking at me. Instead, he’s focused on his dinner. “We’ll need to start catching fish so we can have some protein. I thought we could make coconut milk for our oatmeal, too. It’s not easy if you don’t have a blender, but it’ll be worth the effort. We should also forage for fruit so we can conserve the food in the cupboard.”
“Definitely,” I say with a bright smile, even though his idea of how to keep ourselves occupied is about as far from what I had in mind as possible. Glancing around, my eyes land on the boardgames and the deck of cards on the coffee table. “And maybe we can play some cards in the evenings.”
“Sounds good.”
“I’m a bit of a mean poker player,” I tell him.
“Are you?” he asks, his lips curving up into a sexy smile.
“No, but I thought that would sound cool.”
He laughs, then says, “It did.”
“Did it?”
“Oh yeah. Very cool. I was almost intimidated there for a second.”
