“She is, isn’t she?” Ettore chimed in.
There was a snort from somewhere else in the room, but I couldn’t get myself to care, being so consumed by the sandwich that I was in the middle of.
“Don’t worry,” Ettore continued, “Ohs are made out of sterner stuff. Though we are both worried about you, you were in the water for quite a long time.”
“It seems that you all are made of sterner stuff, and I’m not,” I said teasingly.
“Of course!” Jin Woo said confidently, “You are delicate—”
I could feel my eyes turn into slits. I may like being sandwiched between two strong, handsome men, but I was a feminist.
“Because I’m a woman?” I asked, wondering if the warning tone in my voice was quite obvious. I had dealt with more than enough sexism for one lifetime, thank you very much!
“No no no no no!” Ettore tutted, shaking his head vigorously, “Delicate for other reasons. Don’t listen to us! We’re silly, so silly!”
That was suspicious as hell. I eyed him, and he made his eyes even more liquid and deep, and I conceded. For now.
“Fine. I guess.”
Jin Woo leaned closer, and the three of us got cozy. I could feel the two other men communicating above my head (again, what massive men they were, both of them) in the way that couples did sometimes.
Outlined by the shadows cast by the fire, Not-Oskar was highlighted in gold like some dark god. If we were sticking to the Greek pantheon, maybe a Hephaestus, or Ares, because he was not misshapen at all.
I knew him.I knew him.Even years later, I knew him. I would never be able to forget him. Not even if I tried.
So, I gave it one last go. Just one last time before I fully remanded myself to the label of ‘crazy, delusional girl.’
“Oskar!” I called out. Not in alarm, just to get his attention.
He turned.
“Yes?”
Chapter Four
It was probably not the best idea to start a brawl on a deserted island when I should be trying to survive, but I was one iota from attacking Not-not-Oskar. He could probably see it on my face because he raised his hands and took a big step back from me.
“Oh, so you like making me think I’m crazy, do you? Like a bit of gaslighting, do you? I’m sure it was soooo funny, Ha-fucking-ha.”
I stood up, angry but still careful not to kick Ettore or Jin Woo, who were both very conspicuously silent.
“It wasn’t a good time,” Oskar said, not looking sheepish enough for me, not looking contrite at all.
Fighting the urge to kick him, I took a big deep breath, letting the cool smoky air fill my lungs. It didn’t dampen my anger, but gave me enough control to think clearly. I didn’t have time for this mess.
“I’m going outside for a minute, and then I will come back in, and we’ll make an actual plan on how to survive here. Do you understand?”
I was mostly speaking to Oskar, but three people, including the bump on the floor, nodded. Of course, Oskar freaking didn’t.
Ignoring their, albeit valid, protestations about the cold, I burst outside.
I wanted to take a second to let my anger, betrayal, and disappointment wash over me in waves. Still, my surroundingsimmediately pulled my attention, suppressing my internal turmoil and forcing me to stay on alert.
It was almost apocalyptic. A layer of light grey covered the low scraggly grass, the boughs of the pine trees, and the half-bare bushes that were scattered around the cabin. In the near distance, the scrubland bled into a sad-looking grassland that rose in a gentle hill that sloped away from me. At the top of the hill, something reddish glinted, and a bit of white moved just beyond the crest.
The cool air began to penetrate my barely dry clothes, my coat being lost in the water, but I couldn’t go back in. I just couldn’t, so instead I began to trek up the hill, savouring the air in my lungs and the burn in my calves and thighs.
At the top of the hill, the entire island spread out below me like an unfurled blanket. The ashy grey-green of the cleared center of the island, the pock mark of the cabin, and the ring of trees that were the last barrier between the grass and the sand and the dark grey sea. The water spread out in a way that seemed infinite, no hint of land in any direction, no boats or planes, or marks of human life.
