“Good idea. The trip will be over before you know it, so you should make the best of it. Don’t turn into a mope because of one bad experience. That would defeat the whole purpose of my gift, which was to make sure you forget all about that clown ex of yours.”
“I know. Thank you. It’s been an amazing vacation so far, even if I’ve had my moments. It’s given me a lot of time to clear my head. I’ll never forget you gifting this experience to me.”
“Okay.” He sighed. “Be careful. Stop trolling older men. And call me if you need to.”
“Will do, my friend. Thanks for listening.”
After we hung up, I went to the front desk and inquired as to which excursions had open spots late this afternoon or early evening.
There was a spot open on the five o’clock helmet-diving adventure, so I signed up for that.
After returning to my room to freshen up, I walked down to the pier where the boat was located at a few minutes before five. I met the driver, Pete. He was really nice and told me there was only one other person signed up. So, we were just waiting on them before leaving the dock.
In the meantime, he and I got to talking about what to expect. I was a little nervous. The idea of being that far underwater, weighed down by a heavy helmet, got my catastrophic mind churning.
Just as Pete asked me where I was from, a deep voice called from behind me. “Don’t believe anything she says.”
I froze and turned to find my apparent diving partner:Tate.
Chapter 3
BLAIR
“Are you the other diver? I should leave.” I sighed.
Tate grinned. “No, by all means, stay.”
“Is this your daddy?” Pete chuckled.
“She fucking wishes,” Tate said.
I glared at him, and he smirked, seeming all too amused by this coincidence.
As awkward as it was, I had to appreciate the universe’s sense of humor. And secretly, I’d been regretting how things went earlier and welcomed the chance to prove to Tate that I wasn’t just some silly little liar. This was my opportunity to turn his impression of me around.
The instructor got us suited into lifejackets before the boat took off.
“Now is probably not a good time to mention that I get seasick,” I yelled over the motor.
“There’s a lot you keep under wraps until inopportune moments,” Tate shouted. “What made you go helmet diving if you have a tendency to get seasick?”
“I wanted to challenge myself. That, and it was the only available excursion. I was sort of looking for adistraction after a botched hookup with some old dude earlier.”
“You shouldn’t be hooking up with older men who want to take advantage of you anyway.”
“You’re basically warning me against men like yourself?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I am.”
“That’s great.” I chuckled.
“What the hell are you doing here alone anyway?” he asked.
“I’m nineteen, not twelve.”
“That’s beside the point. Most people go on vacation with a group.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why areyouhere alone?”
