“Take care of yourself, kid,” he said.
Seth stood in front of her, shifting awkwardly until Elena rolled her eyes and pulled him in for a hug.
Adria didn’t know what she was feeling. If it hadn’t been for Elena, she wouldn’t have found the boys in time.
“I don’t even know what to say,” Adria said.
“Just keep those three safe,” Elena said in complete seriousness.
Adria nodded. “I will.”
Tears burned behind Adria’s eyes as she pulled the young woman into her arms, squeezing her slight frame against hers.
“You are lucky to have them,” Elena said in her ear.
“You’ll find yours,” Adria said as she pulled away and noticed Elena glanced at Eric before returning eye contact.
Bryson and Elena just stood across from each other for a long time. Adria pulled Seth and Kaydon away to give them some privacy.
“If there are only four going on the ship, who else isn’t coming?” Seth asked.
Adria stopped walking.
“I’m going to head to X’s on my own,” Eric said, and Adria’s stomach dropped.
“No,” she said.
“Adria, it’s already done. Elena is going to get me part of the way and I’ll manage the rest.”
“I don’t see the purpose in splitting up,” she said, hands shaking.
Eric pulled her hood further over her face and put both hands on her shoulders.
“I’m going to make sure the coast is clear. I’ll be waiting for you when you dock.”
In a lower voice, he said, “You are in good hands.”
Is that what he thought? That she didn’t need him anymore?
“I don’t think that’s a good?—”
“All set,” Alevras said from behind her.
Adria looked over to see Bryson embracing his sister. Turning her gaze to Eric, she said, “You will be there when we land.”
He nodded. “Not even a question.”
“No, it’s not,” she said.
The ship loomed over them, its vastness making Adria feel suddenly small. As Alevras led them across the deck, her boots caught on rusted metal patches where green paint had long ago surrendered to salt and time. She nodded mechanically at his explanations, but the words dissolved into the crash of waves and the hollow space Eric should have filled beside her. Each time the wind gusted, she instinctively turned as if he might materialize to steady her. Deckhands pretended absorption in their tasks, but their eyes followed the group’s progress—lingering.
Despite Vega’s and Sota’s money, Adria felt the weight of strangers’ scrutiny pressing against her skin.
The boat shifted under her feet, and Alevras explained they were ‘clearing the moor.’ It meant they were leaving the dock. Adria looked to shore, knowing that Eric and Elena would be long gone, but desperately wanting to see them one more time.
“We should go below deck. I can show you your sleeping arrangements,” Alevras said.
The stairs into the ship were narrow, and the metal clanked with each step. The railing was damp and the smell of the sea was mixed with the scent of metal. That, paired with the rocking movements, told Adria she was in for a long three weeks.
