“No thanks.” I was actually thinking,Hell, no, but my daddy was firmly against swearing, except in the most dire of circumstances, like when the Bulldog quarterback got sacked. On second thought, maybe a coconut top did merit aHell, no.Too late now.
Thad picked up the dirty clothes. “Let’s wash them while we’re here, eh?”
I snatched them back. “I’ll do it.”
“What, you think guys can’t do wash?” He did that eyebrow thing again.
No,I’m embarrassed to have you touch my smelly clothes. Thad’s offer felt strangely intimate and more than a little awkward. But before I could protest again he’d already flicked the bandana out of my hand and was expertly scrubbing it in the water.
Following his lead, I washed the shorts. Soon everything smelled like coconut-lime shower gel from Bath & Body Works.
“Who makes the soap?” I asked.
“Li. She’s crazy good with floral stuff. She’s from Beijing. She doesn’t speak much English, but we get the gist of it. Her sandsoap’s the best. I’m not sure if she already knew how to make it, or if she learned from Ramia, but no one makes soap like Li.”
“Where’s Ramia?”
“Gone.”
Thad wrung out the cloth as he stood. I did the same, but when I got to my feet, the world swayed.
He caught my elbow. “Don’t fall down on me again.”
“I won’t.” I said, trying not to snap. I hated feeling weak, although I was. The pressure of Thad’s hand on my elbow competed with the pulse in my temple, then the wooziness passed. “I’m okay. Just stood up too fast.”
The pressure on my elbow vanished.
I changed the subject, determined to get myself under control. “Hey, you don’t happen to have a brush, do you?”
“How about a comb?” He reached into his satchel and pulled out the most beautiful wooden comb I’d ever seen. Hand carved, it had thick tines, rubbed smooth.
“Wow. I’ve never seen anything like it.” I ran my fingers over the silky wood.
“Miguel’s handiwork. He’s the best carver in the City.”
“Who else is in the City?” I sat on Thad’s rock and began wrestling with my hair. “And how many other cities are there?”
“None. Just Nil City. The island’s not that big. And the number of people changes. Right now there’s me, Natalie, Rives, Jason, Li, Talla, Raj, Heesham, Samuel…” Thad counted on his fingers as he spoke. “And you make twenty-one.”
Taking a break, I rested my shaking hands in my lap, wondering exactly how hard I’d hit my head. I wastired.
“Charley, no offense, but you look like you’re gonna collapse. If you want, I’ll finish combing your hair.” He stuck out his hand, gesturing for the comb.
I stared at his outstretched hand, totally floored.
Ilovedgetting my hair brushed. More than getting my back scratched, more than getting a massage, more than anything, and I’d always dreamed about having a cute boy brush my hair.
Thad had just served up my secret fantasy on an island platter.
CHAPTER
13
THAD
DAY 279, EARLY MORNING
It was a serious WTF moment in my own head.
