“I’m gonna hang out here,” I reply. “Catch up on some sleep.”
Nate frowns. “I can still hang out with you.”
“I’m good. Really. Some time alone would do me good. Have fun.” I take my coffee and turn on my heel to go into the room.
He follows me. “Maisie, what the hell?”
“What? You should go with them.”
“I said I was spending this time with you.”
“I don’t need to be around anyone right now,” I say. And it’s mostly true. I feel raw over how we woke up, but I don’t want to fight. “Yesterday was ... bad. I need time to myself. So, please go have fun. You like Aaron and Trixie.”
“You really need time away?”
I make myself nod. “Yeah. It’ll be good.”
Nate’s frown deepens and I don’t understand why. He shouldwantthis space away from me.
“Fine. Just stay in contact.”
“Will do. Now go catch up with them.” I open the door for him to go and only let my shoulders slump when I’m alone.
It’s for the best. By the time he’s back, I’ll have my head on straight.
I try to sit on the bed and pull out my Kindle, but everything in this room is a reminder of how I woke up. When I have to reread the same page for the fourth time, I groan and decide to leave.
The spa isopen even though we’re at port, and after still struggling to read, I waste no time going inside.
I’m a creature of habit, so I get the same package Idid the last time I was here. As I get a massage and go into the sauna, I wait for the moment that I forget about Nate.
It doesn’t come.
Frustration blooms within me as I sit in the warm air. I’m tempted to go back to the room and sleep it off when I discover I’m not the only creature of habit on the boat.
“Okay, this is getting weird.” Scarlett puts her hand on her hip. “Are you following me?”
“Not intentionally.”
“I’m surprised you’re not out on an excursion,” she says. “Or that your friend isn’t here.”
I shrug. “He can’t really be here. And he’s out with some friends.”
“You sound happy about that.”
“I’m the one who sent him,” I say. “I’m fine with it.”
Scarlett hums and sits next to me. I know she’s having thoughts, ones I probably don’t want to know, and I try to keep from asking.
“Did you hear that someone fell off the dock yesterday?”
I freeze. I hoped she would change the subject, but she came to theworstpossible topic to discuss.
“Uh, yeah. I definitely did, considering it was me.”
Her jaw drops. “What? It was you?”
“Yep. Another trauma to add to the list.”
