“I mean, personally, I’d be interested to know who did this considering they’re probably standing in the room,” Piper says, finally speaking up, apparently intent on sowing discord every time she deigns to engage with the group.
The rest of us tense and look over at her, leaning casually against the captain’s chair.
She shrugs. “What? Didn’t think of that part? It’s pretty obvious the call is coming from inside the house. It’s not like one of the partygoers last night knew a storm was coming and decided to try to strand us out here.”
The party feels like it was a thousand weeks ago, not something that happened last night. I wish this ride would slow down a bit. I’d like to get off.
“Well, maybe thatiswhat happened,” Rachel offers. “Someone drunk snuck in here, and maybe…maybe it was an accident, or they thought it was a prank—”
“Rachel, don’t be naive,” Piper snaps.
“But why…why would someone… Why would one ofusdo something like this?” Fiona asks. She’s drifted closer to Carl, concern in her eyes as she watches her boyfriend sway lethargically.
“I’d love to know the answer to that,” Trey growls, rounding on the group, deep gray eyes flickering between each of us as if hoping to read the guilt on our faces.
“It’s self-sabotage,” I point out, suddenly concerned they might point the finger at me, the newbie. “Whoever did this fucked themselves over as well. Why would someone put their own life on the line like that?”
“Exactly,” Rachel says gratefully, giving me a relieved look. “Why would one of us do this? It doesn’t make sense. Ithadto have been one of the party guests.”
“Okay, we all need to calm down,” Carl says, but his voice is jagged, and it’s like he’s saying it to convince himself as much as us. He’s trying and failing to take large gulps of air.
“Carl, seriously…” Fiona murmurs. “Are you okay?”
He waves her off, focused on Trey, who’s frowning at the captain’s chair. “I…I need to think. Let me…let me see if there’s a way to fix any of this. Maybe the radio isn’t smashed too badly. I need some time. And quiet.”
“That’s it, you heard the man,” Viv announces, clapping her hands together. Her face is brisk and businesslike, but there are lines creasing her forehead, visible even through the thick layer of makeup. “Rachel? I think we should figure out what food we have besides the mac and cheese Charlie found. Let’s get some dinner prepared. A feast will take our minds off this.”
“You sure a feast is the right move?” Piper drawls, sucking down the last of her drink, which she has carried with her this entire time. She clinks the ice against the glass in a way that sounds almost ominous.
My hands get cold as I sense her implication. “Maybe we should try to eat light tonight,” I agree, swallowing hard. “Stretch out what we have.”
I don’t want to drop the R bomb—ration—but I will if I have to.Rachel looks confused, but a shadow passes over Viv’s face; she is realizing what might happen if we’re stuck on this yacht for longer than a few days. Sure, the hurricane is supposed to wear itself out with no landfall, but the slash of waves and the howl of wind outside don’t inspire confidence. With no way to contact the outside world and limited food supplies, we have to be careful.
“You might be right,” Viv says slowly. “Come on, Rachel. I’m sure we can figure something out. Maybe you can mix up a good cocktail for everyone too.”
“Oh, sure!” Piper says, mimicking Viv’s breezy tone. “Maybe you can fix a drink for the person who screwed us over! Might as well, right?”
“That’s enough,” Fiona interrupts, stepping away from her boyfriend, shaking her head. “I can’t believe one of us would do something like this. We’re a family. I think Rachel is right. It must have been some drunk party guest. We have to stick together. That’s how we’ll make it through this. That’s how we always make it through.”
Viv gives Fiona an approving look, nodding vigorously. “That’s right,” she replies, glancing over at Trey, who isn’t listening, leaning over the busted control panel, shining his cell phone’s flashlight at the exposed wires and cracked screens. “We need each other, after all. Let’s operate under that assumption. For now.” She tacks a smile on the end her sentence to soften the weight of it, to erase the darkness that passes over her eyes at the words.
“I’ll stick around and help you out, man,” Carl says to Trey,nodding at Fiona and moving slowly to stand beside his friend. Carl’s steps are sluggish; he wasn’t lying earlier. Hedoeslook exhausted.
Fiona seems like she’s going to protest, but then turns and sashays out of the bridge without a second glance. Maybe she’s offended Carl chose to help instead of consoling her.
“Rachel?” Viv cajoles. “Come on.”
Rachel’s eyes are wide, and she stares at Ashley meaningfully, like she’s using twin telepathy to ask her to come with them. It must work, because Ashley says, “I’ll meet you up there and help out. I need to change into something warmer. Doesn’t it feel freezing to you? Can we turn down the AC?”
“Yeah, yeah, we can do that upstairs,” Viv says distractedly. “Rachel,now.”
As Viv, Rachel, and Ashley leave the bridge, I suddenly realize there is something familiar about the way Viv talks.
Sage’s older brother, who I only met a handful of times because he lived Up North, had a dog named Lacey. Lacey was very well-trained, and every time Sage’s brother gave her a command or spoke to her, he did so in a direct yet patronizing voice. The dog always obeyed him.
That’s how Viv talks to all of us. Like we’re her dogs.
It takes me a moment to realize Piper is watching me, the men now ignoring us and running through the checklist to see what on the control panel might be salvageable.
