Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 59739 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59739 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
“Comes with the territory,” I mutter, and try to smile.
We sit like that for a long time, the silence broken only by the occasional thud of something heavy being dropped onto the deck above us, and the distant echo of Zeke’s cursing. There’s a peace in it, almost, the stillness of Tati’s shallow breathing and the world narrowed down to the tiny, dim-lit room, the two of us holding on for the stupidest, most stubborn reasons.
Eventually, Ace appears in the doorway, ducking in with a bottle of water and four little pills in his palm. He kneels next to us, and holds them out to Tati. “For the pain, and the infection.”
She raises her brows, just a little. “Is it morphine at least? Something epic that will make me forget that I am laying here with a fucking piece of wood in my stomach.”
He actually smiles, the first smile I’ve seen since the accident. “It’s not morphine, but if you want, there is a stash of weed I can light up for you, make this room a fuckin’ smoke show,” he says, and then winks.
She coughs out a small laugh, and winces. “It’s tempting.”
Ace grins again. Then we both carefully move her head up just enough so that she can swallow the pills.
“Sip,” I tell her, bringing the bottle to her lips. She sips, winces again, but gets it down, then chases the pills with a gulp.
Ace settles in beside me. For a long while, we say nothing, just listen to the ship creak and groan. Tati falls asleep again, her breathing soft. Ace has his hand on my thigh, thumb stroking small circles, but he doesn’t say a word. Maybe he’s thinking about everything we survived to get to this point. Maybe he’s just waiting for another shoe to drop. When I finally can’t take the silence any more, I murmur: “Do you think this is going to work?”
He doesn’t lie to me, and I love him for that. “I dunno. But if there’s anyone on earth who can fix a radio with a ball of tinfoil and a battery, it’s Adrian.”
A long pause.
“Did you ever think we’d get this far?”
He shrugs, but the motion is heavy. “I figured we’d die on that island, if I’m being honest.”
“Me too,” I whisper, and thread my fingers through his.
He gives my hand a squeeze, then leans back against the wall.
I let myself stare at Tati for a long time, watching her chest moving. The part of me that still believes in miracles is screaming to do something, anything, but there’s nothing left but waiting and the slow motion of grief.
“Come on, let’s go and get some fresh air,” Ace murmurs, low. “You need a break.”
He’s not wrong.
He helps me up, and I walk slowly, trying to shake the dread out of my bones. Up on deck, the sky is a beautiful shade of blue with a golden streak from the morning sun. We walk to the back of the ship, breathing in the salty air and weird kind of peace you get out here. Pulling out a cigarette, Ace inhales deeply and offers it to me.
I don’t say no.
I inhale, cough and then pass it back.
“She’s tough,” he says, voice rough, as if he knows what I’m thinking.
“I know she is, but I can’t stop thinking about what happens if Adrian can’t fix that fucking radio, or if we hit a storm, or any of the million things that can kill us.”
I stare out at the sea, the nothingness.
“We make it work, sweet pea. We always do.”
He flicks the cigarette out over the railing, and the ember arcs away, swallowed up by the ocean.
“Are you scared, Ace?” I whisper, stepping closer to him as a cool breeze trickles over me.
“No. I ain’t afraid of dying, Gracie. Not even a little. But when it comes to you... fuck, the thought of not makin’ it out with you by my side scares the fuckin’ shit out of me.”
I reach for his hand, the heat of his palm grounding me as I press my body against his. “You won’t. I’m not that easy to kill.”
He glances at me, eyebrow cocked. “I hope you’re right, kid.”
Me too.
Fuck.
Me too.
14
“GRACE! WAKE UP!”
I groan, rolling to my side, hoping that this has all just been a dream and I will wake up on the yacht, still holidaying with my team.
“Grace!”
Aggie’s voice is persistent, so I let my eyes flutter open. I don’t know what time it is, or if it’s light or dark outside. I passed out around lunchtime, exhausted from the night before. We are all exhausted. Someone watches Tati at all times, and we take turns. Adrian just keeps working until he can’t work no more, then he rests.
His words, not mine.
“What is it?” I say, forcing myself to sit up, even though all I want to do is go back to sleep.