Page 20 of Diving In

A part of me knew it was ridiculous to think that on an island this size they wouldn’t hang around each other, but there was something that rumbled in the bit of my belly as soon as his name left her lips.

My mind flashed back to our car ride together, his hand on the steering wheel and the bracelet readingBJW.

I didn’t know her middle name, but could the initials be hers?

Way more bothered than I should’ve been by the fact that the two of them might be seeing each other, I did my best to ignore the churning in my stomach and gave her my attention.

“Right. Yeah, I’m sort of shocked that I’m back too,” I said, my voice emotionless.

“How long are you staying? I’m sure New York can’t wait to have you back. You always did think you were too big for this island.”

“Only three days,” I said, ignoring her jab.

“Checks out. We all know you could never stand this place.”

“Or the people,” I muttered under my breath.

“Huh?”

“Oh, I just said it was best that I got off the island.”

“Yeah, I guess some of us are just better at handling our problems head-on,” she poked, her tone sharp, a wicked smile plastered across her face.

Some things never change.

She opened her mouth to continue the conversation, but I couldn’t handle it anymore. I was seconds from exploding. I was over it, over her, and over the memories of the past coming back to haunt me. The clouds began to hang a little closer overhead and I could smell that the rain was coming.

“I’m going to head back to Jack’s house before the rain hits.” Despite the fact that I absolutely didn’t want to go back to Jack’s, I preferred that over standing here and suffering through any more small talk with Blair.

“It was really good to see you, Georgia. I hope you enjoy your time on our island,” she said with what I could only assume was a fake smile, turning on her heels and walking down the beach in the opposite direction.

And just like that, I was once again left alone with my thoughts and my memories and my unyielding flood of emotions.

CHAPTER 10

As I made my way back to Jack’s house, I couldn’t help but feel weird about this whole situation. I’d taken up residence in his space, and even though everything was still completely foreign to me, it also felt familiar in a lot of ways.

Before making my way up the staircase at the back of the house, I spotted the largest boathouse I’d ever seen. Given the size alone, it was safe to say it was more of a guesthouse than a boathouse.

Nosy per usual, I stepped up to the white double doors. The blinds were pulled so I couldn’t see much past them, and as I jiggled the handles, I found they were both locked. Slightly disappointed, I looked around for another way in, but as I felt a raindrop splatter onto my cheek, I decided it was best to head inside now and snoop later. I made a dash for the stairs and made it safely back inside, mostly dry.

I paraded into the kitchen and noticed an unopened bottle of wine perched on the counter, one that I hadn’t remembered seeing before.

As I picked it up, I realized it was a bottle of my favorite cabernet—Prisoner. I popped it open, poured myself a hefty glass, and checked my phone, seeing I had two texts from Mom.

Mom:

Hey, G. Just checking to make sure you made it safely. Love you.

Mom:

Just making sure you’re alive. I know your flight landed because I was able to track it, but a little confirmation would be nice. Call me when you get a chance! Love you.

Just as I started dialing her number, my phone rang.

“Hi, Mom.”

“It’s about damn time, G. I know you’re a grown woman, but you know I still worry

---