Page 31 of The Version You Hide

And damn it, his pecs are firm.

“Okay. I’m gonna let you calm down a little while I go get these lovely people some refreshments. I’ll bring you something in a minute, okay?”

“Whatever,” I mutter as I make my way across the boat to my bag.

I grab my towel and begin drying off, then I throw on the shorts and crop top I’d worn here back over my bikini. The boat is set in motion as I take a seat on the same bench I sat on for the journey out to the reef.

A short while later, Dylan is standing in front of me, his wetsuit pulled down to the waist so low it reveals his eight pack and a scripted tattoo across his right rib cage.

Great. Now he’s decided to use his hot body to distract me from being angry at him.

“How’s it going, Kenz?” he asks as he holds out a selection of sandwiches on a small plate to me.

I swear he’s just going along with this annoying nickname to piss me of now.

“As good as it can be after a near death experience.” I answer stiffly, plucking a cheese and ham portion. He doesn’t say anything. Just stands there grinning at me, one hand on his hips, the other balancing the plate of sandwiches. It’s irritating. “Stop smiling at me!”

God, I wish he’d put a shirt on. I also wish he’d never put a shirt on. I don’t know what it means that I can’t stop gawking at him, but I really hope it isn’t obvious.

“Okay, okay,” he says, raising his hands up in the air. “I’m sorry I scared you. You hate sharks. Duly noted. Friends?” He holds out his hand in a peace offering.

I’m not usually the type to overreact and I’m starting to realise that’s exactly what I’ve done. Although I don’t know Dylan well enough to trust him – I don’t think I’ll ever know anyone well enough to trust them – I know he’d never put me in immediate danger.

He’s a dive instructor who is clearly passionate about his work. The grin that he’s worn this entire boat tour is a testament to that. He just wanted to show me something that he thought was special to him and I freaked out about it.

I huff out a breath. “Fine. I’m sorry too. For overreacting.” I accept his handshake and then he sits down beside me, placing the plate of sandwiches on the bench in between us. “But I am gonna get my revenge on you for that stunt you pulled.”

“I’ll sleep with one eye open.” He chuckles. “Any word from Harper?”

I reach into my bag with my free hand and pull out my phone, casually scrolling through the notifications. “Not yet. I’ll send her a text.”

I type out a quick message asking Harper how Noah is doing.

“I meant what I said before, you know.” He shifts his body towards mine on the bench seat.

“Which part? That sharks are misunderstood and endangered?”

“No.” He shakes his head, laughing quietly.

“Oh, so you made that part up?” I quirk an eyebrow as I take a small bite of my sandwich.

“I didn’t. Those things are true,” he replies earnestly.

“Oh. What then?”

His eyes soften and he lifts his right shoulder subtly in a small shrug. “I’m glad you came out today.”

“Yeah. Me too,” I admit.

Despite the last five minutes of the snorkelling trip sending me into a panic, I have really enjoyed today. And whether I care to admit it or not, Dylan’s company hasn’t been all that bad either. My phone chimes with an incoming text from Harper, and I break my gaze away from his to steal a glance at the screen.

HARPER: Noah's fever has broken. I think he's on the mend.

“Noah’s starting to feel better,” I relay to Dylan.

“That’s good,” he replies, taking a bite of one of the sandwiches. “He’s such a cute kid.”

“Yeah.” I can’t help my mind shifting back to yesterday, to the way he’d calmed Noah down so effortlessly, which in turn reminds me of Harper’s comments. My phone chimes with another text.

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