Page 53 of Forking the Billionaire

“No,” I said. “She seemed good when I walked her home last night.”

If something was wrong, she wouldn’t want to share with Gabriel and risk worrying him during his wedding week. But if she was meeting us at the beach, she was fine, right?

I had no reason to assume otherwise. I stared out the window and reminded myself I needed to clear my head and focus on what this week was all about—enjoying time with my best friend and celebrating his big life event.

“Today is snorkeling, right?” I asked.

“Yes. The water is supposed to be so clear that you can see over a hundred feet away,” Layana said.

“Where’s Jules?” Gabriel asked. “She’s not sick, is she?”

I tried not to bristle at the mention of her name.

“Doing her own thing. She’s fine. Looking forward to snorkeling?” I asked Layana, though it was clear that she was.

“Definitely. This might be the one thing that isn’t related to the actual wedding that I’ve been looking forward to most,” she said.

“Jasper’s an expert,” Gabriel said.

Layana squinted at me for confirmation.

“He used to go as a child,” Gabriel said.

“I’ve been a few times,” I said. “I’m not an expert.”

The memories were bittersweet. It was the one trip my father took with us every year, but he’d always chosen to stay back and work rather than spend time with Mom and me.

“Any advice?” Layana asked.

“Don’t dive down without holding your breath first. If your ears start to hurt, pinch your nose,” I said. “Most importantly, don’t touch anything.”

“The reef is a fragile ecosystem,” Gabriel said.

“Do you think we’ll see any sharks?” Layana asked, with a curious tone rather than a nervous one.

“It’s certainly possible,” I said.

“The most likely species for us to encounter include nurse sharks and reef sharks. We’ll remain in groups, you’ll wear your gloves to cover your ring, and we’ll keep our distance,” Gabriel said.

“Yeah, yeah. I didn’t forget I need to wear protection,” Layana said with a grin.

I chuckled.

“Shiny objects can lure sharks due to their resemblance to fish scales,” Gabriel said.

“I promise to wear the gloves.” She patted his thigh.

We arrived at a different beach than we’d been to before. The sun glinted off turquoise water and white sand with blinding brightness.

But a short distance away, huge black rocks jutted out of the water. They reminded me of the knobby vertebrae of an ancient, slumbering monster. Esme would have something to say about it, probably a ridiculous fake history of the monster’s defeat that would make me laugh and make Gabriel frown.

Our ragtag group gathered by the shore and began putting on their masks, fins, and snorkels. I dropped my shirt, flip flops, and towel on the sand and prepped my own gear.

I kept my attention on my task, and not on searching the small crowd to see if Esme had arrived yet. After insisting on walking her home last night, then asking about her this morning, I didn’t need Gabriel thinking I was overly interested in his little sister.

A hearty and unrestrained laugh gave me my answer. No question she was here. No one else used their whole body to laugh like that, and no one else would be so loud. The sound prickled from my ears through my throat. What could possibly be so amusing?

Then a man jogged into the shallow edge of the water. Even with his head turned away, I immediately recognized the musician’s tall, thin frame and dreadlocks.

---