Page 54 of Stuck in Paradise with You

‘But—’ I stop myself as I consider the space, all the faces at the table whose families and friends will be here too.Joe’sfamily and friends.

‘I want to be here,’ Carrie says, and if she’s lying, it doesn’t show. ‘I’m glad I can help.’

‘Sorry. It’s a shit situation for everyone,’ I say to the group rather than anyone in particular. To Carrie, I add, ‘You’re right. More bodies will make faster work.’ I try to sound airy but I stuff my hands in my now soggy pockets and clench my fists.

‘On that note.’ Joe stands and drains the coffee that’s left in his mug. ‘We should load up the boat and get going.’

Everyone moves on Joe’s instruction – not that he meant it as an order, but this is Joe; he has silent control of, well,everything.

I hang back a beat, feeling the muscles in my cheeks twitch with the tension in my jaw.

I don’t want Carrie to be here. For one thing, she’s a gigantic pain in my ass – correction, burnt crotch. But I also don’t want her anywhere near this storm.

And the reason my jaw is stiff and my fists are clenched in frustration is because despite both those things, I do want her here.

I’m so damn thrilled she hasn’t gone, that last night isn’t how it ended between us.

Because something has shifted in me. I’m not sure how or what, but when I saw her on the terrace, it was as if she sent a surge of energy through my entire body. I can still feel a tingling under my skin from her presence.

I’m drawn to her like a moth to a flame, knowing the ending could be fatal. Unable to deny that I haven’t felt anything like this electricity in my veins before or sinceher.

24

CARRIE

I’m scared.

The boat crossing to Virgin Gorda is rough, the swell is as big as I’ve ever seen from a boat and Henry tells me this is only the very beginning of what’s to come. The sky is increasingly cloudy, not like the beautiful sunshine that’s been around since I arrived – it’s hard to fathom that was only Monday and now Thursday looks so different.

There are ten of us squished onto the speedboat, holding down wood and tools while trying to root ourselves to the boat as it crashes up and down, water spraying back at us from the bow.

Yet I’m pretty sure it’s not the journey or the storm that are making me afraid. Or not more so than being on the boat with Luke, after I bared all to him.

I’d vowed to myself, if I ever saw him again, not to let him know how much he hurt me and last night, I don’t know why the words fell out of me.

I was angry, frustrated, upset. I was supposed to be leaving.

Until I wasn’t.

This morning, he reacted to me as if I was a pane of fragile glass, waiting to be shattered. All jumpy and protective.

Well, I don’t need his pity. He’s seven years too late to show remorse.

I’m pleased he dropped his coffee and I hope he found my little trick with the iced water to be more feisty than wilting flower.

When he looks my way, I realize I’ve been scowling at him.Damn it.I don’t want him to think I’m looking at him. Though, I have to admit, wet from the spray, his workout gear sticking to everywhere it touches on his torso, cap in hand and dragging a hand through his wet hair to tug it back from his face. He’s… well, I can see why twenty-four-year-old me would have been turned by him.

Okay, okay, why even thirty-one-year-old me would be rapt.

But why ishestaring atme? He has no right and I narrow my eyes to let him know it.

Thankfully, our destination is dead ahead. When Henry drives us up to it, Luke and Jenny jump onto the dock, each taking a line and tying the boat to it. I watch Luke twist and turn the rope like he’s done it every day since he was born, and I watch the muscles of his arms twist and turn too.

What’swrongwith me? Am I greedy for punishment? Has the lack of clothes, the sea, sand, sun and alcohol of the last few days made me certifiably nuts?

The manleftme,ditchedme, made me fall in love with him, thendumpedme.

We get off the vessel at a place called Leverick Bay. There are other boats, a restaurant and hotel. The water is much calmer in the bay, sheltered by surrounding islands.

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