Page 60 of Adrift

“You did?” I echo, scratching the back of my head.

Berty nods quickly, intensely, like he’s trying to get something important across. “He was gonna hand in his notice, did you know that? Find somewhere else for the last two months of his visa.”

For the… what?

“But he’d just met you, and… I could see it in his face. He’s changed, hasn’t he, Murph?”

Berty keeps talking, but his words slip through my brain like the lap of the waves against concrete, and the steadily growing ringing in my ears.

I’m in shock. My hands are slowly curling into fists by my side as I stare into the distance. The pieces are falling into place way too fast… and my heart will not be spared.

Three weeks ago, Kieran said that he was coming up on a couple of years in Canada.

I was born in Canada, so I don’t know a lot about how it works. But a working holiday visa lasts two years, doesn’t it? During my gap year, I met kids my age who were doing it. And there’s no extensions. I know that for sure.

Shiiiiit.

Kieranhasbeen hiding something from me. But it’s not a shadow of his past, like I assumed—something I could help with, if he let me in.

It’s his future.

When was he going to tell me? When he packed his fucking suitcases?

Murph’s voice breaks through the heat of anger building in my chest. “The trailer’s right next to Ladybird. You wanna move her so we can get out?”

Good call. Berty carries a cleaning cloth in his back pocket to wipe away specks of dust. The threat of a whole loaded trailer careening into her is enough to stop him in his tracks.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay, kid?” Berty hugs me tightly, and I try to pat his back like a normal human instead of a disjointed robot.

“Sure. Tomorrow. Yeah.”

I’m still staring into the distance as the engine purrs to life and Berty takes off for home in the old Bug.

Home. I gotta get home, too. And get the barrel home.

“The tide won’t wait,” Murph interrupts me at last, jangling the golf cart keys in his palm.

“Right. Right, yeah.”

The barge is moored up here at the loading ramp, and he doesn’t want it getting stranded.

And, actually, that’s the perfect excuse.

“I can handle this barrel by myself if you wanna go moor up for the night.”

I can’t force a smile—not even close—but I do at least make myself meet his eyes.

Murph frowns slightly, his gaze flickering with concern.

Come on, man, I plead without words.

I know he’d keep me company without ever saying a word, but… that’s not what I want when I’m barely keeping the pieces of my heart together.

I want to be alone when it shatters.

“Take it easy,” Murph says, finally handing over the keys.

Yeah. Easy. Sure.

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