Page 25 of My Wife

Spoiler alert: we don’t.

It all comes down to the inexplicable reality that we’re trapped on an island, fifteen miles from shore, with the corpse of one of our closest friends. To make it worse, we had to leave her there. Even if we could figure out how to scale the ravine, then drag her body back up, Chase’s lawyer instincts are in overdrive. He insists we have to preserve the scene. An accident it may be, but we need everything to look exactly the way it was for when we can finally contact the police.

That won’t be until Monday morning. When the owners touted the new and improved Halo Island as a place to visit when you want to unplug and unwind, they weren’t kidding. We can’t contact the real world. If we’d expected anything like this, maybe a sat phone would’ve done the job, but our regular calls are worthless.

Obviously, Vee’s death puts a damper over the whole rest of the getaway. Summer never said another word after I shut her down so crudely, and Tyler just agreed to everything Chase insisted on just so he could get away from the ravine again.

We’re all headed home on the ferry on Monday. Chase offers to come back with the cops to show them where Vee is, but until then, he suggests we all return to our cabins, try to enjoy the rest of our weekend, and deal with the real world when we can.

The five of us are a somber group as we return to the row of cabins. Chase heads into the one he shared with Maidson last night, presumably to fill her in on what we all discussed. Summer and Tyler headed toward theirs.

Tommy took my hand and guided me to ours.

Once the cabin door is closed behind us and it’s just Tommy and me alone again, I shudder out a breath as he releases me.

Tommy squeezes my shoulder in passing as I move further into the front room. “You okay, Cyn?”

Honestly? “Just trying to make sense of the bizarro world we’re living in.”

“Huh?”

“Think about it. Who would’ve thought we’d all listen to anythingChase Whitmorehad to say?”

And Vee’s gone. Only in a bizarro world could we find our friend dead and pretend we’re going to enjoy the rest of our getaway while we hope no predators decide to take a chomp out of her.

I swallow a sob. Tommy’s been eyeing me like he expects me to crack any second now. I’m stronger than that. I’ve survived so much more than a woman should’ve.

I can do this.

Does he agree? He bites the corner of his mouth, then exhales. “That’s his job. He’s trying to keep us all out of trouble.”

“He’s trying to cover his own ass,” I mutter.

Tommy allows that. “Chase has his issues. But he’s a good lawyer. No one’s going to blame us for an accident.”

I hope not.

Sinking down on the bed, I rub my forehead.

Tommy drops down into a crouch in front of me. “I mean it, love. Tell me. Are you okay? ‘Cause if you’d rather I swim all the way back to Gullhaven and tell Mulligan we need the ferry now, I’ll do it. Say the word.”

I choke on a strangled laugh. “There’s sharks in the water.”

“Don’t care.”

“It’s fifteen miles, Tommy!”

He puffs out his chest. “That’s nothing. You want me to do it, I will.”

I shake my head. How does he do that? How does he make the heavy cloud of grief dissipate just enough to let the sunshine in?

“It’s okay.I’mokay.”

His worried eyes search my face. “Really?”

I blow out a rush of air through my nose. “No. Not even a little. A girl I’ve known since I was five is dead. She slipped and fell. That could’ve been any of us.” I lay my hands on his shoulders. “It could’ve beenyou.”

He covers my hands with his. “Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

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