Page 104 of That Island Feeling

‘Toby, isn’t it?’ I say, stepping forward to shake his hand.

He nods, looking surprised that I know his name.

‘Jack.’ I introduce myself as he grips my hand firmly. ‘Do you know where to find Andie?’

I wonder why Charlie brought him here instead of Moorings.

‘She’s right here,’ a voice answers, and Taylor steps out of the shadows. Andie is tucked under her arm, shielded from the rain, her cheeks streaked with tears.

‘What’s wrong?!’ I ask, rushing to her side and pulling her from Taylor’s arms into my own.

‘He’s missing,’ she gasps into my shoulder. ‘Dad’s missing.’

I’m not sure if Charlie has taken the river boat or his own, but with no time to waste, we bypass the main wharf and head straight to The Codfather. It’s twice as fast as the river boat anyway.

Through her sobs, Andie tries convincing Taylor to stay on the island, insisting she needs to reconcile with Mitch. Clearly something has shifted between them since earlier tonight. Taylor continues to resist, so I intervene; time is slipping away and we can’t afford to waste it.

‘I’ve got her,’ I say.

She looks at me, narrowing her eyes. ‘Are you sure?’

Perhaps she’s a better friend than I thought.

I nod, my brain screaming over and over: Precious cargo. Precious cargo. Precious cargo.

I drape a blanket around Andie’s shoulders and hand her a lollipop from the stash I’ve bought to keep on the boat permanently. She avoids my gaze.

I start the engine and slowly manoeuvre the boat into the vein of the river. It’s imperative to keep my focus on the water, especially when it’s so dark, but I can’t help stealing glances at Andie and my phone. Before leaving the dock, I sent an SOS message to Keith for back-up, yet frustratingly, it appears not to have gone through.

‘None of mine would send either,’ Toby says, catching my repeated glances at my phone. ‘I tried all evening, calls too. That’s why I had to come here.’

Andie still hasn’t said a word by the time we’ve docked.

I debate whether I should offer to go with them. I want to, but given our last exchange, it doesn’t feel appropriate. The last thing I want is to cause her even more distress.

Her watery, red-rimmed eyes flick up to my face as I help her onto the wharf. ‘Thanks for the ride, Jack,’ she says softly.

Right, that’s definitely me dismissed, then. If only she’d called me Cap, then I would have taken it as an invitation that she wanted me by her side.

I try not to feel upset. The only thing that matters is that her dad is found safe and well.

‘You’re welcome. Let me know how you go, okay?’

She nods, biting down on her bottom lip. I can tell that she’s trying to hold back more tears, and I want to reassure her that she doesn’t have to be strong in front of me – that she’s safe to fall apart. But I say nothing because I know now that she never viewed me that way; I’ve been nothing more than a good time.

Her gaze drops to my chest, and I remember with a mortifying thud that I’m still wearing the ridiculous Notebook-inspired seagull T-shirt. Another tally in the ‘just for fun’ column.

But the shirt was meant as a gesture for her mum, as well as her. It’s the best Charlie had in stock, but I hope she understood the significance – if she even opened the package. Otherwise, I just look like a complete idiot.

‘Thanks, man.’ Toby interrupts my spiralling thoughts, extending his hand. ‘Cross your fingers, okay?’

‘Absolutely everything is crossed.’

He turns to follow Andie, who is already halfway down the wharf, then swivels back and eyes me curiously.

‘Hey, can I ask you something?’

‘Sure,’ I say, slightly taken aback.

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