Page 58 of On The Beach

"Nuh-huh," RiRi protested. "She talks to him then and tells him to fix his shit, or it's over, andthenshe fucks her trainer."

"Anyway, when that happened, I'd just lost…one of our clinical trials bombed and people died. We were working on an experimental treatment, and we'd done everything—meticulous testing, regulatory checks, countless safety protocols. But sometimes, no matter how much you control for risk, it doesn't work. And in our case, it didn't."

I took a shaky breath, knowing I needed to continue. "When patients are in a trial, they sign a detailed consent form that lays out all the potential risks—death included. We make sure they know, fully and honestly, what could happen. But knowing that legally we covered everything didn't make it any easier when the worst happened."

I paused as the weight of the memories crushed me as if it were three years ago, and I was staring at my life's work crumbling around me. "The families…they were devastated. Some understood that it was experimental, that it was a last-resort treatment for something with no other options. But others…they blamed us. And honestly, I couldn't fault them. It's hard to forgive yourself, knowing the hope you gave them turned into something so much worse."

My friends looked at me, their expressions softening, and I felt a small release of the tension I'd been holding onto.

Cato put a hand on my shoulder. "Maybe you don't want Belle to see the patients she's trying to save die."

"But they could do that anyway and using my fucking patented process." I closed my eyes and shook my head. "I don't want to feel responsible forthat,not again."

"But if you don't sign, they die anyway,andBelle is devastated…you're in the same place," Franco pointed out.

"I think it's because of how passionate she's about her work that you fell in love with her," RiRi said gravely.

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah." RiRi shrugged and both Cato and Franco nodded.

"I'm not in love with Belle. I barely know her."

"What's time got to do with anything?" Franco picked up his beer. "You saw her, you talked to her, andboom,you were all in. We all saw it, man."

"And you made us commit crimes so you could have a couple more days with her," Cato reminded me.

"Papa Lou was pretty upset," Franco said thoughtfully. "But then magically the parts appeared, he said."

"Well, I didn't want to fuck his business up." I had ordered the parts for Papa Lou and made sure they got to him via express delivery. I had almost been tempted to buy him a new ferry, but then there'd be questions, and I didn't need to be in the middle of that.

Cato leaned forward, his elbows resting on the bar counter. "I think you're protecting yourself by pushing Belle away, but all you're doing is making sure you're alone."

"I did push her away," I admitted wearily.

"And guess what? It worked. She's gone," RiRi mocked.

"What the hell do you want from me?" I demanded, furious.

"Get your head out of your ass and go read the folder she put together for you," Cato suggested and added, "I told her I'd make you."

"And how were you planning to do that?" I asked angrily. "By putting a gun to my head?"

"That can be arranged," Cato replied seriously.

I felt a sting in my chest, but I didn't argue.

"Fuck you all," I said without humor and gave them all the finger. I mumbled a half-hearted goodbye and left, feeling lower than I'd ever felt as I made my way back to the hut.

Once inside, I opened the folder Belle had left, which I'd put on my kitchen counter. Inside was a sticky note in her handwriting. It said:Just read it, Mick. Please.

The ache in my chest deepened as I thumbed through the papers. Charts, research, detailed notes all in her neat, careful hand—notes on the kids, her treatment plan, and the enormous effort she and her team had put into making it all happen.

She hadn't been lying. This wasn'tonlyabout her career. This was about saving lives, about putting something good into the world in a way I'd long since given up on.

Without thinking, I grabbed my phone and dialed my mother's number. It rang a few times before she picked up, her voice as light and airy as ever.

"Darling! To what do I owe the pleasure?" she trilled, clearly surprised to be hearing from me.

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