Page 54 of Close Your Eyes and Count to 10

“He doesn’t deserve you,” Tavo had said. He’d said it without heat, a simple statement of fact. They both cared for Mav in their different ways, aware of his many flaws, their own. They were wrapped around each other on her living room couch—hers and Mav’s.

“I know.”

Tavo left for Falcão Island the next day, saying he respected her decision. But his texts came daily.

I can’t stop thinking about you.

I love you, Angeline.

I’m here when you’re ready to make a change. I’ll wait. I know whatever this is between us might not come again in my lifetime.

While Angeline buried herself in work, closing up the Manhattan office, Tavo had been on Falcão Island for more than a month, location-scouting, reconnecting with old friends he’d grown up with, reaching out to the city council to set up meetings up for the challenge, staying away from her. She was glad he was gone, even though she thought about him every day, might catch herself thinking about him when she was with Maverick.

Now, she pulled away finally, decisively, and he respectfully backed off.

“I’m sorry,” he said. He released a long breath, put his hands to prayer at his chest. “Forgive me.”

Did she love him? Maybe. But not the way she loved Maverick. Gustavo wanted her. Maverick? Heneededher. It was a subtle difference and one she couldn’t even fully explain to herself. If she let Gustavo go, he’d go on to be a loving and devoted partner to some other lucky woman.If she left Maverick, he would fall apart. That she chose Maverick for this reason was, she suspected, an essential flaw in her character. She needed to be needed.

“There’s nothing to forgive,” she said. “But it’s over, Tavo.”

She sounded so weak and unsure of herself, but he just nodded. She slowed her breathing, gathered herself together, wanting nothing more than to move into his arms and weep. They both sat a moment.

Then Tavo said, “Let’s find Alex.”

“What if he’s not here? What if he’s gone already?”

Tavo held up his phone. She saw Alex’s PopTalk icon, gathered close on the app to each of theirs. He had created an avatar for himself that was skinny and nerdy with big glasses and a beanie. They all followed each other on Pop, sending stupid messages and pics multiple times a day. The PopMap showed their locations in a cartoon world, each of them as animated versions of themselves. Angeline looked like a brunette Tinkerbell, small-waisted, big-bottomed, wearing a little dress and ballet flats. Tavo was stubbled and hauling a backpack. Hector wore, inexplicably, a miner’s hat and jumpsuit. Maverick was a punk rocker, with a purple mohawk and leather vest, tight pants, and Moon Boots, ridiculously ripped, his mouth open in a perpetual rebel yell. She saw Hector’s and Mav’s avatars together at the site. She and Tavo were in a little animated car together, the app having deduced that they were driving. Alex was, she saw with relief, in his room at the hotel. His avatar was curled up in bed, withZzzzs floating over his head, indicating that he’d set his phone for sleep.

It was not like him to be sleeping in the middle of the day.

Okay. She took a deep breath in and let it out. All was not lost. He was mad at Mav, but he hadn’t left. Which meant he still cared. Or couldn’t get a flight. Whatever. She could still beg him to hold on a little longer. One more challenge and she’d tell him about Mav’s promise to fix everything that was broken.He would listen to her. He always did.

“Let’s go,” she said.

“Angeline,” said Tavo, reaching for her hand, “I’m going to see you guys through this tomorrow.”

She didn’t like the tone in his voice. Sad. Resigned. She turned back to look at him.

He went on, “But when it’s done, I have to go. Extreme…it’s not a good place anymore. It’s toxic for me.”

She didn’t say anything, just let the silence in the car expand. Finally, she pushed open the door. She could not deal with this right now. Things were falling apart, and it was up to her to keep it together for as long as she could.

“Let’s talk about this later,” she said, keeping her voice brisk like you’d talk to an anxious child. “After the challenge.”

He didn’t look at her, just stared out at something in front of them. Nothing. There was nothing there except for the trees and the stone wall edging a cliff that dropped into the tumultuous ocean below. The cloud cover was shifting from dove to charcoal, making it seem like dusk.

“Maverick is not the man I thought he was,” said Tavo. “Or he’s changed. He’s not the manyouthink he is.”

“Don’t do this,” she begged. “Not now. Just help me find Alex. I promise we can talk. When this is all over.”

She reached for and squeezed his hand. It was warm, strong. He looked at her, and she saw all his goodness, his solid character, his kindness. That jaw, those cheekbones, deep soulful eyes. What was wrong with her?

“Okay,” he said with a nod. “Let’s go.”

Angeline’s key card still worked, which meant that maybe Hector never checked them out. Maybe he, like Angeline, was hoping for one more night in comfort before having to pitch a tent.

She let herself into the quiet, well-appointed lobby, wood floors,a large fireplace, a simple desk with a giant computer monitor. There was no lobby attendant. No twenty-four-hour room service, just an after-hours emergency number you called if there was something you needed. It went straight to the owner’s cell phone. The place was far from town, had the air of desertion, no other properties around for miles. Tourist season was well and truly over. For the last week, they’d been the only guests in the hotel, getting the star treatment from the limited staff, with all the facilities, heated pool, steam room, sauna, luxurious lounge bar with big comfy couches and stunning views all to themselves.

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