Page 81 of Until We Break

“She’s leaving? She’s not staying? You really have to keep the room? After all this, she’s going to.”

I thought about the conversation Margot and I had at dinner last night. Margot wasn’t leaving Marshoak Island. She wanted to stay. She wanted to try and build a life here with the Blue Heron if she could. So much had happened we hadn’t gotten far enough to come up with a plan that didn’t wipe her out financially. Ethan had wrecked the end of the night.

“No,” I answered Gabe. “She’s going to stay.”

He’s eyes widened. “No shit.”

I laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised.”

“What is it you always tell me? Don’t fall for the summer girls—they never stick around.”

“I do say that, don’t I?” I smirked, feeling damn good about everything happening between Margot and me.

“I dropped something by your room. I let myself in. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

I turned to Gabe. “What was it?”

“You had a visitor last night.”

We walked from the busy hallway and out into an open courtyard near the docks. My patrol didn’t start for another hour.

“A visitor? Can you be more specific?” I pressed. I hadn’t missed any visits with my parents. They would have called.

Gabe shoved his hands in his pockets. “She was hot. But older. Told me she had something for you.”

I closed my eyes. Shit. Carrie.

“And you took it?”

“It’s sitting on your bed.”

I rushed past him and headed straight for my room. I opened the door and spotted a small duffle bag on the bed. I unzipped it and stared directly at a pile of cash. I lifted the folded note from the top of the stacks of money.

Caleb,

You won’t take my check, but maybe you’ll accept this instead. You’ll never know what you mean to me now. I had to find a way to repay you. Keep it. I’m not taking it back.

Carrie

Irifled through the piles of cash. I couldn’t believe it. I’d never seen this much money before. It was exactly the amount she had written on the check. I sat on the bed. The mattress bounced. I heard the siren sound. I didn’t have much time. I zipped up the bag and shoved it under my bed.

Gabe must have followed behind. He was standing outside the door waiting for me.

“Everything okay?” he asked. He sounded concerned.

“Did you open that bag?”

“No. That’s between you and the hot chick. Why what did she leave you?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. She’s just strange.” I tried to think of a better word to describe Carrie. If anyone found out I had that kind of money from someone who was part of a rescue, I would be court-martialed on the spot. I wasn’t about to put Gabe in that position to know what he had handed over to me.

“All right, but does Margot know about her?”

I pulled my sunglasses over my eyes. “Yes. She does. That’s the mom. Remember the little boy who capsized in his sailboat?”

“That’s his mom? Holy shit. And she’s single.”

“How did you know that?”

---