Page 57 of Emerald

“Well, they aren’t home and won’t know.”

“He won’t.” She sighs sadly again. “I’m stuck on this island while everyone is blissfully happy, and of course, I want to help, and maybe that makes me a selfish bitch but … I’m lonely,” she confesses.

“Aw, Kenzie, I’m sorry,” I tell her, feeling for her. “Did you go to Barcelona?” Mackenzie deserves the world, she is stunning, kind, caring, funny, and intelligent.

“No. Everyone was busy, and I chickened out. Please, don’t worry about me. You have more important things on your mind than me getting laid.”

“I do, and yet here I am thinking about someone I shouldn’t. I feel like I can’t read men anymore.”

“No, you can’t read one specific man,” Mackenzie teases.

“So true.”

“You have a crush, Ellie.”

“A crush? I don’t think I’ve ever had one of those before.”

“Really?” she asks, sounding surprised.

“I think they deprogrammed me for that.”

“Oh,” she says sadly. “Well, welcome to womanhood, you’ve got a crush on a guy. They say there is a thin line between hate and love.”

“I’m not in love with him. Ew. He just has a nice dick.”

Mackenzie bursts out laughing. “And you want to ride it?”

“Maybe,” I confess.

“Yeah, you have a crush. Look, I don’t blame you, Nash is hot. And he might have a crush on you, too, if he, um, you know, while you were with another man.”

“You think?” I hate that I sound so weak asking that question.

“Babe, you are stunning. Any man with a heartbeat would be crushing on you.”

“What do I do? I’m in unchartered territory,” I ask.

“Honestly, I don’t know. My crush won’t screw me so I’m probably not the best person to ask for advice.”

“I’m not calling Sophie. We’ve come a long way but not that far.”

Mackenzie giggles. “I would love to see you ask Sophie for advice. Look, just keep doing what you’re doing, it seems to be working. Maybe don’t try to kill him anymore, that might help. Also sleeping with other people might not help.”

“That’s my job. And this man is a distraction I don’t need.”

“Most crushes you need to get out of your system to be able to move on,” she tells me.

“You think? He’s in the pool now.”

“What are you doing talking to me? Go seduce that man and get him out of your system. Put on your tiniest bikini and strut your stuff.”

“And you think that would work?”

“You in a bikini, yeah that will work.”

“No, I mean getting him out of my system?”

“Yeah, I think so,” she says not sounding confident. “You’ve got this,” she adds.

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