Page 76 of The Last Sunrise

I giggle. “How many times did you check it? Be honest.”

The air between us is warm, no tension present. I feel like I’m floating.

“Each day you mean?” She tries not to smile but fails. Her hand covers her mouth to further attempt to hide it and we both laugh when I move her hand down, exposing her.

“At least ten times per hour.” Her laughter sounds different, lighter, not practiced or forced.

“Thought so.”

“How’s Lena?” I ask, realizing that my mom and I don’t have much to talk about outside of her work, and I’d rather not hear the details of that when the damage will hit so close to home.

“Stressed as ever. I think she was more worried about you than me. And things got a little rocky with the deal. A lot of locals ended up turning on us, not wanting another resort built.” She pauses. “Sorry. I told myself I wasn’t going to bring anything Garcia related up. I’m truly sorry.”

I take an audible breath through my mouth. It’s second nature to her, so I decide to brush it off and give her another chance. I don’t want to disturb this tiny bit of peace between us; who knows how long it will last?

“You didn’t come here to drag me back, did you?” I finally ask her once we run out of things like food and weather to talk about. She’s shocked that I ate so many different local foods, but I can tell by her expression that she’s happy to hear it.

“No. I did not. I’ll be at the hotel waiting for you when you get tired of playing here. Your worlds are so far apart, Ry. I know you’re young and in love, but your worlds are impossible to merge. Trust me, I’ve tried.

“Believe it or not, I’m trying… really damn hard, to let you enjoy your time here like I promised. And it seems like you are, aren’t you?” There’s a little worry in her eyes but she doesn’t tack anything to the end of her question.

“I am.” I beam, not hiding an ounce of the happiness I feel. “I’m having the time of my life, mare. Thank you for giving me that.”

Her eyes instantly water at the word “mare” and she surprises me by pulling me into her arms. At first, my body doesn’t know how to react, so I’m stiff, hands at my sides, but after a few moments, I hug her back. She clears her throat, and I can tell by the noises she’s making that she’s trying her best not to be emotional but failing.

“I need to get back,” she says, pulling away from me, straightening out her dress with her palms, and I swear for a second I think she might try to shake my hand. “Please let me know if you need anything. Okay?” Her eyes blink rapidly to stop any tear that dares to fall.

“Okay,” I agree, wanting to hug her again, but not wanting to push it.

As she walks away, her back still to me, I hear her voice call my name. When I turn around, she resembles the teenage girlin the photos I saw and re-created. The world hasn’t hardened her yet. Her voice comes out weak and nervous, but I can hear it clear as day. “Let me know if you have any time to get dinner or something sometime?”

My entire face, chest, and body break out into a smile. “I will,” I promise her, meaning it.

I watch her walk away, my heart full and proud of her ability to come here and not demand anything. She even hugged me. Outside of a hospital room, my mother hugged me and meant it. I practically bounce back to the boat to tell Julián about the revelation we’ve had.

“Babe! My mom hugged me! And she didn’t try to drag me away!” I shout as soon as I reach the dock. I kick off my sandals and go to step onto the stairs, but the stairs are gone… the boat is gone. I blink. Surely I’m out of it and imagining things.

What the hell?

My tote bag is perched neatly on the dock, safely leaning between two wooden planks. “Julián!” I scream, my heart shattering with each letter of his name that falls from my mouth.

I pace back and forth, calling him over and over. He had no reason to leave, and if there had been an emergency, he would have come and found me. Something inside me just knows… he ran. He ran away from me and left me again, just like he did all those weeks ago on the beach.

This time I don’t have the anger to curse him. I don’t have the strength or clarity to do anything except slide to the floor of the dock and wail until my body runs dry.

Chapter Thirty-One

Days go by and nothing from him. My despair has turned to anger, and I’ve grown tired of waiting in my hotel room. Too ashamed to tell my mom what happened, and too protective of Julián’s friendship with Amara, I hide in my room for days, allowing both to think he’s here with me. But I’ve had enough. How could he abandon me and not say a word? Not answer a single fucking call or desperate text I’ve sent. I tried to wait for him to come back, to have him bang at my door and fall to his knees to apologize, but he hasn’t, and I realize now that he won’t, and I will not allow him to never have to see my face again. At least not without telling him to go to hell first.

Amara’s not behind the desk as I sneak past, rushing out of the hotel before anyone can see me. This is ridiculous. I shouldn’t be hiding. I have no reason to hide. But I am, and I continue to do so as I walk to Julián’s dock, my breath stuck in my lungs as I approach, praying to god his boat is there. It is.

That fucker.

My shoulders slouch in relief and I breathe in, breathe out. Having absolutely no plan, I march right up to his boat and knock on the door. No response.

I knock again, still no response.

Fuming, I pound harder.

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