Page 18 of Leave Before I Love You
And, like it or not, fishing seems to be our only shot at protein.
I know netting of some sort would be much easier than having to hit them with a freaking spear, but so far, I haven’t figured out a material we’d be able to make work. Once again, Tom Hanks has let me down.
Carefully scaling the rocks at the outer curl of the beach, I watch as little fish dart through the shallow water after bugs and other small debris. I take aim at one, blowing a breath through my nose to steady my racing heart, and throw my stick, striking the fish and successfully knocking it stunned for long enough to reach in and grab it.
I scream unintentionally, the victory too big not to celebrate, and Avery pokes her sleepy head out the front of the tent not five seconds later.
I wave and point to the fish, apologizing. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to wake you, but I got one!”
“Woo-hoo!” she cheers, stepping out into the sand and doing a cute little twerk that makes me laugh. “Go, Henry. Go, Henry. It’s your birthday!”
I chuckle and scale back across the rocks to toss the fish onto a sea grape leaf while I try to catch more. Avery surprises me by staying out of our tent and getting to work after a quick stretch. She empties the water collector into my hydration pack, seals it up after taking a quick drink, and then moves down onto the beach to stoke the fire with what we call the poker stick.
Flames lick up again, the coals still hot from last night, and a surge of pride swells my chest. Maybe it’s misplaced—because I don’t have any role or title that gives me the right to be proud—but I’m truly amazed at how well she’s coped and adapted to the situation.
If you’d asked me a week ago how Avery Banks would handle being stranded on a deserted island, I’d have painted a verydifferent picture—one that involved a lot more screaming and zero participation.
Clearly, that wasn’t fair. To pretend I knew the heart of who she is as a person from the little bit of interaction we’ve had over the years while out at the club or in her parents’ house is shortsighted. Avery has always been interesting and attractive and kind—but this island is teaching me pretty quickly that she’s a lot more things than that.
I try for another fish—or seventy—for an hour and manage one more before calling it quits for the morning and joining Avery by the fire. She’s already gotten the fish I caught first rinsed and cleaned as best as possible before skewering it on a stick and holding it over the fire to cook while I kept fishing. I wouldn’t mind if she’d have eaten it too, but she didn’t, saving it for us to share instead.
“You didn’t have to wait for me.”
“That’s okay. I figured we could share this one and then cook the rest for later.”
I laugh. “Well, the rest is one more.”
“One more than I’d be able to catch,” she says with a self-deprecating laugh. “I’ve never even had to buy my own food at the store. I use a service.”
“A service? Like they decide what to buy for you?”
“They buy it and cook it.” She rolls her eyes a little. “It’s, like, a personal chef thing.”
“Ah,” I hum. “Besides my meal prep for breakfast and lunch, I don’t really eat at home. I just eat out.”
“And look at us now,” she deadpans, shooting me a dry look.
“Yeah.” I snort. “Living the dream.”
“Fine dining on charred fish, sharing a bed with bugs, and getting genuinely excited about rain?” She shakes her head, laughing softly. “Honestly, can’t believe I didn’t major in survival at U of M. What a wasted education.”
“Hindsight is usually 20/20,” I quip. “Speaking of careers, you’re still working for Neil, right?”
She shrugs. “When I feel like it, I guess.”
Such a fucking Avery Banks response.I cackle. “If you don’t like working there, why don’t you just get a job you like?”
“Oh, get real, Henry.” Avery’s nose curls. “Are we really supposed tolikejobs? What’s to like about working?”
My shoulders lift as I think about the company I’ve built for myself. It’s not the traditional path, and I know not everyone starts with the opportunities I had, but building something based on your interests truly is the key to professional fulfillment. “They say if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
“And that’s how you feel?”
“No,” I admit. “That’s bullshit. Of course, work is going to feel like work sometimes. But in my case, I get to spend half my time doing stuff I really love. Skydiving, rock-climbing, paragliding—I get to test new equipment to see how well it really works—”
“Which sounds like a nightmare!” Avery cuts in. “Testing a parachute? Or fall gear? To see if it works! And that’s fun? Say sike right now.”
I chuckle. “It’s all beentestedfor function. I’m just testing the simplicity of operation or if something would make it better. It’s fun.”
