Page 17 of Anyone But You
6
Honey Pack
Knox
Where did she go? Maybe she had to pee? I told her to stay put!
I heard a scream echo from beyond the trees just as my mind raced toward the worst-case scenario. My heart kicked into overdrive, and my feet moved before my brain could process what was happening. All I knew was that Victoria’s hardheaded ass was in trouble.
“Victoria!” I shouted, breaking the plane that separated the beach from the jungle. I called her name several times, but she didn’t respond.
What if she’s hurt? What if a wild animal has gotten to her? What if she fell into quicksand? Fuck! Why does she have to be so goddamn stubborn? Can’t she take instructions for once in her life?
I slowed my sprint when I noticed her flailing around aimlessly, swiping at her face and hair with tears streaming down her face.
“There you are! Jesus Christ, what part of stay put don’t you—” I stopped speaking when she offered me a silencing, tear-filled glare. “Not the time. Okay, message received. What’s the matter?” I examined her quickly, relieved that she wasn’t bleeding or injured. She seemed fine, at least physically.
“Get…it…off!” she shrieked, starting back up with the windmilling, looking like she was participating in a mosh pit. I narrowed my eyes and took a closer look.
“You’ve got to calm down so I can help you. Stop freaking out,” I said, trying to soothe her and stop her rash movements. I held her arms by her sides. Her chest heaved with little effort, and her brown eyes were red from tears. I couldn’t help but smile.
She’s so cute. Even when she’s covered in…
“Oh, is it the spider webs?”
She nodded weakly from exhaustion, thanks to a combination of her adrenaline dump, fear, and impromptu cardio workout.
“All right, all right. I’ve got you,” I whispered, pulling the webs from her body. I checked every inch of her to ensure no creepy crawlies remained. When I was satisfied, I resumed my ass-chewing. “What were you thinking? What part of stay put sounded like run off into a jungle and get yourself killed? You could’ve gotten seriously injured!”
I huffed and waited for her to spit her deadly venom at me—to scream and curse at me and tell me everything was my fault, but she didn’t. Instead, her eyes welled up with fresh tears. They streamed down her face, marking a path through dirt, grime, and traces of blood. I felt like even more of a shithead when sobs wracked her frame.
Maybe I’m being too harsh. We did crash land into the ocean thousands of miles from home with no provisions, communication, and little to no survival skills. We’re both trying to do the best we can with the shitty hand we were dealt.
“Hey, look…I’m sorry, Victoria,” I apologized, rubbing the back of my neck anxiously. Guilt swaddled me once more when her crying intensified. I did the only thing I could in our situation and pulled her into a hug. I rested my cheek on top of her head as her tears soaked my shirt. “I’m sorry,” I whispered again. “I know you’re doing your best.”
“I really am,” she offered breathlessly between sobs. “I-I was looking for food and water because God only knows if we’ll ever be rescued. W-we might be stuck on this fucking island forever.” She pulled out of my embrace and fixed those enchanting eyes on me. “What if we’re never found?”
I rubbed her arms soothingly. “Then…I guess you have no choice but to become my island wife. I’m sure we can find a talking crab to officiate our wedding.”
“Listen to me when I tell you, you should’ve died in that plane crash,” she remarked.
“Then you would’ve been left with the co-pilot, who is partly responsible for us crashing.”
“That’s fine. I’d turn him into my little bitch boy.”
We cracked inappropriate smiles at each other because, despite our dire situation, we knew it was true.
“I can see it. That boy doesn’t have a spine. As you would say, ‘It’s giving invertebrate.’”
I doubled over when she punched me in the stomach.
“Fuck you, Knox.” She giggled.
“Fuck me,” I groaned, trying to swallow down the bourbon from earlier. “And here I thought I was afraid of your stapler.”
“You better thank whatever god you believe in that I don’t have it, or I would’ve unloaded the clip in you. I would’ve pieced your ass together like Frankenstein.”
I closed my eyes, pulled myself up, and sucked in a deep breath before opening my eyes again. “Is this a bad time to tell you that I’m wildly turned on right now?”
