Page 31 of Exception

“Yep, it was real tough too,” I say, and he sighs. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah and uh…good job.”

We make our way out of the laundry room and to our next destination. I still haven’t told Devon that I lost the key to my apartment, haven’t been brave enough. I’m worried he will scowl at me disapprovingly and then kick me off the golf cart in the middle of the jungle. I’m just gonna wait until Polly gets home. She wasn’t in her apartment when I knocked on my way out to work, and I hope like hell she managed to recover my stuff.

Or else, I’m not sure where I will sleep tonight. Maybe with Holden, but I’m not sure he’d want that.

He seemed to want me out of his place pretty quickly, and I hadn’t argued. So, yeah, I don’t think I have many options.

I guess I could break and enter again….

“Why you squinting like that?” Devon asks as we get into the golf cart and make our way to the restaurant to fix a broken faucet. “You have to poo?”

“No,” I say and then laugh lowly. “Just thinking about last night.”

“Ah, yeah.” He runs a hand through his hair, and now it’s standing sideways the other way. “I saw you with Holden….”

His words trail off, and I shift in my seat because yeah, I was with Holden. Sexy, perfect-assed Holden.

“Yep,” I say because I don’t wanna spill the beans. Those beans are mine. No one else’s. Although, maybe Holden is gossiping about me all over the island. I mean, I haven’t heard any rumors, but he could be. I honestly don’t know him well enough.

I don’t know him at all. He’s just a hot dude that I like fucking.

“Don’t you worry. He’s not saying shit. For as wild as Holden is, he keeps things pretty quiet. Bit of a mystery, actually.”

I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“So, whatever you two have been getting up to all private-like, isn’t going to be broadcasted to everyone here. That’s just between you two.”

I bob my head, chewing on my bottom lip, feeling relieved because I don’t want everyone to know what I’ve done. Not that I’m ashamed, per se, just that it’s my business. And I’m still trying to figure shit out.

“Lost my key to my room last night,” I blurt, and Devon glances over at me, looking disappointed. Not that I expected anything different, but there it is. I needed a distraction from the beans and this was it.

“It’s supposed to stay attached to your wrist. That’s why we made them that way. The rich fucks kept losing shit, but it seems like us poor folks have the same issue.”

“Felt like cement on my skin last night.”

He huffs and then shakes his head. “Got a key maker back at my place. Can make you one real quick after work, if you want.”

And that is that. It reminds me so much of home, of the way my dad and uncles talk to me. There are no lengthy discussions, just quick, short words. That’s all. The fewer words, the better.

Fuck, I miss home.

No, I miss my sister and my best friend. For the first time since arriving, I feel homesick.

My mind pulls up a memory from earlier today when I called my sister before leaving for work. My heart was pounding in my chest, my forehead sweaty. It didn’t help that the monkey was right outside the window, staring at me, my flip-flop still around his waist. He’d lost the panties hat, so that was something, but he reminded me of my night with Holden.

“You bastard,” Ginny had hissed into the phone as soon as she’d answered my call. “You ran off to an island and didn’t take me with you? You know I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii.”

I’d fumbled over my words “It’s not Hawaii—”

“Same thing.”

“…and it’s not forever, Ginny. Just for a bit.”

She had huffed as she turned the music down in her room.

“You better not stay long. You said you’d be back for my cheer competition….”

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