Page 75 of Adrift

“I’m good.”

“You should put your leg up.” He touches my ankle lightly.

“I will.” Mostly because the other guys are circling any time I move.

“All right then.” Calvin goes over to the other fire and then disappears into the woods.

If we are rescued today, the fire from the smoking will have played a part. Zane and Easton are running to the jungle and back with more and more wood. But all the guys are sweet and check in on me. Lunch is more pig meat, but Calvin isn’t back to eat. Not yet. And I’ve been glancing over my shoulder every few minutes, looking for him.

“How you doing?” Calvin’s voice booms and I jump. He appears from behind me and shares the log.

“Where did you come from? I’ve been watching for you.”

“I know. I ran into Zane collecting firewood, and he told me. I’m fine. I was checking out the island a little. The last thing we want is to be stranded here for weeks and there turns out to have been a town on the other side.”

“Well?” I lean into him.

“No town. But the island is a lot bigger than I thought it would be. And there’s a whole section that’s really rocky. I saw some goats.”

“Really, goats?” I scrunch up my nose.

“Yeah. What’s the face for?”

“Goats are cute.”

“And tasty.”

“You’re the worst.” I lean back into him.

“Hey, you two. We’re thinking of taking a pre-lunch swim.” Easton stands behind both of us. He puts his hand on my shoulder, and a zing of desire zips through me. Calvin gives Easton a look.

“Play nice, you two.” I wag my finger.

“That’s the plan.” Easton smiles. “Now about that swim...”

“I’m in.” I peel off my yoga pants and shirt, standing on one leg. But when I try to hop to the water with my crutch, Calvin throws me over his shoulder and we run. I’m bouncing, holding him around his waist. I glance up, and the other guys are smiling a lot.

Calvin slides me down his body. “How you doing?” I loop my arms around his neck. He leans forward. “Look out, little fishy. Here comes the audience. But that can be fun.”

My core clenches, and I look at Zane and Easton swimming out to meet us. Dante is being more cautious.

Calvin holds me, and his hand eases around to my bottom. “You’re doing amazing, Haley. A lot of girls would have folded under the pressure.”

“I like pressure,” I say. “It gets shit done. It’s weird here because there are no rules.”

He pulls me closer. “Pressure is useful for a lot of things, and there is one rule: stay alive.” He eases away, and I’m not sure if he meant to be sexual or not. “Watch out for them. I’m going to help Dante get dinner going.” Calvin calls out to Easton and Zane bobbing nearby. He takes off, swimming the free stroke.

The water is cool and a welcome relief from the sun. The first aid kit from the raft has two big tubes of sunscreen, but even so I’m a little pink. Even with the shade screen Zane made for thefire. But swimming with little fish darting between my feet feels amazing.

Easton strokes over to me, so graceful. “Who knew the big guy had some swimming form?” He nods to Calvin on the beach.

We aren’t out long before Dante waves us in for dinner.

The setting sun bursts with color over the ocean as we finish eating. “So pretty.”

“Yes,” Zane agrees with me. But when I look up, he’s staring at me and not the sunset.

“Shut up.” I push at his shoulder. He laughs; it’s deep and rich and all Zane. He sits next to me on the big log. I yawn. “I’m so tired, and I didn’t do a quarter of what you guys did today. Are you tired?”

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