Page 81 of Adrift

She blinks at me, and I’m not sure if she’s turned on or pissed. For a moment, the other guys fade into the forest.

“Be careful there, Calvin. Our little tiger has got big fangs.” Dante laughs, and a bird takes off not far from where we stand. “She might eat you.”

“She’s more of a kitten,” Easton says.

Zane shakes his head. “Want a ride back to camp, Haley?”

She glares at him. I know she wants to walk. Damn, right now I know she wants to climb up the rope and ding the invisible bell. Her chin down, she nods. “Please.”

We head back. It’s quiet, and the sun has sunk below the horizon. I expect they’ll all climb into the raft-turned-tent, but Easton sets Haley down by the fire and sits next to her. Zane and Dante crawl into the raft.

Easton’s watching me. And while I hate the fucker, I don’t hate him when it comes to Haley. And that’s confusing as hell. I’m in grind mode. There’s a lot to do. And these feelings I’m having, I don’t need them.

The three of us stare at each other over the fire, and I wait for them to go to bed. I’ve collected twenty decent-sized sticks I want to sharpen to start making an enclosure. Dante wants another spoon. But more than that, I want to watch the horizon from the other side of the beach. Where I can let my eyes focus on the darkness. There’s no one coming. I know that. But that doesn’t stop me from searching. Because if we get off this island later, it’s sure to be in a trafficker’s ship.

“I’m going to head to bed. Are you coming, Haley?” Easton stands and looks down at her for a minute.

“I’ll be there soon. I can manage with my cru?—”

“I’ll help her.” I grit the back of my molars. “Get some sleep. We’re going to have a lot to do making the platform.”

“Fine. Let me know if you need help, Haley.” He crawls into the raft. There’s no graceful way to do it, but he makes it look not so bad. He jumps and then scoots at the same time. He and Zane are up to something, and there’s no doubt in my mind it has to do with Haley.

“I won’t need any help, but thank you.” Her voice is firm, and while she’s talking to Easton, she’s looking right at me.

He nods from inside the raft. It needs the air topped off. I’ll pump it up tomorrow morning. “Good night, Cal. And good luck. Don’t stay up too late, Haley.” Easton drops the flap.

Both Haley and I stare at it. I have to admit I’m holding my breath. Because I’m going to need some luck. I’ve had one long-term girlfriend, but she wouldn’t leave Chicago and I can’t leave the ocean. She got all weird and obsessive about me being gone for so long, and finally my brother told me about how she had cheated on me. Over and over. With other guys and then with him. They’re married now with two kids, a dog. And I don’t go home anymore. I’m not even sure I understand the concept of home.

Haley’s back is to the ocean. She’s glaring at me, the whites of her eyes glowing in the low light. The moon won’t rise for a few hours. During the darkest part of the night, I watch. If I can find a shipping lane, maybe Zane and I are wrong about where we are.

“You really don’t think we’re going to be rescued, do you?”

“No.” I want to protect her, but I’m not going to lie.

“And you think if we aren’t rescued now, what’s going to happen?”

“We stay here.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. What do you think is going to happen?”

I stand and pace behind the cooking station Dante’s made. I glance back at her. She’s waiting. I had this same talk with Zane earlier today. But I haven’t told Easton; he would shut me down. The guy is more Pollyanna than a yoga teacher.

“Calvin?”

I glance back. “I think we’ll be okay for a while. But when hurricane season hits in a few months, we’re going to have a hard time.”

“That makes sense, but we can make a better shelter and hunker down.”

“Maybe.”

“Don’t pussyfoot around me.” It’s getting darker, but I can make out her scowl from the firelight.

“We’ll run out of food, and we’re not going to be able to build a good enough shelter.”

“We butchered a pig. Or rather, you did. Dante smoked it.”

“Yes. Yes, we did, but there are five of us. And how many do you think are on this island?”

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