Page 96 of Grace on the Rocks

“Why are you?” he asked, and her teary face turned belligerent again. “You’renot leaving yet.You’veloads more time forWesto see the castle.Whydid it have to be today, whenIasked you… when you p-p—when you promised not to?Why,Rios?” he pressed.

“BecauseIwas angry at you!” she exploded. “BecauseIwasfuriousthat you were pissed at me for not wanting to sleep with you last night!”

Bryan took a step back, his head spinning.Shethought he was upset they didn’t hook up?

“You don’t get to be mad about that, you do not get to be mad at me,” she yelled, her eyes brimming with tears once more. “Sowhy are you here?” she asked again.

Bryan opened his mouth, but no words would come, and he closed it again.

She was staring at him, waiting, and she deserved an answer.

“Couldn’t lose you,” he finally managed, shrugging one shoulder. “Caitwould never let me live down the reviews if a guest died on my watch,” he added, to lessen the impact.

Her face crumpled as she looked up at him, and he got the sense she was about to say more mean words, just to keep him at arm’s length.Sohe tilted his face down to swallow them before they had a voice, and she stretched to meet him, despite not putting weight on one foot.Heput his arms around her and under her to lift her so she wouldn’t hurt her twisted ankle, and they kissed as deeply and fiercely as ever before.

They kissed untilBryancouldn’t feel his lips any longer.Hepressed all of his fear and worry into that kiss, and she kissed him right back, hungrily, grabbing his sodden t-shirt in her fists like she wanted to punch him, her tongue fighting his like the unkind words he knew she wanted to hurl.Anotherdefense mechanism to try and protect her soft underbelly.

Then a cough behind them pulled him back to his senses and he slowly lowered her to her feet.

“Eòghann says if we’re not back in ten minutes, he’s calling theCoastGuardanyway,”Wesreported.

“Can you walk?”Bryanasked, unable to lookGracein the eye.

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go.”Hetook her hand, but she stumbled gingerly forward on the twisted ankle, a soft cry escaping her swollen lips.

So he scooped her up and carried her out to the beach, dropping her heavily into the boat and taking a little cruel delight in her murmured, “Ouch,” when her bottom hit the bench.

Wesley handedGracea life jacket, andBryanhelped her step into the boat before he shoved it back off the beach and sloshed out to jump aboard.

His frustration provided a sharp focus for navigating through what remained of the storm, but he hardly drew breath until he handed the keys off to the kid in the ferry office.

Eòghann was leaning against his pickup, the wildness in his eyes relaxing only the tiniest bit asWeshelpedGracesqueeze onto the bench behind the driver’s seat.Bryanwas shivering and relieved for his cousin to do the driving, thoughEòghann’sknuckles were white the whole way toGrandad’shouse, his glance darting furtively betweenWesin the rearview andBryanbeside him.

Bryan hated that his cousin had been dragged into this mess.Exceptif it weren’t forEòghann, he might not have… he couldn’t even think it.Heonly hoped it wasn’t too triggering.

“Warm up,” he suggested, gesturing vaguely to the shower when they were safely back inside his grandad’s house.Ashe stalked into his room to change into dry clothes, he heardGracewhisper, “Mykingdom for a bathtub,” and he tried not to let it sting.Henever invited them here.Thiswashiskingdom, and they the invaders.Maybeit was time they moved on, after all.

ChapterTwenty-Five

Grace watched, fatigued and disappointed, asWesleypacked up her things. “Youdon’t have to go,” she murmured meekly, wanting to toss the open suitcase off the bed, scatter her friend’s clothes, and trap her there soGracewouldn’t be left alone.

Wes paused to give her a withering look and then resumed packing.

“Why are you mad?” she asked tentatively, leaving the quiet part unsaid.Itwas your idea.

Wes sighed. “I’mnot.I’membarrassed.Deeply, shamefully, appallingly embarrassed.Bryanwarned us not to go, we did the stupid, classicAmericantourist thing anyway, and he had torescueus,Gray.Leavingis the leastIcan do.”ShetookGrace’shands in hers. “Thankyou for supporting me in nearly dying.Ilet my need for adventure get out of hand sometimes.NowIneed to be a grown-up.”

A grown-up.Thatstung. “Butwe didn’t.Die.”

“No.AndI’mreally glad to knowIcan swim like that in a crisis.Butwe could’ve drowned, and he took a huge risk coming after us.”

“Yeah.”Hewas upset at her, but he still did that.

“This was always supposed to be temporary, anyway.Justuntil the festival ended.It’sover.We’rein his way.Idon’t get why you want to stay.ImeanI’mnotblind,Ido understand.But…Idon’t want to be in the way anymore.Youknow howIfeel about…I’mnot some damsel who needs to be rescued.Onlythis time,Iwas.”

And what couldGracesay, except some traitorous part of herlikedbeing in his way, for all she ran from him.Shewas transfixed by the renovation unfolding around her.Shewanted to be invited to help with it again, deadline or no, and she was desperate to see the final product.

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