Page 61 of Corrupted Lies

Wasn't more than a few minutes before he saw a nice-sized fish approach. Shifting so he was in the right position, as soon as it was right below where his hand was, he darted it down into the water and came up with a fish.

That would teach his sunshine to doubt him.

Setting the fish in a small rockpool beside him to keep it fresh, he continued to wait. One fish wasn't enough for a proper meal, he was going to bring back almost more than they could eat. That would definitely have Alannah eating her words.

When he had four good-sized fish for each of them, Jake collected his stash and headed back to where Alannah was standing on the sandy shore, staring out at the ocean. She must have heard him coming because she turned to face him, her eyes going wide when she saw what he held in his hands.

“Woah!” She hurried over to him, her gaze darting between the fish and his face. “When you do something, you go all out. I was thinking you might be able to catch us a fish each if we were lucky, but you have eight. That’s four each,” she said excitedly.

“Told you you'd be eating your words.”

“And I told you I'd be happy to eat my words if I was eating fish as well. You caught so I’ll clean and prepare. I still remember how to from when we were kids, though I haven’t done it since.”

Without hesitating, she took the fish and headed back to the water’s edge. That was one of the things he loved about Alannah, she didn't hesitate to get her hands dirty and do what had to be done. She’d been the same as a kid, too. When she was younger, she’d been a bit of a girly girl, preferring to play with dolls or dress ups, but she’d also been willing to run barefoot through the woods, and climb trees, or gut fish, and play in the mud with him and his brother.

“Use a rock to cut them since we don’t have a knife,” he called after her.

“’Kay.”

Leaving Alannah to take care of that, Jake returned to their shelter, pausing along the way to drink some water. It was annoying they had nothing to store it in, every time they were thirsty, they would have to go to the collection points he’d made. If he could find them a proper water source, maybe they could rebuild a shelter close by.

By the time Alannah came back with the fish, he had the fire burning brightly, and a fresh stack of firewood stored inside their shelter. Once they’d eaten and he’d seen if she was willing to try his idea to take her mind off their situation for a while, they’d go exploring.

Using sticks to prop the fish up in the flames to cook, while they waited, he turned and studied his best friend.

Was he completely crazy to be contemplating suggesting this?

What if she said no? She might never trust him again.

What if she said yes? It could ruin everything.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, catching him staring and brushing self-consciously at the locks of blonde hair that had escaped her tangled ponytail.

“I was wondering something.”

“Care to clue me in?” she asked as she reached out and pulled one of the fish out of the fire, pulling off a piece and putting it in her mouth.

No time like the present to jump and pray he was wearing a parachute. “You said you’ve never had an orgasm. Why don’t you let me try to give you one?”

October 19th

8:27 A.M.

Alannah choked on the mouthful of fish when Jake blurted out the last thing she expected him to say.

He wanted to try to give her an orgasm?

Was he crazy?

This morning he’d as good as told her that he saw her as another sister, so why on earth would he want to do anything sexual with her?

How could he put her in this no-win situation?

If she said no, she risked hurting his feelings since it was obvious he was feeling guilty that the people after his family had started the chain of events that led to them being here even though Alannah truly believed it was her fault they were on the island.

If she said yes, she risked ruining their friendship both because he would find out there was actually something wrong with her and she just wasn't capable of having an orgasm like a normal person, and because things would be awkward and virtually irreparable if they took this step.

Shifting so he was behind her, Jake gave a moderate slap to her back, between her shoulder blades, dislodging the piece of fish she’d choked on.

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