Page 65 of Meet Me in Tahiti

“There you are!” she said. “We were about to send out a search party.”

“Where’d you sneak off to?” Avery asked, pulling her hair back from her damp neck.

Tessa gave them a small, easy smile. No need to tell them now. She might fall apart if she did. “Nowhere, really. Just… checking out the stars for a few minutes.” She paused. “It’s not every day you turn thirty in Tahiti.”

Jenna bumped her shoulder affectionately. “You’re such a sap. But we love you for it, Tess’.” She moved in close for a side-to-side dance, and Tessa did her best to play along as if everything was perfectly fine.

Jenna grinned. “We sure do. Happy birthday, sweetie.”

Tessa smiled again—smaller this time, but genuine. It wasn’t exactly a lie. She had been looking at the stars. Just not the way they thought.

Marin shot her a look as Kyle and Drew and Nate came out on the dance floor and started up with their exaggerated, purposely funny dance moves.

Minutes later, Drew called out to Avery and pointed to the beach—something about finding the perfect marshmallow stick. The group began to drift, her friends pulling away toward the bonfire and the scattered laughter ahead.

But Marin stayed.

Tessa felt her beside her before she heard her voice.

“You okay?” Marin asked quietly.

Tessa blinked once, quickly. Marin had seen them return. Of course she had. She saw everything.

“You and Captain Hotstuff. You sneak off into the trees with him?”

Tessa looked at her and gave the tiniest nod, her throat tightening.

Marin studied her face. “Something happen?”

Tessa reached out, took her best friend’s hand, and gave it a small squeeze. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat. So instead, she just nodded again—one firm, silent answer—and looked down at the sand.

Marin didn’t push. She just watched her for a second longer, then slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a quick, fierce squeeze.

“Come on,” she said gently. “I heard something about marshmallows over there.”

Tessa nodded again, but she wouldn’t cry. She’d be strong. For him.

The soundof laughter and the dull thud of beanbags hitting wooden boards still echoed faintly from the beach as Malik’s dinghy pulled away with the girls. The guys were staying behind for one last round of corn hole, and Tessa could just barely make out Russ’s silhouette by torchlight, shoulders squared as he got pulled onto a team by Drew—TeamLatitude, asNatewas calling it. Russ didn’t look thrilled, but he smiled and played along, tossing a bag underhand while one of the other captains cheered way too loud.

Tessa turned toward her cabin when they boarded, hoping for a quiet moment before bed. Jules had left out bottled waters and crackers and even a bottle of aspirin. She must’ve come back before they all did.

Tessa’s lips turned up on one side. Jules had certainly taken good care of them all this week. What a sweet thing she was. Tessa started down the short flight of stairs toward her room with a bottle of water as the other girls filtered off to their cabins.

But Marin was waiting.

“Not so fast, young lady,” she said, grabbing Tessa’s hand. “I need you to come with me.”

“What—Marin?—”

“Uh-uh,” Marin said, tugging her in the other direction. “Girl talk. Just us.”

She pulled Tessa into her own cabin, shut the door behind them, and crossed her arms. Tessa sank onto the edge of the wall-to-wall bed, as there wasn’t any other furniture in the cozy, yet comfortable space, besides the ample storage along the walls.

“Spill.”

Tessa blinked.

Marin narrowed her eyes. “Don’t play innocent. What happened out there tonight with you and the captain?”

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