Page 89 of Hate Wrecked

Barry pulled away and dropped to his knees before me. I glanced up at the house. Asa and my mother and Rowan were gone. They likely went around the house and escorted him off the property.

I looked down into Barry’s eyes. He looked over his shoulder to where my eyes were and back to me. We were alone, and that scared me and excited me. The warring emotions a pleasant reprieve from the heartbreak.

Barry kissed my stomach, moved my shirt up, and kissed my hip. “Most people don’t know me, Glenne, but you do. Seeing you with that guy hurt me. It made me think you didn’t want me anymore.”

“I do want you,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face.

His hands came up my thighs, his mouth lower until it was right over my sex. I clenched my teeth. “Show me how much you want me. I’m tired of the games. I’ll commit if you show me you’re ready for an adult relationship.”

I gripped his hair, my eyes stinging. “I am,” I replied, knowing what it meant and pushing aside my fear. I looked away from the house. I looked away from the bright thing in the sand, begging me to reach out to touch it.

I let myself drift away from everything I wanted. Everything that anchored me to hope. Everything that told me Rowan and I would never touch again.

TOUCH THE BOTTOM

RILEY

We spendthe day on the shore. Rowan fishes, then sits on the shore with his journal. I read my mother’s book, and swim. I take a nap in the shade, and when the heat swallows me, I run to the water for relief.

The saltwater cradles me, the weight of the island’s challenges seems to dissipate, replaced by the soothing embrace of the sea. Below the surface, the underwater world unfolds in a dance of colors and gentle currents, providing a momentary escape from the uncertainties that cling to my heart.

It’s so small I almost don’t see it. Something glitters in the water. A dark shape under the surface, slowly rocking. I break for air, then dive below again, something nagging in my head to stay away.

When I break the surface again, I look to the shore. Rowan is there, fishing pole in his hands. He looks so calm, so serene. I don’t want to disturb him, but I need to know what’s below the water.

I swim swiftly to the shore, and when I reach the sand, I walk slowly, admiring him. When I’m within ten feet of him, he looks at me. His eyes, once squinting at the line on his pole, are wider when he takes me in, his gaze quickly roaming my body. “Hey,” he says.

I point back to the spot in the water. “There’s something in the water back there.”

“Shark?” he asks, half joking. The water is so clear, he would see it if there was one.

“No. Something…shiny?”

“Shiny?”

“Yeah, it’s reflecting from some black blob down below. Looks like it could be a trunk or something.”

Rowan cocks his head. “Are you asking me to stop fishing so I can help you look at possible buried treasure?

I roll my eyes. “Quit being a smart ass, and come look.”

Rowan stares back into the water, a dark look passing over his eyes. I wait patiently for him to set his pole in the sand, and remove his shirt, before following me.

I stand directly in front of my forgotten towel, grabbing Rowan’s arm to pull him close. He’s warm. I point to where I was swimming, and he walks ahead. We swim out in tandem, and being in sync with him feels good. When we reach the spot, I stare down into the water. “See it?”

He doesn’t answer; instead, he dives down. I tread water, waiting for him to resurface. When he does, he wipes his face and looks at me.

“What the fuck is that?”

“Say itisa treasure, do we get to keep it? Is it the property of the US government?”

Rowan laughs. “I don’t think it’s buried treasure. But say it was, do you need more money?”

I shrug my shoulders. “It depends on how much we’re talking.”

“It’s weird. It’s not far off the shore. It’s hard to believe that Gerald never saw this. He lived here for years and never pulled this out?”

“Maybe he didn’t want to tempt fate,” I joke.

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