Page 34 of Sail Me to Ruin
“Baby, listen to me. Okay?” I scoop her cheeks into my hands. “Baby, we have to get rid of the body. It can’t stay or you’re going to go away for a long time. I have your back but we need to do this now. Okay?”
Blinking away her tears, she takes in my calm demeanor. “Blaise, she’s gone. We have to tell the police. She killed both of those men. They’ll listen to us. We’re innocent.”
“Listen to me, we can tell the police about the men but we’re going to say she ran off when you confronted her. You haven’t seen her since. We’re putting her body overboard, nobody will find her in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Okay? We have to move now.”
She nods, clearly moving on auto pilot. The sobs have stopped, morphing into soft hiccups. I open the balcony door as wide as I can.
“Grab her feet, I got her arms. She’s going to be heavy. Ready—one, two, three.” We lift at the same time, dragging Jade’s lifeless body out and to the railing.
“Blaise, I can’t shove her over. I can't, I'm sorry. I can’t. What happens if her body washes up, then what?” She turns away, rushing to the bathroom, gagging the whole way there.
“I would never let that happen, my pretty little Storm,” I whisper before shoving Jade’s body over the railing and into the water. “Good riddance.”
I wait to hear the splash and make sure the body doesn’t float before going inside to take care ofmygirl.
Locking the balcony door, my eyes scan the room for all the blood splatters and stains. I walk into the bathroom to find Elodie with her head in the toilet.
Instead of standing over her, I get on the floor behind her and gently rub her back.
“I know, baby. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
Her words are garbled, but it sounds like ‘no’ as she empties her stomach of everything we ate together earlier.
I rub small circles on her back in silence, giving her a moment to grieve and process what happened.
After what feels like hours, she leans back against my chest and closes her eyes.
Her throat is so hoarse I almost don’t catch the thank you she says.
“Of course, baby. I knew I had to protect you. She would have killed us both like she did those men. You saved us, but now I need to take care of you. I’m going to start the bath and you’re going to get in while I clean up. Once I’m done, I’ll come help you wash and we can figure out what to do. Okay? I know your throat hurts but if you just nod that’s enough.”
She nods meekly, and I pull myself from her and start a warm bath.
Placing her arms out for me, I help her up to undress and get in the bath. Once she’s in the large tub and I stop the water, I go to take care of her mess.
She is mine forever, and this won’t be what separates us.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
elodie
The wateraround me is tinged pink and has become cold.
I deserve to die.
Hugging my knees to my chest, I rest my chin on them.
How did this go so wrong? We were so happy; everything was good.
She killed two men out of...jealousy?
Why would she be jealous of me?
I sniffle, unable to produce anymore tears.
I’m numb. She’s gone.
Lost to the sea.
