Page 43 of Paradise & Vodka
"We can't leave them."
I placed my hands on her arms and looked directly into her chocolate eyes. "I know they're your family, but we can't outrun a fucking tidal wave, baby."
"I just don't understand how they aren't here already."
"Maybe they had a car and they're already on their way to higher ground," I suggested.
Ashleigh nodded slowly as though she was processing my words. "Yeah, maybe."
It wouldn't surprise me if they did leave without thinking about her. I fucking hated thinking that, but based on the way they had treated her in the past, I wouldn't put it past them.
"We can fit two more," a staffer called out.
"Go with Filipe," the other staffer said.
I raised my hand to let the driver know we were coming. "We gotta go."
Ashleigh took my hand. "I fuckin' hate this."
"Me, too."
We got into the shuttle and took our seats in the very back, our luggage in our laps. Her family wasn't on the shuttle, and I hoped to myself that theydidleave her behind. It would cause more drama between everyone again, but at least everyone would be safe.
"Where are we going?" someone asked as the small bus pulled out of the parking lot.
"Just up," the driver responded. He pulled out his cell phone. "It's me. We're evacuating the hotel right now. If a wave hits, there's no telling what it's going to look like tomorrow. No, listen to me. I have the guests with me right now. I need you to meet us at Zone D."
Was this guy leaving his family members to find safety on their own? I couldn't imagine having to keep a level head and help anyone but Ashleigh and myself. I supposed that was why my friends thought I was the prick in our group. All of them—even Vinny since he was a teacher—had some sort of hero complex.
And then there was me.
Before Ashleigh, Ididonly think about myself. I had no one else to worry about. Of course, I cared for my friends and family, and when shit went down with my friends, I had worried about them. Fuck, when Brad got shot, I was the first one to get to the hospital besides Gabe, who was only there first because Mark had called him right away. I let them think what they wanted to think, but I did have a heart.
"Oh my God," someone gasped, and everyone turned around to look behind us.
When I did, the ocean that had previously seemed calm was no longer. The water was starting to pull away from the shore, and as we continued to watch, a giant fucking wave formed. A wave that I wasn't sure we would outrun because it looked as though the entire Pacific Ocean was forming a wall and would crash into the main island of Fiji.
The driver stepped on the gas. I grabbed Ashleigh's hand, clenching it as we continued to watch the devastation that would more than likely wipe out the paradise where we had just spent the last four days.
A destruction that was bound to kill.
I had no idea where we were exceptupby the time the shuttle stopped. We watched the wave break, taking out palm trees and buildings as we continued to climb. I didn't know if it had been at our hotel or somewhere else because the farther up we got, the more I didn't know where we were. I'd never seen anything like it before. I almost felt as though I was in a daze, that none of it was real and at any moment I would wake up.
But itwasreal.
"What if they didn't make it out?" Ashleigh asked as we waited for the others to get off the shuttle.
"We can't think about that."
"It's all I can think about."
I wrapped her in my arms. "I know, but let's think positive. Maybe they are here too."
"We don't even know wherehereis."
I looked out the window to see that we were on the side of the road and not at a building or hotel or anything of the sort. In fact, I couldn't see anything except trees and bushes.
"What are we doing here?" I asked as I got off the shuttle.
