Page 67 of The Billionaire's Teacher

It wasn’t possible to fall in love with someone you’d never hugged. Or kissed. Or walked with on the beach, hand-in-hand.

Was it?

“Doesn’t matter.” I murmured.

That was the other down side of being at home. On a boat, with clients around, I could keep my thoughts to myself. People generally didn’t want to hear their captain muttering to herself as she went about her day. Or at least, that was what I’d noticed.

Here at home? There was only me to care. And I didn’t.

Sometimes I liked the company.

“I should get a TV.” Then at least I’d have conversations going on that weren’t between me, myself, and I. Or I would when I had power, which wasn’t all the time. That was a joy of small island living that many people didn’t know.

Lots of residents had generators. Luca and I hadn’t bothered. We weren’t here all the time, for one. And neither of us really minded being cut off from civilization for a few hours. We could always bike into town if we wanted company and power.

My phone rang. I lifted my eyebrows as I saw Zee’s name. “Yeah?”

“You made it home all right?”

“I did. I meant to text you. Sorry.” I winced. I shouldn’t allow myself to get so wrapped up in myself, in my thoughts, that I forgot that I had Zee. She cared about me. Even if I didn’t always like the way she went about it.

“It’s okay.” She paused. I could almost hear her picking through words, trying to choose them.

“Just spit it out. Am I fired?”

“What? No. Goodness, girl, this place couldn’t survive without you for long. You know that.”

“No, I don’t. Remember the whole ‘we have other captains who need work’ conversation the boss gave? You were right there, nodding along with him.” Bitterness laced my voice. I could understand where he was coming from, but Zee’s agreement had been a betrayal. She’d known why I needed the work.

“Pfft.” Zee’s little breath of air dismissed my hurt.

I scowled. “Is that all? I was enjoying watching my waves.”

“No. It’s not all. But now I’m not sure you deserve to know.”

“And you’re in charge of making that decision, I guess?” Even as I bristled, I wasn’t sure why I was picking a fight with Zee. It wasn’t the right move. And she didn’t deserve it. But I couldn’t stop the hurt and anger that oozed through me now that she was on the phone.

“I guess I am, since I have the information and you don’t.” Her tone was brisk, no-nonsense. “And your childish behavior just confirms that we were right to send you home. You don’t have to like it.”

I closed my eyes. I didn’t like it. I hated it. But… “I’m sorry, Zee. Just tell me. Then you can hang up and leave me to my foul mood. I’ll get over it.”

“This’ll either help or make it worse. I wish I knew which.” Zee sighed. “Wes called looking for you. Couple of times now. You didn’t give him your number?”

“He didn’t need it.”

Zee’s silence said more than a five-minute lecture.

“Fine. I didn’t want him to have it. Happy?”

“No. Not really.” She paused again. “Are you?”

I stared out at the ocean. I could picture Wes walking up out of the surf with his flippers in one hand, his wetsuit unzipped and hanging around his waist. Chest bare and glistening with water droplets.

Of course, that had been after our last dive. The one at the island before his plane came and took us home. Even knowing our time together was ending, I almost hadn’t been able to keep from crossing the line and telling him how he made me feel. Asking him if there was some way,anyway, that we could try to be together.

“I’ll be all right.”

“All right isn’t happy, which is what I asked.”

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