My Grumpy Billionaire Soccer Star (HOT Firefighters & Sportsmen)

19. Chapter Nineteen

Rachel

T he warmth of the morning sun caresses my skin as I slowly open my eyes. My body feels much better than it did the day before—less feverish, less weak, surprisingly warm—and my throat is dry as a desert. The sun seeps through the palm fronds, forming a canopy above me, and I wonder why the treetops appear so close.

Tunnel vision?

But when I look around, I realize I am inside a structure that looks like a tent. I jolt to a sitting position and glance around. Then it hits me: I am alone!

Vaughn’s jacket is still wrapped around me. I throw it off and wriggle out of the tent.

Where has he gone? Has he abandoned me?

I glance around, my eyes darting from spot to spot, my heart thumping against my chest—still no sign of Vaughn.

The whiff of salty air and the sound of crashing waves make me run in the direction of the ocean. It is as empty as it was yesterday!

What if he made a raft out of some of the branches he collected yesterday and waited for the perfect time—for me to fall asleep—before leaving? He made a tent; making a raft wouldn’t be difficult for him, would it?

“Vaughn!” I scream his name in desperation. I knew it! I knew it was too good to be true. His kindness and concern had all been a ploy to make me feel comfortable so he could get away.

I break down in sobs, feeling betrayed.

I run back into the forest and keep running. I pass the tent and keep running. My bare feet sink into the damp soil from yesterday’s rain as I keep on running and running, screaming Vaughn’s name repeatedly. How could he even think of doing this to me—all for some stupid contract?

The hem of my dress gets caught in bushes, but I don’t care. I keep running, tears streaming down my face.

“Vaughn!” I scream again. Then, a voice calls out from the distance, making me stop in my tracks.

“Vaughn? Is that you?”

My eyes dart around, trying to figure out where the sound is coming from.

“Rachel!” he calls out again, and I finally pinpoint the location. I run, hopefully, in the right direction and stop at a tree. Looking up, I see Vaughn plucking fruits so casually, like he’s been doing this every day for a long time. He is already eating some, and I can’t help but smile.

A wave of relief and embarrassment washes over me, but I don’t care. I am just glad I am not alone in this godforsaken place. I bend down to pick up a fruit that has fallen, only to be stopped by a sharp pain in my lower back. I try not to yell because I don’t want to bring Vaughn’s attention to it. I wish I had my medicine with me. When I went to get supplies for the trip to Australia after Vaughn dropped the news, I went home to grab some things, including my medicine. I didn’t have to worry about Archie as the next-door neighbor had agreed to babysit her until I got back. Gosh, I already miss her!

Now, I am worried about how much worse the pain will get since we’ve lost all our luggage.

“I heard you screaming my name from afar. Have you lost your way or something?” he asks, making his way down to the ground.

I grunt, “No. I thought you left me all to myself. I got scared.”

He doesn’t reply until he’s fully come down. Then, his face contorts into an expression of disbelief. “You think I’d do that? You really think I am evil enough to abandon you here all to yourself?”

How do I answer this? A pang of guilt bites at me as I contemplate how to respond.

His eyes widen further as he comes closer. “What? You’ve got nothing to say? You really think I am that evil, don’t you? No—it is not even about abandoning you. You actually think I might know a secret exit and am keeping it from you.”

There isn’t an atom of hurt in his eyes, but there’s a shit ton of accusation therein. I know, I may have been crazy to think that he’s done that, but gosh, why is he trying so hard to guilt-trip me?

He steps closer, bringing his face just a couple of inches away from mine. “I may be a pain in the ass, but I would never do that to another human being.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I was just scared.”

There you have it!

A mischievous smile crosses his lips. “It’s alright. Come help me gather these,” he says, pointing at the fruits on the ground.

I have always been cautious when asking Vaughn questions, even when those questions would help me understand work-related issues better. He hates to be questioned about anything and everything, and he always uses this annoyingly rude sentence: “It’s your job to find out. That’s what I pay you for.”

When you have worked for Vaughn as long as I have, you never get too comfortable with him. That’s sad, but it’s the truth. You’re trained from day one to always be self-conscious around Vaughn, the unquestionable god. I have never been one to submit, but working with Vaughn demands you do so. I have become so accustomed to his annoying side that it comes as a surprise to see his caring side. Believe it or not, my reaction was no exaggeration.

It’s been just a day on the island, and the changes are glaring. It’s almost like he’s morphed into a new person, and at this point, it scares me more than it relieves me.

“Why did you have to come all the way to get the same peach fruit?” I ask.

“Figured it tastes juicier than the ones we got yesterday. Give it a try.”

I bite into it and chew. He’s not lying.

“How’s progress with finding an escape route? Any success with that yet?”

A sad twinkle appears in his eyes. He shakes his head gently. “No, but I did find something.”

He motions for me to follow him, and after about ten minutes’ walk, we arrive at a waterfall plunging into a gorge, creating a beautiful freshwater lagoon below.

“This is where the forest ends,” he says, defeat in his voice. “But on the upside, we could use this for water in the meantime.”

I nodded in understanding, and we exchange glances. Something about the way he’s handling the situation calmly and making the best out of our misfortune sparks admiration in me. I wonder what would have happened if somehow, I had been the only one alive in the crash—definitely dying the next day for sure.

We head back toward the beach. After storing some food in our tent for later, Vaughn suggests we sit down at the beach. In his words, “Who knows, some ship might come passing by.”

We sit down on the warm sand, watching the waves rise and crash as we munch on our simple meal of peach fruit and water drunk from coconut shells—like we have a choice. It is peaceful and simple—talk about making the best out of negative circumstances.

“Look!” Vaughn points at a bag bobbing up and down in the ocean. It’s almost washed up on shore, but Vaughn stands up and immediately sprints toward it.

I follow when I realize it is my bag. I sprint toward him, but he has already gotten there before me. To my utter shock, the bag is wide open like it was never sealed in the first place, and I rush to pull it onto dry land. I zip the bag up in fear and apprehension, hoping he didn’t see what I was trying to hide. But when I lift my head back up to meet his eyes, I realize I’m too late.