Chapter Twenty-Five
Now
In high school, Piper’s feelings for Wyatt had grown gradually, then all at once. Like sinking into quicksand, she hadn’t
known she was in trouble until way too late.
Quicksand déjà vu flitted through her as they prepared dinner. Every touch they exchanged sent shivers down her spine, each
sideways glance filled her with nostalgia and longing. Tonight could easily be the last of their unplanned layover. She’d
wanted off this island—their island—from the moment they’d crashed, but now she wished she could stuff sand back up the hourglass
of time.
While Wyatt cleaned the fish and started the fire, Piper cleared sand off their rock table and arranged palm leaves to serve
as place settings, hoping to make tonight feel less stranded-against-their-will vibes and more romantic camping adventure.
She set the remaining red berries on each palm leaf, stepped back, and admired her tablescape—castaway chic.
The place settings inspired Piper to transform herself from the swamp creature she must resemble into a girl on a tropical vacation—a tall order. Most everything in her bag had been used in some practical way or another, except for the slinky black slip dress stuffed into her DIY pillow. She pulled it out and rubbed the soft silk against her cheek. It felt like years since she’d pur chased the dress at Zara specifically for Allie’s bachelorette party, but in reality it had been less than two weeks ago.
Wyatt was still bent over the fire, so she ducked behind a tree and changed, sliding the dress down her body like liquid silk.
She had no bras intact, thanks to Wyatt’s handiwork, and the fabric clung to her curves or what was left of them after her
island crash diet. The final look would have been considered obscene in a public setting, but there was no one here to see
her except Wyatt.
He was the only one she wanted looking.
She found the hairbrush she’d abandoned long ago and coaxed her drying braids into beach waves. Using a piece of a compact
mirror that had survived the crash, Piper assessed herself. Back home, she wore makeup like armor, but here, fresh freckles
bloomed across her nose and rosy cheeks like wildflowers. The red, puckered scar still marred her forehead, but her soft green
eyes glowed with a light she hadn’t seen in a while. She sent up a prayer of thanks to Allie for forcing her to attend a series
of torturous laser hair removal sessions during college. She didn’t expect she’d ever feel completely clean while they were
here, but at least she didn’t have to worry about shaving.
Glancing over at Wyatt’s back, she almost lost her nerve and changed back into her regular T-shirt and shorts. He was going
to think she’d lost her mind walking out in a freaking minidress looking like a mermaid washed ashore, but she’d gone this
far. Might as well see it through. Running a hand across her stomach, Piper walked toward him with as much confidence as she
could muster.
When he looked up, Wyatt’s eyes practically bugged out of his head. He stood, almost knocking over the fish he’d laid out
on a burned sheet of metal from the plane wreckage that acted as a baking sheet.
“Piper! Whoa.” His Adam’s apple bobbed.
She flushed and rushed to explain. “It’s ridiculous, I know. But you said it was a celebratory feast, and I had this dress...”
Wyatt kept staring at her like he’d never seen a girl in a dress. Though, to be fair, he hadn’t in days. “No, you look amazing.”
His hungry eyes made her mouth go dry. Taking her hand, he twirled her and whistled before kissing her sweetly. Piper’s entire
body sang. He’d always had that effect on her—making her feel both sexy and safe.
Wyatt tugged at his dirty T-shirt. “I’m underdressed.”
“No, you look great.” It was annoying, actually, how good Wyatt always looked.
“Let me at least go put a fresher shirt on.”
Piper had to bite her tongue to keep from saying she preferred him shirtless but changed her mind when he returned in a light
blue gingham button-down shirt rolled up at the sleeves and navy shorts. The clothes were rumpled from pulling double duty
as bedding, but they reminded her of what he used to wear to pick her up for dates in high school. Effortlessly hot.
“Well, look at that. You clean up pretty nice, too.” She enjoyed how the tips of his ears reddened at the compliment.
“Thanks. Let’s eat!” He waved her toward the rock table and distributed fish onto the leaves.
Though Wyatt complained more than once about how much easier it would’ve been with a YouTube tutorial on deboning a fish,
he’d got the job done with dexterity. They had to pick around bones, and the fish wasn’t cooked in all places, but it was
their best meal yet—made even sweeter with a side of Oreos.
Even though they were eating dinner with bare hands over a rock on the beach, dressing up reminded Piper of life back home. Would they even be speaking in the version of their lives where the plane hadn’t crashed? He’d said he wanted to stay in her life, but would he still mean it when rescue came? The idea of losing the perfect bud of friendship and the spark of romance blossoming again between them devastated her.
“Is everything okay?” Wyatt asked like he could read her mind. “I mean, besides the obvious very not okay situation we’ve
found ourselves in.”
“Yeah.” Piper glanced up with a wilted smile. “I was thinking about rescue coming. It’s a good thing, of course, but weird
thinking we could wake up in our own beds soon.” Halfway across the country from each other.
“I know what you mean. It’s going to be strange; using a phone, driving a car, not having sand in everything.”
“Not being around me 24/7.”
Wyatt’s gaze cut to her face. “That’s the part I’ll miss.”
Piper’s throat ached, tightening like a tie around her neck. When she found her voice, she changed the subject. “Is there
anything you’ll do differently when we get back?”
Wyatt pursed his lips, thinking. “Besides being a better nephew and friend, I’d like to get more involved in helping foster
kids, especially teenagers. It’s been on my to-do list for a while, but it’s time to actually make it happen.”
“Really?” She didn’t know what she’d expected Wyatt to say, but that wasn’t it.
He leaned forward, shifting toward her, resting his elbows on his knees. “You know, if it weren’t for Aunt Molly taking me
in whenever my mom got herself in over her head, I would’ve ended up in the system. And I can’t imagine that would have worked
out well for me. Nobody wants a moody teenager, but Molly stepped up to be my legal guardian through a kinship placement when
I needed her most. I owe her a lot, and the best way I know how to say thank you is to pay it forward.”
Obviously, Piper knew Wyatt had moved in with Molly during their senior year, but she hadn’t understood the significance.
“I think you could help those kids a lot. You’ll be an awesome role model.” She could easily picture Wyatt teaching a kid how to drive—or holding a baby with a smile that matched hers.
“You think?” Wyatt bit his lip.
She placed a hand on his knee and caught his gaze. “I know.”
He smiled gratefully and took a sip of water from his canteen. “Speaking of family, I did one of those DNA tests a few months
ago.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “I’ve always wanted to learn more about my roots on my father’s side. After my dad died, my mom cut off all contact
with his extended family and moved us to Mason. I don’t know the specifics, but I think they fought over custody of me, and
she ran. I know she probably did what she thought was right at the time, but as a result, I know nothing about my dad’s family.”
He angled his body, shifting until they sat side by side, facing the ocean.
“Are you glad you did it?” she asked.
“Yeah. It’s comforting somehow to see where I come from. To have tangible proof that I’m connected to others, even though
I’m basically an orphan. Gives some credibility to my existence.”
Piper curled her arm through Wyatt’s and leaned her head on his shoulder. “You’ve always been very real to me.”
“Thank you.” He dropped a kiss on top of her hair. “I just wasn’t prepared for relatives to reach out.”
“ What? Like who?” She pulled back and examined his face.
“My dad’s brother—my uncle. And two cousins.”
“Wyatt, that’s amazing. Are you going to meet them?” Why didn’t he sound more excited about this earth-shattering news?
Wyatt shook his head. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea. What if I meet them and they decide they want nothing to do with
me?” Fear laced his voice. “What if they’re mad I didn’t reach out earlier? I’ve done okay on my own so far. Maybe it’s better
that way.”
“What if they already love you and can’t wait to get to know you better?” Piper kissed his shoulder.
“It’s a moot point until we get off this island.” He cleared his throat and shrugged her off. “Enough about me. What about
you? What will you change, if anything?”
Piper knew better than to press him, but she made a mental note to bring it up again. She wouldn’t let Wyatt throw away his
chance at meeting family members. Their conversation tonight mirrored the deep, meandering, soul-searching talks they’d often
had as teens. Challenging each other to dig deeper with each question. Their time on the island so far had acted as a giant
pause button to her life. A life of letting the current dictate her direction instead of steering her own ship. All the extra
time to think had helped her get clear about what she wanted out of life or, more accurately, what she didn’t.
Piper untangled a knot in her hair. “I don’t know. I guess figure out what the hell I want to do with my life if it’s not
medicine.”
Wyatt raised a brow. “So, you’ll quit med school?”
She puffed up her cheeks and blew them out slowly. “I think so—if I can figure out what to tell my parents. No big deal.”
She wrinkled her nose at the thought, though giddiness coursed through her body from saying the words out loud.
He bumped her shoulder with his. “You’ll figure it out. As long as you do what makes you happy, not anyone else, it will all
work out.”
Easier said than done. But she knew he was right. Pulling the plug on her entire life plan no longer seemed as unreasonable
or impossible as it had a week ago. She silently added officially ending things with Tag to her second-chance-at-life to-do
list. They’d never confirmed exclusivity, but she wanted to clearly communicate that she didn’t see a future with him. Especially
with the newfound clarity that her heart still belonged to Wyatt—even if the second chapter of their love story began and
ended on this island.
“I’ll make a deal with you. If you tell your parents how you feel about becoming a doctor, I’ll reach out to my relatives.”
Piper snapped her head up. “Yeah? What happened to being better off alone?”
“I’m realizing there could be another way. A better way.” His eyes smoldered like the fire, burning into hers.
“Deal.” She stuck her hand out to shake.
He enveloped her slender hand in his larger one, not letting go. Rough calluses tickled her palm, and her skin prickled, thinking
about what his hands would feel like on her body.
In the shrinking daylight, Wyatt’s gorgeous face glowed in the soft flicker of the flames. The serious stubble he sported
defined his chiseled jawline and perfect mouth further. Piper swiped her thumb over a fading bruise dusting his cheekbone,
just wanting to be near him. With a small smile, Wyatt brought her hand to his lips for a kiss.
“There’s something else I’m going to do when we get home,” he told her, his voice full of gravel, her hand still nestled in
his. “I’m taking you out for a proper meal. One that doesn’t involve sea-to-rock cuisine.”
The possibility of spending time with Wyatt in the real world made all the blood rush to her head like she’d drunk a bottle
of wine. As did the barrage of memories of previous idyllic date nights with him.
“How about milkshakes?”
He beamed wide enough to show his dimples, clearly catching her reference to their first date. “Cheap date, you’ve got it.”
“Oh, I’m not done,” she countered, biting back a smile at the word “date.” “We start with a milkshake at Charlie’s Diner,
but you better believe I’ll be getting fries, mozzarella sticks, and a plate of mac and cheese as big as my head.”
“I’m on board for all of that. Does Charlie’s still serve those double cheeseburgers?”
“Of course!”
“Then it’s settled. As soon as we get off this island—you, me, and Charlie’s finest milkshake.”
“Milkshakes, plural. I won’t be sharing.” Piper stuck her lips out in a flirty pout and squeezed his hand tighter.
Wyatt laughed, the sound echoing up from deep within his chest. “Only the best for my girl.”
Piper’s own laughter caught in her throat, warmth fanning out from the flame ignited in her core. As a teenager, she’d adored
hearing him call her “my girl.”
If possible, she loved it even more now.