CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
C al
We’ve been saved. Joy fills me, and I’m not sure I’ll ever stop smiling.
“I can’t believe you were stuck on this island with Larvik,” Jeremy says, now he’s finished exclaiming about the wonderful fact that I’m still alive, a fact that also makes me exceedingly happy.
It’s hard to ignore his misplaced sympathy, and I try to avoid his gaze.
“You should get an immediate raise.”
My eyes flick up. “I haven’t done anything yet.”
“Dude, you survived being alone with Larvik for days. Where did you even sleep?” Jeremy sweeps his gaze around the beach. His gaze falls on the tiny shelter Jason built. “You weren’t stuck in there together?”
“It rained super hard last night. We were lucky we had that.”
“Sounds horrible, dude.”
I’m silent.
Parts of it were horrible.
And yet...
Oh, God. Other parts were so good.
I dart my gaze toward Jason, even though I shouldn’t be looking at him. I don’t think it’s possible for me to look at Jason with a neutral expression on my face anymore.
The last thing I want is for Jeremy and Rex to suspect anything. Fuck, if my boss found out I’d slept with the person I had an assignment to write a profile on? That’s definitely a journalistic no, no.
I shudder.
I spent so long wanting this position.
“Larvik was great,” I tell Jeremy, because I’m not going to let him think anything bad about Jason.
Jeremy gives me a hard stare. “You have to make sure to get checked for sunstroke.”
“He was!”
“I get it. Low expectations and everything.”
“He got us food, he built our shelter... And I woke up sick today, and he was so sweet and went searching for food.”
“Dude! I have food!” Jeremy hands me protein bars and water from his satchel. I rip them open and eat and drink eagerly.
“And he didn’t have tools. Or proper materials. I don’t know how I would have survived without him.”
Jeremy scrunches his lips together, and it’s all I can do to not say exactly how kind and loving Jason is.
My gaze moves to Jason. His face is carefully blank, and uncertainty moves through me.
God, maybe I did concoct everything in a fever dream.
No. Not true.
“He taught me how to swim,” I tell Jeremy, because I can at least say that.
Wonder doesn’t appear in my roommate’s eyes. “Holy shit, you have a crush.”
“I don’t!”
Jeremy eyes me skeptically.
Does it count as a crush if technically it’s sort of requited? At least, it was.
Now everything is unsure.
Ten minutes ago, I imagined that Jason and I had an infinite amount of time together.
And now I have no idea what he’s thinking.
Well, he’s probably hoping I won’t reveal anything.
And I won’t.
I sigh and join Rex at the helicopter, Jeremy trailing after me.
I give Rex an awkward smile. He came to rescue me, which is super nice from a life survival point of view, but probably doesn’t win me any employee of the month awards.
“Thank you,” I tell Rex.
Rex gives me one of his assertive nods. “I’m happy you’re okay.”
“I wouldn’t have been if you hadn’t come.”
Rex grimaces. “I apologize. I didn’t understand how big the assignment was when I gave it to you.”
My eyes flick shut. I’m going to have to tell him I can’t write the article. “It’s fine.”
Rex gives me a manly slap on the back, and the helicopter pilot helps me inside and directs me to my seat. Jason sits in the row in front of me.
Once we’re all strapped in, the helicopter moves upward. I crane my neck down, realizing this is the last time I’ll ever see the island.
The HELP messages have been cleared away to not confuse people in the future.
Then the helicopter’s blades drown all my thoughts, and we’re flying away, away, away.
Jason turns once to give me a soft smile, then spends the rest of the ride facing forward, while I spend the rest of the ride wondering if Jason and I really had sex.
At the airport, everything moves in a blur of fluorescent lights and official paperwork. Rex handles most of the logistics while Jeremy hovers protectively near me, shooting suspicious glances at Jason whenever he gets too close.
“There’s only one flight to Boston today,” Rex explains as we approach the ticket counter. “Cal, I got your ticket already. Lucky timing.”
Jason steps up to the counter to handle his own ticket, pulling out a credit card that probably has no limit.
The contrast between us hits me again. He’s a multi-millionaire athlete, and I’m a junior journalist whose biggest expense this month was first and last rent to a small North End apartment I share with another guy.
But then I hear him talking quietly to the agent, and something in his tone makes me pay attention.
“I’d like to upgrade the ticket for Callum Prescott to business class.” He slides his card across the counter.
“Jason, no.” I step forward quickly. “You don’t need to—”
“You were sick this morning. You should be comfortable.”
“That’s not your responsibility.”
He blinks and averts his gaze, as if I’ve insulted him. “Take it, Cal.”
The ticket agent is already processing the upgrade, and Rex and Jeremy are distracted by their own check-in.
“I can’t let you pay.”
“It’s done.” His expression softens. “Take care of yourself, Cal.”
Then he’s walking toward security, and I’m standing holding a business class boarding pass that costs more than my monthly rent.
JASON
I’m on an airplane headed back to the US, crammed into a middle seat between a businessman who keeps elbowing me and a woman traveling with a crying baby. A few hours ago, I wasn’t sure I would ever return, and now here I am.
I could have easily afforded business class for both of us, but there was only one seat available. Of course, it had to go to Cal. Only this morning, he could barely keep water down.
He deserves a lot more than being stuck on an island with me, eating coconuts and sleeping on sand.
I’m so exhausted that despite the cramped conditions and unideal noise environment, I’m soon sleeping.
When I wake up, the flight attendant is asking me if I want cream and sugar in my coffee as she hands me what appears to be a breakfast wrap.
I wish Cal was beside me. I already miss him so much.
We’ll be back in Boston soon. Not that I’ll see him when we return.
Because the truth is, I’ve never felt for anyone the same way I feel for Cal.
I travel for work constantly. If I’d wanted to, if I’d really wanted to, I could have hooked up with a guy. I could have.
None of the women I’ve been with have really known me. Maybe it was my fault for not sharing everything with them. For keeping parts of myself hidden and telling myself they didn’t matter, since I wasn’t going to act on those impulses.
It was probably my fault.
But was I ever truly sad when those relationships ended? When they informed me that I no longer had to accompany them for Thanksgiving or summer weddings or whatever else they’d had planned for me?
Did I feel anything besides an odd twinge of relief?
The flight attendants swoop down the aisles, and I hand over my now-empty breakfast containers.
I can see Cal in Boston. It will be just like the island.
My jaw steadies, my worry dissipates.
Then I remember all the reasons that won’t work. Because I saw how he hurried away from me at the airport. Because Jeremy was right there, protecting him. Because Rex was watching everything with those sharp journalist eyes.
Cal has a career to think about, and being involved with me could ruin everything he’s worked for.
Cal is the best man I’ve ever met. I saw how he hurried away from me, how shocked he was when I wanted to upgrade his seat, as if we were two strangers.
I won’t make anything difficult for him.
Never.