Chapter 24
24
CARRIE
I’m scared.
The boat crossing to Virgin Gorda is rough, the swell is as big as I’ve ever seen from a boat and Henry tells me this is only the very beginning of what’s to come. The sky is increasingly cloudy, not like the beautiful sunshine that’s been around since I arrived – it’s hard to fathom that was only Monday and now Thursday looks so different.
There are ten of us squished onto the speedboat, holding down wood and tools while trying to root ourselves to the boat as it crashes up and down, water spraying back at us from the bow.
Yet I’m pretty sure it’s not the journey or the storm that are making me afraid. Or not more so than being on the boat with Luke, after I bared all to him.
I’d vowed to myself, if I ever saw him again, not to let him know how much he hurt me and last night, I don’t know why the words fell out of me.
I was angry, frustrated, upset. I was supposed to be leaving.
Until I wasn’t.
This morning, he reacted to me as if I was a pane of fragile glass, waiting to be shattered. All jumpy and protective.
Well, I don’t need his pity. He’s seven years too late to show remorse.
I’m pleased he dropped his coffee and I hope he found my little trick with the iced water to be more feisty than wilting flower.
When he looks my way, I realize I’ve been scowling at him. Damn it. I don’t want him to think I’m looking at him. Though, I have to admit, wet from the spray, his workout gear sticking to everywhere it touches on his torso, cap in hand and dragging a hand through his wet hair to tug it back from his face. He’s… well, I can see why twenty-four-year-old me would have been turned by him.
Okay, okay, why even thirty-one-year-old me would be rapt.
But why is he staring at me ? He has no right and I narrow my eyes to let him know it.
Thankfully, our destination is dead ahead. When Henry drives us up to it, Luke and Jenny jump onto the dock, each taking a line and tying the boat to it. I watch Luke twist and turn the rope like he’s done it every day since he was born, and I watch the muscles of his arms twist and turn too.
What’s wrong with me? Am I greedy for punishment? Has the lack of clothes, the sea, sand, sun and alcohol of the last few days made me certifiably nuts?
The man left me, ditched me, made me fall in love with him, then dumped me.
We get off the vessel at a place called Leverick Bay. There are other boats, a restaurant and hotel. The water is much calmer in the bay, sheltered by surrounding islands.
I can imagine, on a different day, it’s even more beautiful here, a hive of tourist activity, laughter and rum.
Today, surprisingly, people still seem jovial. Deep bellowing laughs can be heard around the marina from men and women, though many of them are securing boats and premises.
There are two trucks waiting for us – a black one and an electric blue one. Yup, I’m that stereotypical gal when it comes to cars. They move, they have four wheels, I’m going to be sitting on a bench seat in the back, no roof over my head. That’s all I care to know.
One of the truck drivers is Dionne’s brother and the other is Roy’s father-in-law. The decision is made to split the group, half in each truck, and go off in different directions, to get as much done as possible, as quickly as possible.
Henry seems to have been appointed chief weather watcher and he determines we need to head back to Charithonia no later than 2p.m., otherwise we risk the journey being too dangerous. We also need to pitch in with the guys left on Charithonia to tie down and protect everything on Joe’s island as best we can.
It’s going to be a long day but I’m glad of it. Pleased that I can help somehow and delighted to not have dead time on my hands to worry about what’s to come.
I messaged Callum and my mom last night, telling them both that I’d be here for the storm, playing it down as much as I could, lying to them that Joe has basically declared the island a safe haven with a ginormous panic room. But, of course, I had to confess I didn’t know when I’d next be in touch, that the rumors are that the phone lines could be brought down in the storm, and power supplies could be thwarted.
I couldn’t face speaking to them, so I let their follow-up calls ring out. It wasn’t just about the storm. More that my head was absolute mush from the day’s sail, from my declaration to Luke, then the day being rounded off by me being trapped in the path of a mahoosive storm.
My mom must have passed on the message to my dad because, by current count, he’s tried to call me sixteen times since 9p.m. last night.
At this moment, I have a legitimate excuse to bury my head in the sand.
There are ten people – twelve including the drivers – and two trucks. Eight men and four women, so when Jenny and Monique head for the black truck and Dionne to the blue, it makes sense for me to follow Dionne, Glen, Henry and Dave, to even out the sexes. Much like women are from Venus and men are from Mars, women bring multitasking and strategic thinking to a team scenario. Men bring brute strength. Not to typecast but trying to be practical here.
I’m last to climb into the back of the truck. Henry reaches down a hand to give me a tug up. I lift my sneaker-clad foot to the vehicle but before I push up from the ground, I hear a voice I will never fail to recognize, up close behind me.
‘Monique is riding in this truck. You’re with us, Carrie.’
Releasing Henry’s hand, I spin around to find Luke speaking to me but glaring at Henry as the words leave his mouth. In response to Luke’s near growling, one side of Henry’s lips quirk up, like a teenage boy who just doesn’t know when to quit.
‘To balance numbers,’ Luke adds, briefly glancing my way before turning his back on me and going back to the blue ride.
I’ve no problem switching places with Monique; I was only trying to balance the numbers myself, though if I’m honest, I’d rather not spend time with Luke today, or ever again in my life.
The eye roll Monique gives, arms folded across her chest as she approaches me, suggests she got told to change trucks.
I smile apologetically, without knowing why she’s been switched.
‘Honey, you need to put that man out of his misery,’ she tells me, winking as she accepts a hand up from Henry.