Chapter 37 Day 5, At Sea
ASHLEY
When I wake, the sheets are rumpled around me, still holding the faintest scent of what we did the night before. Well, of what Beckett did.
I take a few seconds to relive it.
A weight has lifted. Maybe not all the way, maybe not permanently—but enough that I’m willing to admit that I almost feel… hopeful.
I roll onto my side, expecting to find him there, only… I don’t.
And sitting up slowly, I notice the faint throb of sunburn on my shoulders, irritated with myself for not being more careful.
That’s when I spot it—a folded note near the lamp.
Promised the boys we’d hit the arcade this morning. And then laser tag with the guys. Catch you this afternoon some time.
Love, Bex.
P.S. Could’ve spent all morning tasting you again. Tonight works too.
I stare at the handwriting for a long moment.
And feeling good, it seems so easy.
But… If I failed you—I couldn’t live with myself.
He’s trying to protect me, I realize that now. But who’s protecting him?
Whatever’s happening with his job… it’s not just missed bonuses. It’s not just stress or burnout. It’s big. And it’s taking a toll on him. On me. On our family.
There has to be something I can do.
I climb out of bed slowly, stretching, savoring, letting myself keep the glow just a little longer. Then I pull on a pair of shorts and a soft t-shirt, tug my hair into a messy knot, and fire up my laptop.
Thank God the ship’s internet is working this morning.
Because I’ve spent months reacting. Waiting.
Not anymore.
I place my fingertips on the keys, and without hesitation, search Midtown Investments again.
The same headlines from last night, so I keep scrolling—weeks, then months back. “Unusual trading patterns at Midtown trigger alerts.” I skim the article, not really knowing what I’m looking for but then a name pops out at me—Aurum Micro-PIPE.
“That Aurum Micro-PIPE mess…” The one Courtney mentioned.
How did I not put this together right away? It was listed on every single quarterly bonus breakdown. The bonuses that nearly paid off our house. That kept our kids in private school. That made everything look so darn perfect…
I open a new tab and type it in directly: Aurum Micro-PIPE.
And this time it’s like I’ve hit a goldmine. I click, skimming through the first article until my eyes lock onto two words. “Regulatory scrutiny is increasing...” “Possible indictments coming.”
Regulatory scrutiny? That can’t be good.
Possible indictments sound even worse.
The words are still echoing in my mind when my phone rings—startling me so badly, I nearly launch the laptop off my thighs.
Guilt hits like a wave, and I slam the lid shut like I’ve been caught doing something wrong. Which, technically, I haven’t. But it feels that way.
Tay’s name flashes across the screen.
I exhale, swipe to answer. “Hello?”
“Hey! I thought we were meeting at nine to start setting up for the bachelorette party?”
Ship.
Ship ship ship!
I’m already hopping on one foot, trying to jam on a sandal, and my brain is sprinting faster than my body.
How the heck did I forget?
Oh right. Last night.
And then, instead of checking my daytimer first thing, I went into full-on PI mode, searching my husband’s employer hoping to come up with something to put my fears to rest. Hoping to find answers, gosh darnit!
How could I forget that it’s the day before my sister’s wedding? I’m in charge of the bachelorette party, for Pete’s sake!!
“Give me ten minutes,” I pant into the phone, but then I get a glimpse of myself in the mirror. “Maybe twenty.”
“No hurry, I'm in the bridal suite now,” Tay says, chipper as ever. “I assume the decorations are in these boxes? Want me to start taking inventory?”
Right. Decorations. Accessories. Scavenger hunt lists.
“You brought prizes, right?” I ask.
“Oh yeah. I’ve got that covered!” Tay snorts a little before laughing.
“That good, eh?”
“Only the best. But hey, yeah. Take your time. I’ll start decorating until you make it over here.”
Nooooo! I mean, I have very specific ideas… “I’ll be there in fifteen.”
I hang up and launch into high-speed mode. Quick shower—wash, condition, rinse while it’s still lukewarm. Mascara, bronzer, a touch of concealer, and a high ponytail. By the time I cross the ship and reach the bridal suite, I’m ready to face the day.
Ready to face Tay. Well, almost.
I’m mostly just hoping she doesn’t bring up last night.
Not because I regret it—God, no—but because saying it all out loud still feels too raw. Too exposed.
It’s a relief, having someone know.
And also… kind of horrifying.
I owe her a thank you.
Her advice—unlike about half of what I’d read in all those divorce help books—is actually sticking.
Tay opens the door in white linen shorts and a teal tank top that says ‘Vibing with the Bride’ in glittery script. Her blonde hair is piled up in a messy bun, but what I notice first is the steaming cup she holds out to me.
“It’s real,” she says. And now I’m leaning more towards grateful that she knows the truth. I don’t have to pretend with this woman.
“Thank God.” I take the cup, glancing around.
This suite. The bridal suite is nearly identical to me and Beckett’s—modern, elegant, luxurious by ship cabin standards, a king size bed, a velvet sofa, and a desk that’s covered with paraphernalia that’s all things party related.
And of course, glass sliding doors that open to the balcony with a view of endless sea.
I take a careful sip. Then a longer one.
“You are a saint among women.”
Tay just looks at me. Calm. Steady. Not poking, just… holding space.
“You okay?”
“Better.”
“Need to talk about it?”
Maybe?
But right now, I just need to move. “I can work and talk at the same time,” I offer.
Tay doesn’t even blink. “Perfect.”
She lifts a hopelessly tangled strand of fairy lights. “What’s the plan for these?”
“Oh! Those go around the headboard. And if we’ve got enough, I thought we could run some along the balcony railing too.”
“Romantic. Got it.” She drops the lights in my lap. “Untangle. You talk, I’ll climb furniture.”
I glance down, pick at a knot of tiny bulbs.
“It wasn’t a tattoo,” I say casually. “It was a piercing.”
Tay freezes halfway onto a chair, turns around slow. “Seriously?”
I nod, wincing.
“Just so we’re on the same page, do you mean, a penis piercing?”
“Um… Yeah.”
Tay raises a brow, then swings one leg off the chair. “Okay, well now I’m invested. But let me just say, if we’re making this a pros and cons conversation? That piercing belongs firmly in the pro column.”
I blink. “Wait. You’ve seen one?”
“More than seen it.” She’s grinning wider than I’ve seen her grin before. “And let me tell you—I still think about it.”
I laugh, caught somewhere between scandalized and fascinated. “How did you know I was making a pros and cons list?”
She just gives me a look. “Ashley. You are a pros and cons list.”
Fair.
“Okay. One for the pros side… so you still think about it, eh?”
Tay smirks, unspooling a coil of lights. “Let me put it this way—if er… inserted properly, that little piece of metal turns the entire act into… let’s say, a more intense experience. Extra pressure. Extra friction. Inside, and right behind the clitoris…”
I nearly drop the lights. “You are out of control.”
She shrugs, totally unapologetic. “You brought it up. I’m just saying—if you’re making a list, definitely factor in that level of fireworks.”
I think about telling her there were already plenty of fireworks last night—even without the piercing—but there are some things I’d like to keep to myself.
“Duly noted,” I say.
She pauses. Eyes me. Smirks. But doesn’t push.
We get right back to work, draping strings of lights over the headboard, blowing up bride and groom balloons to make a garland that we hang on the walls with little magnetic hooks, and scattering silk yellow petals over the bed in the shape of a heart.
Tay tapes a sparkly “Luna and Noah” banner across the balcony doors, and I start assembling the mini spa kits for each guest—face masks, lip balm, and a tiny bottle of rosé, plus a crown and sash set laid out for Luna.
It’s all pretty mindless, which I’m grateful for, because my mind is right back on Beckett. And the words regulatory scrutiny.
“You’re good, then?” Tay breaks our silence. “The dinner went okay?”
“It did, actually,” I say. “Even though… there’s still a lot to figure out.”
My mind flickers back to the candlelight, our conversation, and—strangely—the fact that I’d spent the entire evening without wearing underwear.
Not exactly my usual vibe.
Kind of like parasailing.
I shake the thought off with a smile. “What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?”
It’s a deflection, sure—but with Tay’s lifestyle, I know the answer will be worth it.
Tay laughs, surprised. “Craziest? Getting engaged.”
My brow lifts. “You’re engaged?”
“Was.” Her smile softens, wistful. “A long time ago. He called it off a month before the wedding.”
Wow. That was not what I expected.
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want, but… what happened?”
Tay measures out a piece of ribbon. “He said I didn’t love him enough. That I wasn’t ready to settle down. That we wanted different things.”
I nod, letting the silence settle for a beat. There’s something in her voice—honest, maybe a little bruised, but not bitter.
“Was he right?” I ask softly.
She shrugs. “Apparently. A few months later I got hired by Wonderworld Tours. Best thing that ever happened to me, even though…”
“Even though?”
She winces a little, tugging at a knot in the ribbon.
“At the end of every tour, everyone starts talking about being sad it’s over—but also ready to go home.” She smooths the ribbon over her knee, suddenly very focused on getting it to curl. “And sometimes, I wish…”
She trails off.
I don’t press. But I don’t fill the silence either.
As much as we’ve emailed back and forth, I don’t really know this woman.
But I like her. And I can see the weight behind her smile.
“Where’s home for you?” I ask.