Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
MIC
A fter searching the entire vessel, I put on my wet suit. Mallory must have gone for a dive, and my worry rises about the possibility that she’s upset down there. She’s strong and more than capable, but I can’t help the sinking feeling that something could go wrong with her being upset. I’m also not above taking accountability for myself in this screwed-up scenario. I hurt my girl, and my stomach is in knots over it. Somewhere in this thick skull are all the right words to tell her how I feel and somehow make her realize I’m not just saying it. Words are empty, especially after the stunt she saw between Karl and Brian, but how can I show her?
Without thinking twice, I jump into the cold Indian Ocean, my heart in my throat.
Right before my head goes under, I hear her voice yell my name and swing back to look at the boat.
Standing at the edge, red hair blowing in the wind, is my vixen, looking like an angel with the sun’s rays beaming behind her.
“Mic! Get your ass back here now!”
I never thought I’d be so happy to be yelled at or ordered around, but my ass starts treading water. My smile moves my mask, and I take on water. By the time I reach the edge, I’m choking on water that slipped in.
“What are you trying to do, get a sympathy card or kill yourself?” She mutters with her hand on her hip, but there’s a curve in her lip that makes me think she’s not as mad as she’s putting on.
“Neither. I’m lookin’ for you, woman. Where the hell have you been? We need to talk.” I say, looking around the boat for any crewmen trying to overhear our conversation.
“Yeah, I heard a lot of talkin’ from you already,” she says as I step up to her, still on the lower level where we’re eye to eye, and she can look right into my eyes.
“I didn’t make the bet, but I didn’t shut it down like I should have. Instead, I’m ashamed to admit I used it as my personal excuse to follow you down that first dive. I pushed back because all you did was push me. It drove me nuts that you strutted around like you didn’t know me when my thoughts were swimming with visions of only you. Then, the more time we spent together, my feelings grew, and I forgot all about Brian and Karl's stupidity. When you wanted to be mine, I already knew you owned me, Mallory, because the truth is I fucking love you. I’m so sorry I let those idiots talk about you at all. Say the word, and I’ll ship them back home, but please don’t get rid of me. Let me make this up to you.”
I swallow hard, waiting for her response. The tension grows as she stays quiet, biting her lip, mulling over my words.
“I don’t expect you to just forget. I’m just asking for a chance to prove to you that what you’re thinking is wrong. I’m not full of shit. I want you and no one else.”
“That’s what you think I’m thinkin’, huh?” She asks with a confusing twinkle in her eye.
“Well, yeah. Aren’t you?”
“Although you do know me pretty well, Mic, that’s not what I’m thinking.”
“Then enlighten me,” I say as I watch her smile.
“I was thinking that you’re just repeating yourself. I was in the bathroom while you told all this to Savannah, and you should know-”
She stops her sentence, letting all the words sink in. Does this mean she’ll give me another chance?
“What?” I finally ask, bringing her eyes back up to me and not staring at her toes.
“You should know that I love you, too. I believe you.”
My smile is so big it hurts, but I don’t mind at all.
My girl is all mine. Finally.
“Oh, thank fuck!” I say, taking her in my arms and swinging her around, my stress and worry melting away with her happy laughter.
As reality filters back into my brain, I hear a round of cheers and a crowd clapping. Suddenly, my stomach pulls in tight, and anxiety hits me like a ton of bricks.
Opening my eyes, I can see the crew gathered, watching us.
“Shit baby, we’re busted,” I whisper into her hair.
She pulls back to look at me. “Let them look. Let them be green with envy.” Then she kisses me hard for all to see.
Again, there’s more clapping, but somewhere in the back, I can hear a man yell that it’s unprofessional behavior, and I can guess who that voice belongs to. Lucky for him, my girl’s lips are thoroughly distracting me at the moment, or he would get a piece of my mind and possibly my fists after all the shit he’s constantly harping at her.
“What do you say we get out of here?” Mallory says, breaking our kiss.
Nuzzling up close to her ear, I whisper, “I would say there’s a proper way to make up, and we should be doing that right now.”