Chapter 10 #2
“No, it’s okay. I’ll walk back with you now.” Dan heaved himself off the bench. Sitting still for so long had made him ache even more. He needed to stretch and get some rest, too, and he needed to let Mum get back to Malek. “Let’s have dinner again when we’re back from Atiu.”
“Try to enjoy your next adventure,” Mum said. “You have fun as well, Libby. I’ll look forward to hearing all about it.”
Libby nodded but didn’t launch into any anecdotes or detailed accounts about anything like she’d done at dinner. “Mal is waiting for you at the bar,” she said softly. “He asked me to tell you he doesn’t mind heading back to Are Moana if you and Dan still needed time together.”
“No, we’re good.” Dan kissed Mum on the cheek, then stopped at the bar to thank Malek for the meal. “Next one’s on me,” he said as they shook hands.
Out on the main island road, the night air was still so warm. Coconut trees waved against the darkened sky. Libby was very quiet.
“Thank you for coming tonight,” he said.
“Sure thing. The food was delicious.”
Her gaze dipped.
“Everything okay?” Dan asked, but when she only nodded again, he added, “You heard all that stuff about me…about my dad, didn’t you?”
“I really didn’t mean to listen in.” She nibbled her lip. “It must’ve been so hard. For your mom. For you and your sisters. I’m so sorry you had to go through all that.”
“Thank you. It was a long time ago. We’re okay now.” Changed, but okay. Dan looked at the cloudy night sky, where a smattering of stars appeared through the gaps. “I still miss my father.”
“I can tell,” she said softly. “How did he die?”
“A dog ran out into the road. He swerved his car to miss it and hit a tree.”
“I’m so sorry,” Libby whispered but thankfully didn’t ask any more questions.
Dan never spoke about his dad to strangers. But then, after what she’d seen and heard these past three days, Libby wasn’t a stranger.
Not anymore.
Back at the hut, Libby was just about to settle Karim into bed when she remembered his water bottle.
Carrying him to the kitchen, she grabbed it off the counter and headed back to their room just as Dan stepped out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts.
Her gaze slammed into his abs and sculpted chest. He started, clearly not expecting to see her either.
“I, um…”
“We…” Libby swallowed, trying hard not to look at the scars on his shoulder, nor the sculpted planes of his chest. This was what he looked like recovering from an accident? “We… We’ll be up early, Karim and I. We’ll try not to wake you.”
“That’s okay. I need to head out early to sort out my flight.” A small smile softened his face. “Thanks for everything, Libby.”
She smiled back. “Goodnight, Cranky.”
When he turned toward his room, her gaze slid down his broad back to his tight butt.
“Mamma.” Karim had only patted her cheek, but it snapped her out of her lust-filled drooling state like a slap.
“Right, yes, bubba. Sleepy time.”
But long after her baby had fallen asleep, Libby lay next to him, staring at the moon shadows flickering on the ceiling.
The Daniel Jones Story…
The Life and Near Death of an Olympic Hero…
Her head buzzed with headlines for articles she’d never be able to publish.
Not without his consent, anyway.
He despised journalists.
Although after she’d helped him out tonight, and now that they’d be spending the next ten days in Atiu together, would he get to know her well enough to give her an exclusive interview? How could she ask without the risk of him pushing her away?
Running Man: The Highs and Lows of Daniel Jones…
Would he do it?
Excitement buzzed through her. Unable to settle, she rummaged in her bag for her phone.
Tia Rosa’s Wi-Fi was weak and slow, but when the headlines and images loaded, the stories came through loud and clear.
Daniel Jones and Isabella had officially, permanently split.
Photos of them were placed side by side, each looking away from the other, sad and wistful.
Those photos probably weren’t even taken in the same year, let alone at the same location.
And of course, there was no mention of her affair with Xav Hunter. There were quotes about how difficult it had been for her and Dan in recent months following his accident. Then a whole bunch of stories—rumors, really—based on fifth-hand accounts and tenuous speculation.
Right.
Libby turned off her phone and grabbed her notebook and pen.
Lightning Strike: The Real Daniel Jones…
She wrote the heading in capitals, drew two thick lines under it, and added bullet points—the accident, Dan’s recovery, his family’s support, his ex-fiancée.
The effects of accident/injuries on relationship with Isabella.
She underlined that heading, too, and added more bullet points—support, recovery, wedding canceled, relationship breakdown, sex.
She scrubbed that last word out and replaced it with intimacy.
Sex was too blunt, too gossipy. Too salacious.
And if Libby ever got as far as proposing these interviews to Dan, she’d be wise to keep Isabella out of it as much as possible.
This wasn’t about her or their relationship.
This was about Dan’s journey to recovery.
About helping and inspiring other people who’d gone through similar experiences.
And it was also about helping Dan.
Because wouldn’t it make him feel better if something good came out of something so bad?