Chapter 7
“Tell me again why you couldn’t have given me a real one,” I ask while I check over the video Megan took of me, making sure I can see enough – but not too much – of the fake hickey Eliza painted on my neck with her special effects makeup.
Megan’s mouth twists like she’s trying not to smile. “Because if it isn’t there tomorrow, people will have even more to argue about.”
For more than a week she’s been coordinating all kinds of little calculated shots, such as slipping hair ties onto my wrist one minute, then making a point of getting Jack in frame with his long locks the next. I swear she’s some kind of evil genius.
I dart my eyes around the indoor pool, checking for anyone I wouldn’t want to overhear me. “But I like your ones so much better…” I skim my eyes over her flawless body, her bathing suit making it so hard to focus, then I watch her try to hide her giddy grin.
She’s always so beautifully awkward when it comes to flirting. I mean, she should be a pro by now, given that’s all we’ve done since her brother made her more wary of me.
Jack turns up finally, his gaze landing straight on my neck. “You have got to be more careful.”
“Relax, it’s fake.” I turn back to Megan. “Can I wash it off now?”
She takes a sip of her drink. “If you’re done filming for tonight, sure.”
“Great. Just think it ruins my street cred, you know?”
“Didn’t have any to begin with,” Jack mumbles, and I give him the stink eye as I get up to go to the bathroom.
“Marco Polo!”some guy bellows before bombing into the pool.
“Yes! Come on – put your drink down! Quick!” I grab Megan’s hand and pull her along behind me. We hurry among the chaos to get into the pool to avoid being the last ones standing.
Resurfacing, she giggles and studies the people jumping in all around us. “What’s happening?”
Before I can answer, Jack grabs me by the crook of my arm and drags me away from her. “Don’t get caught!” is all I can say before the sound of splashing is too loud to shout over.
The rules are simple: you get caught, you get kissed.
The last person who made it into the pool when the game was announced is assigned Marco, and the rest of us scramble to get out of their firing line for when we have to shout “Polo”. The DJ turns down the music so we can hear each other, but the party lights are still flashing around the dark room.
For some reason, Harvey and Eliza stay in the pool rather than get out of it, so I guess they’re playing too – which is a weird move, but okay. Maybe it’s so Harvey can feel like a big, strong man playing bodyguard to both of them. Whatever. Jack was right to get me as far away as possible from the two women on here who’d get me decapitated if I caught or got caught by them. Because unsupervised, I’d definitely be stupid enough to risk it when it comes to one of those women.
“Marco!” the straggler shouts with his eyes shut tight.
Everyone replies with a loud “Polo!” no matter how near or far they are.
“Marco” lurches forward, scarcely catching the arm of a passing player. He opens his eyes, grins upon realising who he touched, and then kisses her. We all count down from five – else this game would never end – and then the girl shuts her eyes tight and shouts, “Marco!” beginning the next round.
Jack tries his usual stealth move of climbing out of the pool and speed-walking to the deep end along the edge, earning him a scowl from the lifeguards. But the split second before he goes to jump in, “Marco” yells, “Fish out of water!” and catches him in the act.
Jack tips his head back with a groan, accepting defeat, then tracks her down, gives her a kiss, and takes over. His long limbs are definitely an advantage in this game – he can catch anyone with much less difficulty than everyone else. But that advantage is completely wasted on him, because girls purposely swim into his path. Jack has a certain reputation on this ship – a very good one, to say the least – and I can’t blame them for wanting his attention. I’ve seen him in action. I’ve taken notes.
Megan keeps up with Eliza and Harvey, using them as human shields. I see how she watches each capture, though, fascinated by it, and then her eyes find their way to me before she quickly looks up at Harvey and then down at nothing. I could finally kiss her again tonight, if only her stupid brother wasn’t here.
A hand brushes against my back. Oh fuck. How long have I been standing here watching her?
The guy who caught me tries to back out of it, much to the protest of the other players. He looks like he could drop-kick me overboard, but that doesn’t stop me from toying with him.
“Come on. Rules are rules, big guy.”
“I’m not gay.”
“So you don’t need to worry about one kiss turning you then,” I challenge. I won’t push it further, but I hate people being so aggressive with their straightness.
He grumbles and reluctantly presses his lips against mine until the countdown runs out.
We’re given plenty of attention when we break apart, and I give him a little wink before shutting my eyes tight to shout, “Marco!”
I let the “Polos” sing around me before disappearing underwater, pushing my feet off the edge of the pool and launching into the noise. My tactic panics people – they can’t determine which way I’ll propel myself, and it causes them to make erratic choices. I reappear, catch my breath, and shout once more. There’s movement so close to me that all I have to do is reach a little to the right to tag someone. I open my eyes.
Oh crap.I swear I didn’t cheat, but somehow I have my hand on Megan’s shoulder, where Eliza’s holding onto her. It’s like I have some kind of death wish. Harvey may have a poker face, but I know he’s as good as glaring at me. I shoot him a look as if to say, “Take your pick,” but there’s no way in hell I’m kissing Eliza. I try to minimise my smile as Eliza distances herself, and I take a few steps back with Megan, because I’m not letting this moment be ruined by Harvey breathing down my neck.
“Better make this good, Gem.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m a dead man after this.”
In one quick motion, I pull her in and claim her lips. Flashbacks to that first night we met hit me like a truck. Her sighs, her requests, her secrets. Damn, this girl has no idea the power she has over me. One of her hands rests on my chest and the other squeezes my waist tight. Her almost-naked body slides against my bare skin. The feel of her boobs pressing against me? Unbelievable. The sensation of her drifting over my hard-on with each new kiss? Insane. Her tongue skims the tip of mine. Jesus fucking Christ. I can’t keep myself restrained any longer. I need everything from this girl. I let my tongue get completely tangled with hers, because if this is the last kiss I’m ever gonna have, it’s one I’m gonna be proud to go out on.
“Tom…” Harvey’s warning grates on me like nails down a chalkboard, snapping me out of the moment.
Everyone’s watching us.
Shit. I didn’t even hear the countdown start, let alone end.
Megan stares at me, breathless, but then her face turns stoic again. How did I not figure out the resemblance straight away? She’s frozen still, unable to turn to her brother, who’s standing behind her.
“I think you say ‘Marco’ now,” I tell her.
Grateful for the guidance, she nods once, collects herself, shuts her eyes, and then shouts into the room. Harvey’s annoyingly defined chest rises and falls with barely composed anger.
I put my hands in the air, surrendering. “It’s just a game, man. Chill.”
This is anything other than a game.
Jack gets himself in her way. Dazed and confused, Megan stumbles into him, and he makes sure to lay the biggest possible kiss on her, taking a bullet for me in the process. He’s not only giving Harvey another guy to put on his watchlist, but he’s also making sure she’s mine by keeping her away from any other players who might try their luck at being caught by her. I love that man more than I know how to put into words. I’m not worried about their kiss. I’m never worried when it comes to Jack. I’m the most competitive guy on earth, and yet with him it disappears. We’re a team.
To my surprise, Megan doesn’t back down from his enthusiastic kiss; she rises to it. Exactly like when he escorted me to her room that night, she’s quick to catch on to our unspoken plan. Another surprise: watching the two of them together makes my heart beat very fast. That’s…new.
I steal my eyes away to clock Harvey’s jaw ticking, then I sense a new pair of eyes on me. Elizabeth. She knows what I look like when I’m pining for someone. She was on the receiving end for long enough to recognise it. Her gaze turns serious with a plea or a warning – I can’t tell which – as she shakes her head. Don’t go there, she’s saying.
I think it’s too late for that, Queenie.
Jack and I keep our distance from the three musketeers for the rest of the party, and it doesn’t seem like a smart idea to remind Harvey we exist as the night wraps up, so we leave without saying good night. But a low voice from behind stops me in my tracks.
“Tom.”
Damn.Looks like I’m not gonna get off so easy.
I turn back to Harvey, whose eyes are trained on me as he cocks his head to the side, beckoning me to join him. Jack hangs back, and I follow Harvey to a quiet part of the room. We stand in silence for a second, and his Adam’s apple bobs with all the things he’s not saying.
“Come on – hit me with it.”
He breathes a heavy sigh. “She doesn’t need this, Tom.”
“And what’s ‘this’, exactly?”
He takes another deep breath. “I have done nothing but help you.” He skirts around the question.
Yeah, helped himself to the first girl I ever loved, behind my back, after making promises he couldn’t keep. Then helped steer his sister away from me before I had the chance to be loved by her. Thanks for the reminder.
Rage begins to bubble up inside of me. I’m sick and tired of this guy trying to control me. I was willing to ignore his warning to Megan, but to actually confront me about getting close to her… Who does he think he is? Or rather, who does he think we are–his puppets? I’ve had enough of him calling the shots when it comes to my love life.
“I heard what you said to her,” I reveal, not letting him get away with this hero fa?ade of his. “That day we were surfing.”
His confusion is only brief, but regret sinks in a second later. “Tom, you don’t?—”
“Nope, don’t wanna hear it. Just get on with your life and stop talking shit about me.” I go to walk away, knowing if I don’t, I’ll boil over.
“Think before you act, okay? Please,” he implores behind me.
“Oh, I’ve thought about it.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. I’m better than this. But having him lecture me, giving me the same holier-than-thou bullshit speech he’s given a thousand times before, makes me childish.
“Who do you want to be?”His words from last year echo loudly inside my head.
His worst fucking nightmare. That’s who.
His gaze hardens, and I don’t let myself back down. I’ve said it now – might as well own it. No take-backs.
“Do not…fuck…my sister,” he warns before walking away.
“Want me to get Jack for you? He put his tongue down her throat too!” I call out, aware I’m poking the bear with the wrong stick. But it’s still a poke.
“Thanks, mate.” Jack tuts as he approaches.
I march out the room, and he follows closely. When we get below deck and I turn the wrong way down the “I-95”, I sense him stop, but I keep going, my path set on Megan’s room because I need to ask her if she wants this too. I’m sick of letting her brother speak for her. And if she wants me, I’m gonna make sure her brother doesn’t miss a second of the inevitable torture that’ll ensue.
“Twenty-four hours.” Jack’s voice echoes down the hall.
“God dammit,” I huff under my breath, knowing I have to listen to him. I don’t walk any further, but I’m not ready to retreat yet.
“Sleep it off. If you feel the same tomorrow, I’ll stand by you.”
His words hit harder as I really take in the distance he’s put between us. Jack knows reckless impulsivity better than anyone, so he can spot it from a mile off. If someone else called me out on it, I wouldn’t listen, but it’s Jack… If I insisted, he wouldn’t stop me, but his opinion has been stated. He’s letting the choice be mine.
I look up to the ceiling and release all the burning air in my lungs before spinning around and returning to him. We walk to our cabin together, and he lifts his wrist to his mouth.
“Hey, Siri, set a timer for twenty-four hours.”
Eliza’s waiting for me outside my room when I head to breakfast the next morning.
“Nice to see he’s promoted you to hall monitor, Elizabeth.”
She gives me her trademark eye roll while fighting a smile. “Quiet, you.”
Without questioning it further, I follow her to the crew mess. Weekend breakfasts are a routine we know well. I get a Full English, while she gets American pancakes with syrup and berries. Except this morning, she piles a few strips of bacon on top of the stack.
“Hungry?”
“Starving,” she says without realising what she’s admitting to. She’s worked up an appetite with that overbearing, frustrated jungle-gym of a boyfriend.
I grind my teeth, the unfairness of it all weighing me down. Not because I want to be the reason she needs to refuel, but because he always finds a way to gatekeep my exploits while holding the master key to come and go as he pleases.
We each take a sip of our tea and coffee in loaded silence, the tension building with every second that passes. I delay the inevitable conversation by taking a quick video of our full plates, noting that having Eliza’s manicured hand in shot is no bad thing. I put my phone down, but still, she doesn’t say anything.
I have so much love for Eliza, but things are different now she’s in a relationship. Whenever we hang out, I either have to tolerate Harvey and feel like a third wheel or I’m crushed by this enormous guilt that I’m taking up time she could otherwise be spending with him. Not that she’s ever said as much.
“I guess we should address the elephant in the room.” I give in.
“She’s a really special girl, Tom.”
Keep yourself in check. She’s only the messenger.
“And I can’t date special girls because Boat Daddy says so? Like always.”
“Boat…Daddy…?” She blinks slowly, taking in my new nickname for him. “No, that’s not what I was going to say, actually.”
I frown. What angle is she playing here? “Oh, I get it. You’re the good cop.”
“No… I only wanted to make sure you’re doing this because you like her, not because you have an axe to grind with Oscar.”
“I’m not. I don’t.” I’m quick to defend myself. I should be hurt by her assumption that I’m the kind of guy to toy with a woman’s heart like that, but after the shit I said last night, I can’t exactly blame her.
“Still…maybe give it a minute. Make sure you actually want her and not the fight that comes with it.”
Damn all of Harvey’s stupid wisdom for rubbing off on her. Don’t finish that thought.
“Because if she breaks your heart, Thomas, Oscar’s not going to like the side I pick.”
I laugh at her joke, but it only creates a destination for the paranoid train of thought that set off a while ago. Eliza wouldn’t pick me – not really. It would cause her too much grief. So if I fuck this up, I’m out for good.
Looks like I need to distance myself from Megan. Again. Not for Harvey – he can go fuck himself – but because I’d never forgive myself if I ruined my friendship with Eliza in all this.
Speak of the devil…Harvey sets his tray down next to Eliza and pulls out a chair. I want to Gretchen Wieners his ass and tell him he can’t sit with us, but that’s not going to do me any favours in the long run. “Keep your enemies close” and all that. The silver lining to his appearance, though, is that Megan’s never far behind. She pulls up a seat next to me, her perfume briefly coaxing me out of my bad mood.
“Morning!” Eliza greets her with a bright, musical tone.
“Morning.” Megan smiles back.
For too long, no one says anything more. We pretend we’re busy with our breakfasts, but I can feel everyone waiting for someone else to break the tension.
“How did you sleep?” Harvey finally asks his sister.
“Fine, thanks. You?” she replies.
“All right, thank you. Could have done with a few more hours.”
Gross.
“Always the way.”
Isn’t this quaint? We’re like one big passive-aggressive family.
Ignoring the tension all around us, Megan gets next week’s schedule out and starts adding everything into the app on her phone. “Have you got yours yet?” she asks me.
Is she really asking to hang out with me so openly? She’s sure braver than me.
My gaze flashes briefly to Eliza, who watches us closely. “It’s okay. You’ve helped so much already. I think I can take it from here.”
Confusion distorts Megan’s face. She doesn’t understand why I’m suddenly pushing her away. Shit. Now I’m faced with my very own weird version of the trolley problem. Stay on this track and hurt Megan or pull the lever and risk losing Eliza in the fallout.
But…this will only ruin our friendship if Megan and I don’t work out. What if we do work out? What if we give this a real shot and fall madly in love? I want that. I want her.
Fuck it, consider the lever pulled. It’s time to prioritise myself for a change. I have to take a leap of faith that mine and Eliza’s bond is strong enough to survive whatever happens next. I fish the schedule out of my pocket and hand it to Megan.
I’m gonna get the girl this time.
But to prove to everyone that I want to be with Megan for who she is, and not to spite who she’s related to, I’ll wait for her to make the first move.