9
Robin
I wake up with a decision already made.
I’m going to tell Colter the truth.
No more casual. No more uncomplicated. No more pretending that what happened last night was just two ex-boyfriends scratching an itch. I’m going to find him, rip off the Band-Aid, and tell him that I’m still in love with him. That I never stopped being in love with him.
The worst that can happen is he doesn’t feel the same way. And honestly? At least then I’ll know. At least then I can stop wondering.
I shower quickly and drag Jules to the buffet for breakfast, where I scan the crowd for blond hair and broad shoulders. But Colter isn’t here. Neither is Marc.
“Looking for Colter?“
Jules asks, loading his plate with scrambled eggs.
“No,“
I lie. “Just people watching.”
We find a table by the window, and I eat without really tasting anything. Where is Colter? Is he avoiding me? Did last night freak him out?
I’m spiraling. I know I’m spiraling. But I can’t stop.
“Hey,“
I say, pushing my half-eaten eggs around my plate. “Do you want to hang out by the pool today? I just realized that between the first day and yesterday, we haven’t actually spent any time together. Wasn’t that the whole point of this trip?”
Jules doesn’t respond.
“Jules?”
He’s staring at his phone, thumbs moving rapidly across the screen. There’s a small smile on his face, the kind of smile I haven’t seen from him in a while.
“Jules.”
He looks up, blinking. “What? Sorry, I was just— What did you say?”
“Pool. You and me. Hanging out like we’re supposed to.”
“Oh.“
Jules glances back at his phone, then shoves it into his pocket. “Actually, I have this thing I need to do first. Can I meet you there later? Like, an hour?”
“A thing?”
“Yeah, just … ship stuff. You know.”
I don’t know. I have no idea what “ship stuff“
means. But Jules is already standing, gathering his plate.
“I’ll text you,“
he says, and then he’s gone, weaving through the tables toward the exit.
I stare after him, frowning.
What is Jules hiding?
But then my thoughts drift back to Colter’s hands, his mouth, the way he looked at me last night, and I forget about Jules entirely. I need to find Colter. Everything else can wait.
I head for the elevator, mentally mapping out the ship. Maybe he’s at the gym, or I could try his cabin. Maybe—
The elevator doors open, and Colter is standing inside.
We freeze.
“Hi,” I say.
“Hi,” he says.
The doors start to close. Colter sticks his arm out to stop them, and I step inside. We stand there for a moment, neither of us pressing a button.
“I was looking for you,“
Colter says.
“I was looking for you too.”
“I want to talk.”
“So do I.”
We stare at each other. The elevator dings impatiently.
“I know a quiet spot,“
I say. “There’s an area with private pods and couches on deck five.”
“Lead the way.”
We ride the elevator in silence, standing close enough that our shoulders brush. My heart is pounding so loud I’m sure he can hear it.
The quiet area is tucked away behind the library. It’s designed for relaxation, with curved pod chairs that swivel, plush couches with ocean views, soft ambient music playing from hidden speakers. This early in the morning, it should be empty.
It’s not.
As we round the corner, I spot a familiar pair of sandals poking out from one of the pods. Brown leather, slightly scuffed. I’d recognize them anywhere.
Jules.
I stop walking. Colter stops beside me.
The pod is rotating slowly, pushed by a lazy foot against the floor. As it turns, the occupants come into view.
Jules is sitting inside. Marc is on his lap, and they’re kissing.
Jules is cupping the back of Marc’s head while Marc’s fingers are twisted in Jules’s shirt. This is the kiss of two people who know each other. Who have been doing this for a while.
They stop kissing, and that’s when Jules opens his eyes and sees us.
His whole body goes rigid. Marc pulls back, confused, and follows Jules’s gaze. When he spots us, his face drains of color.
Nobody speaks.
I cross my arms. Beside me, Colter does the same.
Jules scrambles to push Marc off his lap, but the pod wobbles dangerously and Marc grabs onto Jules’s shoulders to steady himself, which only makes them look more tangled together.
“Robin,“
Jules starts. “This isn’t— We were just—”
“We were going to tell you,“
Marc blurts out.
“We were waiting for the right time,“
Jules adds.
“It just happened.”
“Well, not just happened. It’s been—”
“—a few months,“
Marc says. “Since just after you and Colter broke up.”
“But it wasn’t planned!”
“We ran into each other at Murphy’s.”
“We were both sad about you two splitting up.”
“And we started talking.”
“And then we kept talking.”
“And then we were texting.”
“And then—”
“We get the picture,“
Colter says dryly.
Jules winces. “Are you mad?”
I keep my face carefully neutral. Beside me, I can feel Colter doing the same. The silence stretches. Jules and Marc exchange panicked looks.
“We should have told you sooner,“
Jules says, his voice climbing higher. “But you were both so sad, and we didn’t want to rub it in that we were happy when you were miserable. And then we came up with this plan for the cruise, and we thought if we could just get you two back together then we could tell you about us without feeling guilty, but then everything got complicated and—”
“And we really love each other,“
Marc says. “Like, really. This isn’t just a fling. Jules is it for me. I know that sounds wild because it’s only been a few months, but I’ve never felt like this about anyone, and I know the timing is terrible, but—”
“Breathe,“
Colter says.
Marc stops talking. His chest heaves.
I look at Jules, who looks like he’s about to pass out. Then I look at Marc, who’s still perched awkwardly on the edge of the pod. Then I look at Colter.
Colter looks at me.
We burst out laughing.
“Oh thank god,“
Jules exhales, slumping back in the pod. “I thought you were going to kill us.”
“The thought crossed my mind,“
I say, but I’m smiling. “A few months? Really? And you didn’t think to mention it?”
“We were scared,“
Marc admits. “You two were so heartbroken. It felt wrong to be happy.”
“So you decided to play matchmaker instead?”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time,“
Jules mutters.
I shake my head, but there’s no real anger in it. How can I be mad? My best friend found someone who makes him happy. Someone who apparently thinks Jules is “it“
for him. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for Jules.
“Well,“
Colter says slowly. “Since we’re talking about secrets, I’ve been keeping one of my own.”