Chapter Three
Astrid
I’ve always loved the ocean. I fell in love with its deep, shifting blue when I was a little girl and my dreams to become an astronaut shifted that day.
I loved the salty spray of its waters and the endless expanse.
Even then, I wasn’t exactly certain what I wanted to do until the field trip to the aquarium when I was six.
So while the other kids were running around and screaming at the top of their lungs, I stood in front of the massive glass and stared at the shark with its jagged teeth. So beautiful and magnificent.
I knew, right then and there, what I was going to do with my life.
“There,” I call out when I see a flicker of movement, a dark shape cutting through the water.
My heart rate picks up as I watch for the shark, half praying it has that crescent moon shape on its fin.
The shark is sleek, and when its dorsal fin slices through the water with almost aggressive grace, I hold my breath.
It’s not Moon.
I bite back my disappointment as I adjust my grip on the pole, the tagging device securely attached to its tip. The wind whips my hair around my face, but I push it back, eyes locked on the shark.
Closer.
Come a little closer.
I aim carefully, feeling the subtle resistance of the water as I push the pole forward. There is a solid thud with the impact as the tag secures itself. There is a brief surge of the shark, a powerful flick of its tail, and then it’s gone.
The adrenaline fades, and disappointment settles in over the fact that we've been out here all day, chumming the water to attract as many sharks as possible, and I still haven't seen Moon. For hours, we’ve tagged sharks and done the work with minimal talk, but with the day winding down and exhaustion catching up, it’s unlikely we’re going to get much more work done today.
But I want to stay. A part of me wants to linger longer just in case…
Still, it’s not my choice to make. In this case, Ruth is technically the leader of the project and from the tired lines on her face, I figure we’re done here.
We pack up our things and settle back down as Josh begins to ferry us back to the Island.
I expect it to be a quiet ride, with the couple bickering about yet another absurd topic, but when I turn around, I find them both watching me with a mischievous twinkle in their eyes.
Oh shit. I know that look. It's the same look they've been giving me since yesterday morning, after they found Erik and me by the beach…talking.
It felt like more than talking. Those seconds before they interrupted felt heavy and intense. A minute more and the man would have kissed me. At least it felt that way to me. The look in those blue eyes felt seductive, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
“So, Astrid. Are you single?”
It’s an innocent question. I shouldn’t blush. Damnit, but it’s too late. “Yeah,” I respond, wrapping the tip of my ponytail between my fingers and twirling it.
“No special has your interest?”
“Stop, Clark, you are embarrassing the poor girl,” Ruth pipes in, but the wicked twinkle in her eyes tells me she’s only doing it for propriety’s sake.
“Hey, it’s just an innocent question,” the man argues, offering his wife a charming smile that seems to make her melt on the spot. “Can’t let her whole life be about sharks and nothing else. People need companionship. Just look at Erik, always alone and perpetually broody.”
I turn away in hopes they don’t see the wicked blush on my cheeks. From the way my cheeks are burning, there’s no doubt I’m as red as an apple.
I glance helplessly around for anything that’ll save me from this conversation, and when I spot the shore approaching, I jump up from my seat.
“We’re here,” I say cheerfully, even as the boat pitches and rolls.
I grip the railing tighter, my eyes fixed on the rocky outcrop ahead.
“We tagged more sharks today than we did yesterday or the day before.”
“We did,” Ruth says, humor dancing in her voice, but I don’t spare her a glance.
Instead, I stare longingly at the island as Josh carefully navigates us through the shoals.
I watch with a mix of admiration and slight unease as we dock, and despite the deep desire to get away from my colleagues as quickly as possible, I take my time climbing off the boat.
“Hey, Astrid, we should start compiling the data from—”
A sharp guttural cry rips through the air over the roar of the surf.
My head snaps around as my heart leaps into my throat.
The sound is raw, laced with unmistakable pain that sends a chill down my spine.
My eyes dart back to the jagged rocks near the end of the dock, and I gasp when I see Clark on the ground, one leg bent at an unnatural angle.
He’s clutching his thigh, his face contorted in agony.
“Clark!” Ruth shouts.. I start to move toward them when I slip on the wet rocks, but I manage to steady myself before I fall so, I force myself to stay in place and watch helplessly as the man groans in agony. I can see his body trembling, his face ghostly white.
“Fuuuck!” he curses, the sound raw and pained. “I…I knew it! It’s because I wore the wrong socks.”
“Shut up!” Ruth snaps even as tears well in her eyes.
“Let me see.” There is nothing more to see when it’s obvious to all four of us, from the awkward angle of his leg, that it’s broken.
“We need to get him to a hospital!” There’s panic in Ruth’s expression as she brushes her fingers gingerly over her husband’s face.
“We need…um, fuck, I can’t think.” That same hand sweeps over her dark hair before she turns to me.
“Grab whatever it is you need from the cottage, we’ve got to get back to the mainland. ”
“I’ll radio ahead and let the marina know we’re going to need an ambulance,” Josh says as he climbs back into the boat.
“We’re all leaving?”
Stupid. Of course, we’re all leaving. A man just broke his leg and needs medical attention. Our research expedition is officially over, but…Moon. This is my only chance to see and tag him, and despite the situation, I can’t help the selfish thought that slips in.
“Astrid, move it!”
Her voice makes me jump, and I nod as I turn, carefully walking over the wet rocks before breaking into a sprint when I make it to clear ground. I run and don’t realize I’m crying until I crash into a solid form and hands grip my arms to steady me.
“Astrid?” I lift my face and blink the tears away as those stunning blue eyes swim into focus. “What’s wrong?”
“There was an accident,” I say in a rush of breath. “Clark slipped and fell on the rocks, and his leg… We need to leave. I…I–”
“Hey, slow down. Deep breaths. That’s it.”
As I stare into his eyes, following his instructions, I am transported back to yesterday morning, when we stood by the shore and spoke with such ease, and for half a second, I question the wisdom of voicing words that should never be spoken out loud. Yet, I can’t help myself.
“Moon,” I whisper, turning back to look at the rocky shore where Ruth and Josh are trying to get Clark back onto the boat. “If I leave, I won’t see Moon, and I… No, what am I saying? Clark’s health is more important.”
Those blue eyes watch me for a moment, hard to be certain if he’s judging me or not. “Go ahead and pack for your friends,” he finally says. “But you can stay. I’ll help you finish up with your work.”
Something lights up in my chest even as my stomach flutters. “You will?”
“I told you one of my roles on the island is to assist researchers when necessary. I can do that for you.”
“But Clark—”
“Will be fine,” he assures me, brushing a thumb over my cheek. I suck in a sharp breath at the caress, but don’t say a word. Instead, I turn to look past the boat carrying Clark and out at the ocean that holds Moon. And then I make up my mind.
***
The plan to stay is met with some resistance by Ruth, who is not exactly ecstatic about leaving a junior researcher on a nearly deserted island with a stranger. For how much she seemed set on teasing me about my attraction to Erik, she seems hesitant to leave me alone with the man.
Still, her concern for her husband wins over any argument she might’ve voiced otherwise.
“One week,” she tells me as she takes the bags I packed for them. “You can stay, but only for one week. Josh will return to pick you up. And you promise to radio the marina if you need anything.”
“Okay, I promise. I won’t let you down.”
There is something in her eyes, but Clark groans, pulling her focus away. “Okay, we’re leaving, and Erik,” she says, turning to the man at my side, “take good care of Astrid.”
“I will.”
She must believe him because she responds with a nod and all her attention turns to her husband as Josh begins the delicate process of pulling them from shore. We stand side by side as we watch the small boat disappear toward the mainland, and even then, we linger.
“We took so long to get here,” I mutter. “Do you think he’ll be alright?”
“You’d be surprised how many accidents happen on the island.” I sense him turn and feel those eyes on me when he does. “Josh will get them to the mainland in under three hours, less if the currents prove favorable this late in the evening. He’ll be fine.”
“Maybe I should have left with them. It was selfish of me to want to stay and finish our work, when it’s really just to see Moon.”
“What difference would your leaving make?”
“I…I could…” I deflate when I realize he’s right. “I would have been there for Ruth. She’ll need someone.”
“Do you want me to tell you that you’ve made a terrible decision by staying? Would it make you feel better if I called you selfish?”
I drop my eyes to the ground, then kick a rock. "Maybe."