Chapter Two #2
I imagine hurling out the window, but I wouldn’t do that to the driver. He shouldn’t have to clean my vomit off the outside of his cab because my best friend is being gross with a boy—who’s conveniently forgetting he’s a stranger too. A very generous stranger. But a stranger nonetheless.
A day on a sailboat does sound amazing though.
I think of huge white sails and a gorgeous sparkling sea.
Of diving into the warm water with a snorkel and a mask, and watching fish swim around me.
I wish it didn’t come with a heaping dose of Emmy sticking her tongue down Ben’s throat, but so is the life of the third wheel.
If they manage to sell this plan to Mr. and Mrs. Cole, I’m positive I’ll find plenty of other things to look at on the water besides the two of them sucking face.
The taxi comes to a screeching halt outside the sweeping entrance to the resort, and we all pile out. Ben tips the driver, and the man drives off in a flash. We ride the elevator to the fifth floor (Ben’s staying in another wing, in one of the penthouse condos), and Emmy swipes her key card.
Our modest little suite unfolds before us.
A kitchenette with cherry cabinets sits directly inside the door, and a seating area with a Murphy bed that Jackson’s been sleeping on is beyond that.
Two double beds fill the room to the left—ours for the week—and the primary bedroom and the bathroom are through the door to the right.
Everything is white and blue, from the linens to the mosaic tiles that match the ones on the smoothie stand.
I spot Jackson out on the balcony. Emmy’s mom and dad are on the couch, watching a movie. They look up at us as we enter and smile.
“Just in time. We were about to start brainstorming dinner options. How was the market?” Mrs. Cole asks.
Emmy’s a carbon copy of her mother; both have the same long blond mermaid hair, only Melissa Cole wears dark-rimmed glasses, and Emmy doesn’t. Mr. Cole is tall, bald, and possibly the friendliest person I’ve ever met in my whole life.
Emmy takes her bags from Ben and holds them aloft. “They had the best stuff. Peak shopping experience. Look at my necklace.”
She drops her things on the floor and bounds across the room to show her mom what Ben bought for her. Mrs. Cole touches the pendant like it might break and makes a sound like she’s cooing at a baby. “It’s beautiful, Emmy. What a find.”
“I’m going to look for a dress this color to wear to prom.”
“That’s a fantastic idea.”
Mr. Cole eyes Ben and then me. “How did you like the market, Hannah?”
I plop down in one of the chairs at the table and groan. “I. Ate. Everything.”
He laughs with his full body. “Sounds like you all had a fantastic day.”
“Actually Daddy,” Emmy says, perching on the coffee table in front of them both, “it was so much fun that it got us talking about what we’re going to do tomorrow.”
Mr. Cole raises his eyebrow, probably clocking the combination of “Daddy” and the eyelashes she’s batting a mile a minute. “And?”
“We were thinking a sailboat excursion.” Ben places his hands on Emmy’s shoulders. “I thought the girls might enjoy spending their last day on the ocean, and the tour companies offer sailboat charters. We can book through the resort. Would you be comfortable with that?”
I shake my head. God, he’s such a pro at schmoozing.
The sliding glass door opens. Jackson pops into the living room with his Ted Bundy book, the bookmark resting between the cover and his thumb. He must have finished it. He goes straight for the kitchen, and nobody seems to notice him but me.
Mrs. Cole laces her fingers together and sets them in her lap. “I don’t know. Going to the market is one thing, but out on the ocean? We can’t go with you tomorrow. We have reservations at the spa and then a golf tour. We might be able to make it happen on Sunday, before our flight?”
Ben frowns. “The tours leave in the morning and last most of the day. They likely won’t return to the marina in time for you all to get to the airport before your flight.”
“Please, Mom?” Emmy begs. “Please? Let us go tomorrow. We want our last day here to be as epic as possible. Ben says he can book a private boat so it’s just the three of us. No randos. It’ll be totally safe, and I won’t even go into the water without one of those ugly orange life vests. I promise.”
Mrs. Cole winces and looks to her husband. Mr. Cole scratches his head with a sigh.
My shoulders slump. They’re going to say no.
Jackson slams the refrigerator door and drinks straight from the OJ container.
“Jackson Cole, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times: Use. A. Glass!” Mrs. Cole shouts. “Nobody else needs your spit in their orange juice.”
He freezes mid-gulp and wipes his mouth. “My bad.”
Mr. Cole squints over at him. “What if Jackson goes with them? To keep an eye on things? That way they can go on their boat trip, and we can have a bit more peace of mind.”
Emmy slaps her hands against the coffee table. “What? No!”
“That works for me,” Mrs. Cole says.
Oh, sweet baby Jesus. Stuck on a boat with Jackson all day?
I’d rather drown.
Emmy leans toward her mom. Her eyes are huge and pleading. “Jackson doesn’t even want to go on the boat. Don’t make him babysit. We don’t need that. Plus…look at him. He’s ninety percent library. His skin is practically paper. He isn’t equipped to deal with full sun all day. He burns so easily.”
Everyone turns to Jackson and his perfectly sun-kissed skin. He blinks at us like he has no fucking idea what we’re talking about. I don’t think he’s ever had a sunburn in his life.
“That’s the deal, Em. Jackson goes, or you keep both feet on land. Those are the terms,” Mr. Cole says, leaning back on the couch. “Take it or leave it.”
I glance at Jackson and find him staring at me.
“What’s this about?” he asks.
“Emmy wants to go sailing tomorrow, but we can’t go without you.” I shrug. “You don’t have to. We can find something else to do.”
He frowns at Ben, and then at Emmy, who’s practically vibrating in her seat.
“Please, Jack? I really want to go sailing. I’ll do some boring thing you like in return? Please?”
Jackson snorts and folds his arms. I can already see the no forming in his mind. He doesn’t like the open water. No way is he going to spend the whole day sailing with his little sister, her annoying friend, and the random guy they met at the beach.
He looks at me again and drops his arms. “You all really want to do this?”
“More than anything,” Emmy insists, at the same time I say, “She does.”
He sighs. “I guess we’re going sailing tomorrow.”
Emmy screams. She straight up screams and twists around to dive into Ben’s arms. I stare at Jackson, because I can’t imagine why the hell he’d want to do this. But he smiles, watching his sister celebrate, and I wonder if he’s feeling the weight of her impending goodbye too.
He sits across from me at the table.
“You really don’t have to do this, you know. Water and books don’t mix. And I’m sure your mom would eventually cave and let us go without you,” I offer. “We don’t want you to be miserable all day. This is your vacation too.”
“It’s not a big deal,” he says, and for the first time in months, he looks at me. Really looks at me. “I don’t want to take anything else from you.”
With that, he stands, walks to his suitcase on the stand by the TV, grabs another book, and goes back to the balcony. Like he didn’t just punch a hole in my chest.
Emmy bounds to my side with the biggest smile. “Isn’t this the best!?”
I take a deep breath and force a smile onto my face. “Absolutely!”
She plants a kiss on my cheek, taps her friendship bracelet against mine, and dances toward the door to walk Ben out. I slip into our room and flop back on my bed to groan in peace.
Nothing about this vacation has gone to plan, but ignoring Jackson’s disinterest has been a lot easier while jet skiing or at the spa or wandering the markets. It’s going to be much harder when he’s one of five people on a private boat with no escape.
I shake myself. It doesn’t matter. Jackson doesn’t matter. He’s the chaperone. It’s not like he’s going to participate. He’ll probably spend the entire time below deck reading his new book.
I sit up. We have one last full day of sunshine in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I need to chill the heck out and let some of Emmy’s infectious joy sink into me. We’re going to have the time of our lives on that boat, and there’s no way I’m letting Jackson ruin it for me.
Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?