Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 102167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
I didn’t just forget about Justin while we were there—I willfully ignored him. You’re a total bitch, Avery Banks. A total fucking bitch.
In a full-blown cry, his face red and blotchy, Justin pulls me into a hug that sends my small, frail body reeling. “Thank God you’re okay! I was so worried about you, Avery!”
“Uh, hey, Justin,” I say, my voice awkward as I pat his back. “I’m fine. Really.”
He pulls back, his hands on my shoulders, and looks me over like he’s inspecting me for injuries.
“I thought I’d lost you,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ve been so worried, Avery. I feel like it’s been a year since I last saw you, baby.”
My mind struggles to remember the last time I even saw Justin. I mean, in my defense, we’ve only been dating for a short time. A month. Two months, tops. I think…
The point is, clubbing with Justin and making out on the dance floor feels like an entirely different lifetime ago.
“I’m good, Justin.” I know my tone is a little too light for the situation, but hell’s bells, I don’t know how to react to someone I completely forgot existed. I’ve always been the type of girl who wears her emotions on her sleeve, so hiding the fact that I can hardly remember why I was even dating this guy in the first place is really damn hard.
He leans forward to press a kiss to my lips, and it’s a shock to my system. I’ve kissed hundreds of guys in my lifetime—in clubs, at random, and without second thought—but for the first time ever, the very act feels wrong.
Even as Justin talks, my eyes search for someone else. The only someone else.
“God, Avery, I’ve missed you. And going through the past two weeks thinking I’d lost you for good has put everything into perspective for me,” Justin says, taking my hand into his.
Behind me, I hear my dad whisper to my mom, “Who is this guy?”
To which she answers, “That’s Avery’s boyfriend, Jamie.”
“It’s Justin,” June corrects quietly.
Beau laughs.
I’m distracted easily, but Justin doesn’t hear them at all, rubbing at the backs of my hands with his thumbs and staring into my scattered eyes. “When I saw you were being rescued, I knew what I needed to do. What I wanted to do. Life shifted, you know? Got put into perspective.”
Releasing my hand, he sinks his own into his pocket and bends notably at the waist, his knees flexing forward. My eyes narrow as he gets shorter and shorter, his body looking increasingly, frighteningly, like he’s about to get down on one knee.
Oh my Gawd. Yep. The knee just made contact.
My eyes go wide. “No. No, no, no, nooooo,” I rush to say, putting my hands to his biceps and lifting with all my strength. But I’m arguably weaker than normal, he isn’t budging, and his stupid fucking knee might as well be glued to the tarmac.
My mom gasps, and June shrieks. My grandpa Phil clears his throat like he’s choking.
Panicked, I lean forward and get close, my words urgent. “Not right now, Justin,” I whisper toward him, shaking my head maniacally. Not ever, for the love of everything.
Justin’s brow furrows.
“What is he doing?” Beau questions, stepping closer. I turn to him quickly, praying to all that’s holy to keep him from drawing more attention to this.
“Nothing,” I say quickly. “He’s doing absolutely nothing. Right, Justin?”
Justin looks up at me, confused. “Avery?”
“Justin,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “Now is not the time. Seriously. Get up.”
Reluctantly, he stands, his face a mix of hurt and confusion. “I…I just wanted to—”
“Don’t,” I interrupt, putting a hand on his arm and then gentling my voice as much as I can manage. “We’ll talk later, okay?”
Justin nods slowly, stepping back, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
I glance frantically to Henry, and for the first time since we’ve arrived, thank God for the blonde clinging to his every word and distracting him.
I don’t want to go back. To the heat and the hunger and the uncertainty.
But I can’t avoid that some things were simpler.
Better, even.
On the island, I didn’t need an excuse to keep Henry to myself.
Henry
“I thought I lost you,” Ashley cries, her voice cracking. She grips me like she’s afraid I’ll disappear again, and I fight every instinct in my muscles to do just that. The contact is awkward and forced on my end, but the guilt of feeling that way is enough to keep my arms awkwardly around her.
“I’m okay,” I murmur, but I’ll be the first to admit, the words are empty. They’re a comfort to a fellow human being, and no more.
For thirteen days, Ashley didn’t even cross my mind. Not when I was fishing for our next meal. Not when Avery and I were laughing under the stars. Not when we were tangled together, finding comfort we didn’t know we needed.