AllFreeNovel
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Moments later, they’re on the beach. The heat of the sun sears.
“Ugh,” Ash grumbles, lowering her sunglasses and scowling. “Welcome back to the sauna.”
Nathaniel appraises her as she pulls her pack off. She’s covered in chill bumps. She needs a change of clothes and sunscreen.
“Nathaniel,” Ash says. “Why are there porn magazines in my pack?” She’s peering into her bag with a frown.
“What?” He takes it from her. Looks inside. Sighs. “Fucking Tate. You must have grabbed the wrong pack.”
Her head snaps up. She scans their surroundings. “Wait. Where the fuck is everyone?”
At the tremor in her voice, Nathaniel goes rigid. He followsher wide-eyed gaze, turning his attention back to the beach. His heart stops.
“Shit,” they say at the same time. The beach is empty. All that’s left are the grooves in the sand from the chairs and umbrellas.
Ash takes a step toward the ocean. “Where’s the boat?”
He drags a hand through his hair, gaze on the horizon.
“Oh my god. They left us.” Her wide eyes race to his face, her expression more panicked than he’s ever seen. “They fucking left us, Nathaniel.”
His stomach drops, but he forces himself to cling to logic. “They’ll be back. They’ll notice we’re missing.”
Hawklike, he scans the beach. Shields his eyes from the sun with a hand, mentally preparing in case they’re stuck overnight. They have three bottles of water. Two towels. And one Ash.
“We were the only tour of the day. This island is private.” Ash is on her knees, digging through the backpack. Her voice is strained. “What if they don’t notice? What if—”
“Don’t do that,” he orders. He lifts his phone high, then swears. No service.
“You don’t understand.” Her voice trembles. “My sugar, my granola bars, were inmypack.”
Fuck.
His head whips up even as his stomach plummets. “You have your insulin, right?”
She stands, nods. “I do, but…”
Swallowing, she trails off. He knows thebut. But without sugar, it doesn’t matter.
“Tell me.” Her eyes are pleading. “Where am I on the fucked scale?”
“You’re not fucked.” He goes to her. Takes her in his arms. “In fact, you’re a long way from it.”
“Really?”
His chest aches. He can feel the waves of fear and hope radiating off her. “Here’s why we don’t worry.”
“Why?”
“I have a granola bar in my pack.”
“You do?” Relief shines in her wet green eyes.
“I do. I had three. But Tate ate one on the way here. And so did Delaney.” Fuck, he’s an idiot. And so are his siblings. “So I have one. What was your last reading?”
“I was high when we went on the hike,” she says, digging her phone out of her back pocket. “But I didn’t give myself any insulin until a few minutes ago because I thought we were going to eat.” She swipes her phone against her sensor. They both stare at the reading. Eighty-two. It’s already lower than he’d like.
Even as his mind runs wild, Nathaniel forces himself to stay calm. For himself. For Ash. If he learned one thing working in the ER, it’s that life is never as simple as one thinks. Shit happens.
