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Despite her dislike of moody billionaire doctors, she opens her mouth, determined to take it back, but she’s too late.
Nathaniel lets out a humorless laugh. “Here.” He shoves a solid object into her hands.
She looks down. Blinks. It’s her phone. Her throat goes tight. He even managed to save that.
“Your one and only will be glad to know you only barely survived.”
Then he turns abruptly, and his tall, broad-shouldered form disappears down the stairs. His pace is brisk and brutal. One Ash has no hope of keeping up with.
She gnaws at her lower lip. Looks down at the phone clenched in her hand. At Tessie’s text that saysMabel?and exhales. Glancesover her shoulder at the boulder, the warm sear of Nathaniel’s touch echoing across her skin.
In the moment she slipped, it’s like a life she didn’t know she wanted flashed before her eyes.
The first thing Ash does when she gets back to the hotel is head to the pool. The trip down Diamond Head was much faster than going up. The van ride back to the hotel was full of awkward silence. Augustus pressing her and Nathaniel for photos of the view, a summary of their experience. All Ash could do was show him the lone photo she took. Nathaniel ignored her the entire way back.
Opposite seats. Cold shoulders.
Perfect.
She needs that.
A return to her senses.
Not the strange, swoony feeling in her stomach.
Ash rolls her neck out and claims a lounge chair. If there’s one thing a near-death experience calls for, it’s time poolside.
The Whitfords broke to do their own thing the second they got back to the resort. It’s only day two of vacation, and already, they’re foaming at the mouth to get away from one another.
After placing an order with the server—a very, very large piña colada, stat—Ash gives herself a quick shot of insulin to combat the upcoming sugar rush. Then she reclines on a lounge chair and takes in the scene.
This is better. How vacation should be. Sitting in the sun and judging people. A little boy with violent red hair runs back and forth across the pool deck, banging a plastic shovel against a sandcastle bucket. Seagulls claim leftover sandwiches. Hikes that nearly kill her and rude doctors who want to do the same should be forbidden.
Distressingly, before everything—including her—went south,today was fun. Sure, it was death defying and involved more exercise than she would have liked, but she enjoyed herself.
The thought disgusts her.
She let her guard down. She laughed. She told Nathaniel about Tessie and the truth/lie game. They bonded. No. She wouldn’t consider it bonding exactly. More like hate-enjoying each other’s company.
She reminds herself of who he is. He’s a man like Jakob. A cheat. A liar. A person who hurts others because all he cares about is himself.
She is here for Augustus. For a job. She cannot create more messes in her life. Casual, clean chaos is all she will allow herself.
The heat of the sun coasts over her. Even with the umbrella providing a modest amount of shade, small torches have implanted themselves beneath the skin of her shoulders. Sunscreen failed her. Ash flicks a look at her boots. They’re kicked up on the lounge, mocking her for being an idiot without sandals.
Untie them. It’s easy. Just untie them and let your feet breathe.
And yet…
Nathaniel tied them. It feels like undoing something that’s only just begun.
Which means absolutely nothing.
Nothing except—
Movement in front of Ash startles her, and she nearly drops her piña colada.
“Shit,” she swears, sinking lower onto the lounge chair.
