Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 98226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
I sighed, sliding the glass toward her. “Feels like the perfect day to start, actually.”
“Trust me, you don’t want to lean on alcohol to try to fix things. That’s how you end up vomiting and crying to a stranger in the bathroom of a bar at two in the morning.” She laughed a little, but her smile fell when I couldn’t return the gesture. “I heard about you and Joel. I’m sorry.”
That got a laugh out of me. “Don’t be.”
“Are you okay? I know you really loved him.”
My heart twisted in my chest, but it wasn’t Joel who came to mind when Emma said those words. “I’ll be okay.”
“That’s the spirit,” she said, taking a sip of my drink. Then, she grimaced just as I had. “Ugh, Aspen, this thing is like seventy-five percent vodka. No wonder you hated it.”
“I figured go big or go home,” I said, then I gestured to my bag. “Looks like it’s the latter for me.”
Emma frowned, reaching over to squeeze my arm. “Hey, my offer to visit Austria still stands. Any time you want, okay? I’ll show you around. My mom will be over the moon when I tell her I have an American coming to visit. She’ll fatten you up in just two weeks, mark my words.”
I nodded, trying to smile, but tears flooded my eyes. I thought they were all gone, that I was dried up, but my numbness was beginning to fade into despair again.
“Oh, sweetie,” Emma said, opening her arms. “It’ll be alright.”
Emma held me as I fought back the urge to cry, her hand rubbing my back tenderly. For someone who’d never married or had kids, she had the touch of a mother, and I leaned into the comfort she provided.
She was still holding me like that when someone cleared their throat, and Emma released me, both of us turning to find Theo in the salon.
“Might I have a word?” he asked, his eyes on me.
Just the sight of him made more tears prick my eyes — his mussed hair, the bags under his eyes, the frown line etched deep between his brows. I wanted to launch myself into his arms, wrap myself around him, hold on tight and beg him not to make me go.
He slid his hands in his pockets, and Emma stood, patting my arm.
“I’ll be working on the laundry if you need me,” she said, offering me a sympathetic smile. Then, she nodded at Theo and excused herself.
We were alone then, and with Theo’s eyes on me, I couldn’t help but remember the first time I saw them. I couldn’t help but think of how they’d rendered me speechless, rendered me stupid, rendered me weak. I blinked and saw his smirk as he took my camera, looking at the photo I’d taken of him. Another blink, and I saw the moonlight reflected in his irises that night in the hot tub. Blink, and we were in the cave in Capri.
Blink blink blink.
A dozen little memories I hoped I’d never forget.
“How are you?” he finally asked, and I scoffed, swiping my tears away before they could fully fall as I looked away from him and out onto the deck.
I felt him watching me, and I wanted to scream at him to just leave me alone as much as I wanted to beg him to hold me and tell me it was all a dream.
When I glanced back at him, his eyes were on my bag, but they flicked to meet my gaze. There was so much pain in those blue chrome pools that I felt it radiate through me as my own.
“Please, don’t look at me like that,” I whispered.
“Like what?”
“Like you’re upset I’m leaving. Like it isn’t you who’s sending me away.” I sniffed, shaking my head.
His nose flared, and he tore his gaze from me and out toward the deck. We’d been anchored a ways off shore last night, but this morning, Captain Chuck had docked us at the port in Salerno, and a long, black car had just pulled up at the end of it.
Theo nodded when the car flashed its lights, turning back to face me once more. I waited for him to say his goodbye, but before he could, there was a rumble of footsteps coming up the stairs, and then we were no longer alone.
Joel, Ivy, Celeste, and Ace jogged up together, looking as tired and worn out as I felt. They were dressed in their crew uniform, the red polos and khaki shorts, Ace with his sunglasses on and Ivy with her visor.
It was easy to see they’d all had a long night, too, though I had no doubt theirs was more fun than my own.
I crossed my arms over my chest, somewhat to soothe myself and somewhat to keep my right hand from reaching out and slapping the satisfied smirk right off Ivy’s face. She looked at my packed bag like it was the best sight she’d seen in the Mediterranean, and I didn’t miss the way she leaned into Joel’s side, cocking her head at me like what are you going to do about it?