“Come with me, Willow Girl.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“What, you have another test for me? You and your brother cook one up last night?”
He takes a deep breath in and exhales. “This isn’t a test.”
“Yeah, well I don’t exactly trust you.”
“That’s not new. Come on.”
“Why?”
“You’re owed a punishment, remember?”
I feel my face go white.
“Relax, Helena. I’m not going to hurt you.” He sits on the edge of the bed. “I just want some company, okay?”
The way he looks at me, there’s something in his eyes that is so wounded. So much like a lost little puppy and it gets me every fucking time.
Why does this always weaken me?
He continues. I know he reads my face. “You spend a few hours with me and you can consider yourself absolved. Almost painless, apart from having to endure my company.”
“A few hours doing what?”
“You’ll see. I promise you’ll enjoy it.” He smiles what I want to believe is a genuine smile. “I’ll give you five minutes,” he says and walks away. “Wear a bikini. It may be one of the last days of swimming weather.”
He leaves, and I reluctantly change into a bikini. I put on shorts and a light sweater on top. I wonder if Sebastian knows about Gregory’s plan for my punishment, and I don’t know why but I believe him when he says this isn’t a test.
Gregory checks his watch when I get downstairs. “Prompt.”
“Does Sebastian know about this?”
“Don’t worry about my brother. Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” I ask as I follow him toward the far end of the beach.
He doesn’t reply until we get to our destination and I see it.
“Canoe ride.”
I stop.
The canoe looks like it hasn’t been used in years. I wonder if this is the one Sebastian took out that day he tipped it. The day he almost killed Ethan.
From the look on Gregory’s face, he knows what I’m thinking. I wonder if Sebastian told him the story of what truly happened that day out there.
I watch as he shoves dead branches and leaves off and rights it, seeing the muscles on his arms and back flex as he works.
When he turns back to me, I flush.
“Is it safe?” I ask to distract him or myself, I’m not sure which.
“You’re a strong swimmer,” he says, not quite answering my question as he drags it out to the water.
He takes off his flip flops and tosses them into the canoe. He’s wearing shorts and a T-shirt and walks into the water, dragging it behind him.
“Gregory are you sure it’s safe?”
“Don’t worry,” he says, looking back at me. “I won’t tip it.”
He knows about Ethan. He must know. Is he testing whether or not I know? Why does it matter? Maybe he doesn’t like that his brother told me?
I sigh, take off my flip flops and follow him into the turquoise sea.
The water is cool on my feet and ankles and I toss my flip flops into the canoe too. Once we’re a little farther, he stops and gestures for me to get in.
Reluctantly, I do.
He pulls us out a little farther before climbing in himself and picking up the oar to row us out.
“It’s beautiful out here,” he says. “Peaceful.”
It is. The only sound is the breeze and water calmly lapping up against the canoe.
“Do you come out here a lot?” I ask, dropping one hand out to dip my fingers into the water. We’re sitting facing each other, the island at my back.
“Not really.”
“Why did we come today?”
“There’s a little cove where you can swim. I thought you might like that.”
I study him. I don’t believe he’s just doing this for me. When it comes to the three of us, Gregory has an agenda.
But then again, so does Sebastian. Wasn’t yesterday proof of that?
“Does Sebastian know?”
“Sure.”
“Oh.”
He rows in silence and I look around, feeling awkward but trying to relax. To enjoy the beauty of it. Besides, maybe he’s genuine. Maybe I need to listen to myself, to what I told Sebastian, that Gregory’s lonely. That’s all.
“Where did you take your tumble yesterday?” he asks, looking at my scraped-up knee.
I shrug a shoulder. “Nowhere special. I just tripped over a rock.”
He nods. “And there were cobwebs around?”
“I guess I fell into a spiderweb.”
“Right.”
I want to change the subject. “How far to the cove?”
“Not far.”
“Why didn’t you tell me Sebastian arranged for me to call my sister? Why set me up?”
“Did you ever consider it was him setting you up? Or maybe setting us up?”
“Why would he?”
“Because he can.”
“You both can. I’m stuck in the middle and it’s not where I want to be.”
“No? Because I get the feeling you like it just fine when you’re between us.”
I look away. I know he means the sex and I can’t deny what he’s saying, but that part, it’s different.