And, oh, God, he’d wanted Zoey. If he was honest with himself, he still did. Even hung-over and regretting putting their friendship on the line—it didn’t change the fact that he saw her in a new light now. He knew how it felt to kiss her, to touch her, to feel her. And that wasn’t something any amount of alcohol could wash away.
They sat in awkward silence for a long moment, looking out over the water as sea birds swooped low and waves crashed high.
‘Do you think the boat is okay?’ Zoey asked suddenly. ‘I mean, for us to sail back this morning?’
‘I’ll go take a look when my head’s stopped pounding so much,’ Ash replied. His head hurt a little more just thinking about it.
‘What will we do if it’s not okay?’ There was panic rising in her voice now, Ash could hear it.
‘You mean, how will we explain it to the guest who hired it? They’ll have insurance, Zo, don’t worry. And if there’s a problem, I’ll pay.’ He used his most soothing voice, trying to calm her, but somehow every word only seemed to make her more agitated.
‘I mean, how will we get off this island!’ She jumped to her feet. ‘I need to get back there, Ash. Now.’
He blinked. ‘Back to... David?’ Surely she didn’t mean what he thought she meant.
‘The wedding is supposed to start in two hours,’ she said. ‘If the boat is okay—’
‘You could get back and marry the man you already told me you’d be unhappy with?’ Ash raised his eyebrows. ‘Zoey, sit down. Let’s talk about this.’
She shook her head, her dark hair whipping around her face in the wind. Wrapped in a towel that barely covered the tops of her tanned thighs, she looked wild, unpredictable.
And gorgeous. Utterly, utterly gorgeous.
Ash looked away and waited for her to sit. She didn’t.
‘I don’t want to talk. I want to get back to where I’m supposed to be.’ Her eyes were wide and wild too, he realised when he looked back. As if control was slipping from her grasp and she wasn’t even trying to catch it.
‘You’re not supposed to marry David today,’ Ash said calmly.
‘What? So now you’re a big believer in fate and destiny? And you’ve decided mine?’ She threw the words at him, and he wondered if she knew how much they stung.
‘You know I’m not,’ he said softly, remembering the people who’d told him, after Grace’s death, that all things happened for a reason, that God had a plan.
He’d known they were trying to offer comfort, which was the only reason he hadn’t screamed at them that whatever plan this was, he hadn’t agreed to it. That any God who had a reason for taking his wife and unborn child from him had better start explaining Himself pretty damn fast.
Sometimes, there were no reasons. And talk of fate and destiny only tried to hem people in to decisions they shouldn’t be making, in his opinion.
Zoey’s expression turned contrite. ‘I’m sorry. I just...’
She trailed off, so he tried to find the words for her. ‘You’re scared and confused. Just like me. Which is why we should talk.’
But Zoey shook her head again. ‘I can’t. I’m sorry.’
Then, with a whirl of hair and towel, she’d turned and gone, disappearing back into the house and slamming the door shut behind her, before he could even think of following.
Ash stared out at the water.
‘Well. That could have gone better.’
* * *
Yes, fine, okay, so technically she was running away again. At least she had a theme. Like, a personal calling card. If you wanted her, she was already gone.
And Ash had only wanted to talk to her. Imagine if he’d wanted to marry her.
Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it.
Too late. The idea was already there in her head. Festering.
Quickly, Zoey dragged on her still damp pink dress, ignoring the streaks of dirt from the boat, the storm and the sawdust, and let her towel drop to the floor. She needed real clothes to face today, however ruined they were.
Matches my mood.
Without looking back to see if Ash was following—please don’t let him be following—she dashed out of the front door of the villa, away from the veranda and towards the beach.