She rolled her eye and closed it. “If I don’t know how much he eats after eight months of dating, I should be shot. Now let me get some sleep. I’m tired. Go away.”
She shooed me away with her slightly tanned hand.
Damn. Jessica and Marcus? I wondered if he acted like a sex-starved maniac with her like he did with me. “Okay, I’ll be at the buffet.”
She nodded and rolled over. For a second, I thought I spotted a tattoo on her shoulder, but that would never happen. She was totally against anything that permanently altered her perfect body. I tugged the blanket to sneak a peek, but she held it tight around herself as she slept.
I changed into a pale yellow sundress and went to the elevators. When I got off at the buffet, I saw Marcus and his parents standing in line. I didn’t know if I should say anything, so I walked by and glanced at them. His parents ignored me but Marcus caught my eye. He winked at me and smirked.
I looked away quickly, unsure of what his gesture meant, and continued into the dining room.
Joey waited for me at the entrance to the food line in jeans shorts and a NY Giants jersey. He had two trays, with orange juice and a bowl of fresh fruit on each one.
“Good morning, Autumn. I hope you slept well. Hungry?” He kissed me on the cheek.
I pressed my hand to my cheek where he’d kissed me, and nodded. Oh God. What was I getting into today? Joey’s warm kiss affected me more than I was willing to admit out loud.
“Good. Come on. I got our trays ready.”
We went through the line and picked out our food. Joey stopped to wait for me as I buttered my toast. He reached with his long arms around the indecisive person in front of us to grab me a cheese Danish. I wondered if he would be sweet like that in real life. Or back home, if this was real and that wasn’t. I had no idea anymore about anything. I couldn’t even make my thoughts make sense.
We found an unoccupied table near the window and sat down. Joey took my tray from me and set it down so I could sit and pull in my chair.
How on earth could Marcus and Joey be related? I shook my head as I recalled how different things were yesterday.
“Are you enjoying the cruise so far?” he asked.
“Uh, yeah. It’s been one surprise after another.” That was an understatement.
He puffed out his chest and mimicked a superhero. “Well, you know me. Mr. Romantic.” He looked me over, but not with the sex-crazed look Marcus had used. “You look pretty this morning. I hope you got some sleep after all our midnight madness last night. That color looks fantastic on you, by the way.”
Midnight madness? Wasn’t that some sports thing? “Um, thanks.” We ate in near silence for a while. He refilled my OJ twice and got me another fork when mine fell on the floor.
“Did you see the island?” Joey pointed to a window across from us.
“No. I just see water and sky.” I turned toward the window, filling my vision with the shades of blues outside. I swung around in my seat and nearly choked on my potatoes.
While the view from my window showcased the beautiful ocean and empty sea, the opposite window, facing the island, was full of wonder. Rows of colorful houses in hues of pink, blue, purple, and green dotted the landscape. Deep green leaves wrapped around giant fuchsia flowers. Palm trees swayed to the song of the breeze. Cruise ship passengers unloaded onto the docks wearing straw hats and carrying colorful totes. The bright morning sun cast a movie-star glow over everything it touched.
I turned back to Joey and smiled. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
He reached across the table and caressed my cheek. “That’s because you aren’t looking at you.” He dropped his hand from my face and grinned. “I’m taking you sightseeing after we eat. Whatever you want to do and see, just name it. The day is yours. But you might want to put on some sneakers in case we do a lot of walking.”
Geez, no wonder the guy got stepped on at work all the time and stuck with the late shifts. He was so willing to bend over backwards for me. I’d heard he did that for his family, too.
Must be exhausting to take care of everyone else. Sadly, I’d never tried.
I shied away from his warm finger. No guy had ever been as gentle with me, and he didn’t push like Marcus did. Marcus acted like hormones were more important to him than air. Joey acted like a hopeless romantic. Wasn’t there anything in between?
As long as things with him stayed platonic like this, I could play along. I hadn’t realized before now how safe he made me feel. Despite his annoying habit of always being right behind me, when he wasn’t around I’d noticed his absence.
It was like he was growing on me. How could that be?
The sudden realization that Joey might be good boyfriend material caused a tightness in my chest and choked off my breath. Jessica had been saying it for months, but I had thought she just wanted to get me out of the house more. “Joey, I have to run to the bathroom. Be right back?”
“Sure. Take your time.”
I put my napkin on the table and walked toward the ladies’ room, shaking my head. I needed a shrink.
I turned the corner and yelped when someone grabbed me around the waist and pulled me into a hallway near the bathroom.
“Hey, get the hell off me!” I struggled to turn around to see who the hell was attempting to kidnap me.
“Shh, Raynie, it’s just me,” Marcus whispered in my ear. “I need a favor. Keep Jessica out of the buffet this morning for me, okay?”
I pushed hard against his chest. He released me. “Why? What are you up to, Marcus?” And why was he hiding from Jessica? After spending the last two days with him, I didn’t trust him, but this sounded extra suspicious.
He dropped his hands to his sides and masked his face in innocence. “Nothing. Just a surprise for her, and I don’t want her to see it until I’m ready.” When he glanced around with shifty eyes, any part of me that might have believed him jumped ship.
I narrowed my eyes. “Yeah, sure. Like I believe that? You must think I’m an idiot.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “You’re good to your sister, Autumn. I can respect that. Just, please? It’s nothing bad, I promise.”
As he said that, his darting eyes stopped on someone behind me. His cheeks flushed the slightest bit, but it was enough.
I turned around. Olivia stood near the entrance to the buffet, trying to look like she wasn’t listening to us.
Oh, shit. It hit me hard and fast—Marcus was cheating on Jessica with Olivia.
What a freakin’ douchebag. But not in the least bit surprising.
No way. I’d never let him get away with this. Jessica didn’t deserve that. I never cheated, no matter how much I wanted out of a relationship. Jessica didn’t, either. We both felt it was the lowest thing someone could do to another person.
And if Marcus thought I was going to let this go, he had another thing coming. “Marcus, if you think you’re going to cheat on Jessica and I’m going to cover for you, you’d better think again.”
He laughed in my ear. “Give me a break, Rayne. I’m not cheating on Jessica! Why would I do that right here on the ship, in front of you guys? Really, give me some credit.”
He did have a point, though my suspicions clung to me like cat hair on a hoodie.
I checked back over my shoulder. Olivia was gone. Okay, so maybe I was just going nuts on this cruise through Hell and imagined her. I’d give him the benefit of the doubt.
For now.
“Fine, whatever, Marcus. But I’m keeping my eye on you. You’d better be good to Jessica. Speaking of which, she said to tell you she’s sleeping in and to go ahead and eat.”
He flashed his amazing smile and pulled me into a hug. “Thanks, babe. I knew you’d help me out.”
A girl walking by in flip-flops stopped dead in her tracks to stare. How rude. This did not concern her.
I followed the flip-flops up and over a skin-tight outfit and looked right into Olivia’s angry eyes. With t
he shock she didn’t try to hide evident on her face, I assumed that, today, she knew me.
And today she looked pissed off. She put her hands on her hips. “What the hell are you doing, Autumn? Isn’t that mechanic guy your boyfriend? You’re even trashier than I thought.” She tossed her bouncy dark curls and sneered at me, a calculating look on her smug face. “But this could be worth something to me.”
“Nothing’s going on here, Olivia.” I said her name like it hurt my mouth to utter such a terrible thing. “Marcus and I are just talking.”
She stayed put, tapping her polished nail on her front tooth. “Yeah, sure. Doubt that. I know you, and I know Marcus.”
Marcus loosened his grip on me and looked over his shoulder at her. “Take a hike, chick. And keep your mouth shut around Joey. You didn’t see a thing.”
I pushed against his chest again. “Marcus, you’re making it sound like something’s going on here! It’s not.” I focused on Olivia. “So go ahead and tell Joey anything you want. It’ll be bullshit.”
Marcus let go of me and straightened up, then turned and sauntered off with such confidence that I wanted to beat it out of him. He stopped about twenty feet away and called back over his shoulder. “Tell your sister I’ll see her later.”
When I looked back at Olivia, she was glaring. “How can you cheat on that sweet guy? Don’t you have any conscience at all?”
I jabbed my finger in her face. “Like you can talk? You’re such a hypocrite! You want to talk about conscience when you blackmailed me? And I already told you, nothing is going on with Marcus. So just drop the little shocked act and leave me alone.”
“I have better things to do than stand here with you, anyway.” She spun around, then stopped. “But I might find Joey first, and have a nice little chat with him.” She stalked toward the buffet.
I rushed after her. When I caught up, I tugged on her arm. “Knock yourself out. I’m so sure he’ll take your word over mine.”
I turned and stomped away, hoping she would come after me. At this point, I was not above hitting her.
I ran back into the restaurant without going to the bathroom. Olivia didn’t follow. Joey smiled up at me when I approached our table.
“Everything okay? You look flushed. Sit down.”
He reached up and gently pulled me down next to him. The love in his eyes was so obvious, it made me want to cry. If Olivia told him I was cheating on him, he would be devastated. I couldn’t imagine causing him that kind of pain. He didn’t deserve it.
Tears welled up in my eyes. None of this was good. And with Olivia prowling around, ready to get something out of my misery, I’d had enough.
Joey reached over and stroked my cheek. “What’s wrong, sweetie? Why are you crying?”
What was I supposed to tell him? I didn’t even know what to say. My emotions ran around my body like a runaway rollercoaster that had fallen off the track. “I have to run back to the room. I’ll be back, okay? Just give me a few minutes. I…I think I’m a little seasick.”
He nodded and pursed his lips.
I got up, left everything on the table, and ran all the way to the cabin. I was out of breath by the time I made it to my door. I inserted my key but the door swung open, ripping the key from my shaking hand. Jessica stood in front of me with her hands on her hips, her pajamas still on.
“Where the hell have you been?” she demanded. “You don’t leave me a note, you just take off and I wake up here alone? What the hell, Autumn?”
I just stared at her. “Cut the crap, Jessica. I’m not in the mood.” I pushed past her and walked into the room.
She closed the door behind me and turned to glare. “Well?”
“Well what? I went to breakfast with Joey. I even asked if you were going and you shook your head no. I told you I was going.”
“You did not ask. I would’ve woken up.”
“Jessica, you were lying on the couch, your makeup smeared, hair in your face, and I woke you up. You even said to tell Marcus to eat without you because you’d had a late night. So leave me alone. It’s not my fault you were talking in your sleep when I woke you.”
She turned down the glare and dropped her hands. “Fine. Sorry, I was just worried about you.” She pulled off her pajamas and sifted through a drawer full of her clothes.
No tats. Geez, my mind was taking a walk off the plank for sure.
“So did you have a nice breakfast with Joey?”
“Um, yeah. He’s still there. I ran back here to ask you for Dad’s cell phone number.”
She gave me a puzzled look. “Uncle Dan’s cell phone?”
I shook my head. “Not Dan. Dad. I need Dad’s number. I must have deleted it from my phone. Can you give it to me?”
Her face turned pink, then red, then purple. Tears welled in her eyes, then ran over, adding to the mascara mess. She wiped an escaped tear with the back of her hand. “Autumn Rayne, how could you…please go. Now. I can’t handle this.” She slumped down on the couch and covered her face. She pointed to the door with a thin, unsteady finger.
I sat next to her. “Jessica, what is your problem? You told me yesterday to try his cell and I forgot to get the number from you. Why are you freaking out now?”
She pushed me away from her. “Stop it. Right now. Please, Autumn. Don’t do this to me.”
I sighed. “Jessica, look. I’m just trying to make sense of things and I’m having a really hard time understanding what’s going on. Why are you crying? Tell me, dammit!”
“I can’t…I…” She reached for a tissue and wiped her face.
I grabbed my churning stomach and bent over. My breaths came quick and ragged. Did I hope? Not hope? My brain fought over living and dead images of both parents. Caskets, hugs, hospitals, and smiles all tried to win me over.
“Jessica? Where’s Dad?”
She narrowed her eyes at me. Her tears slowed. “Mom and Dad have been gone for over ten years. Give me one good reason why I would tell you to call him on his cell!”
I crossed my arms over my chest, grasping at the shred of hope I had left. Maybe in this changed reality, he really was dead. “Define…define gone.”
She widened her eyes. “Dead, Autumn! Killed in that awful car wreck! What is the matter with you? When Aunt Christine paid for this trip so you could be with Joey, she sent me along with Marcus, hoping you and I could get closer. Obviously that’s not happening. You’re still a spoiled rotten child hell-bent on making me miserable. Go back to Joey. I’m sure he’s waiting for you.”
I stared at the floor for a second, then got up. I went to reach for the door handle when she called out to me.
I didn’t turn around. “Yeah?”
“When we get back to Jersey, you’re moving out.”
Ten
I faced her and crossed my arms over my chest. She couldn’t be serious. “What?”
Jessica scowled at me. “You heard me. You quit school, you fight me on everything, and now this with Mom and Dad?” She wiped her nose with the tissue. “I just can’t handle it, Autumn. I think it’s time for you to go somewhere to get the guidance you need, that I obviously can’t give you. I’m sure Joey plans on living with you now, which is fine, but you could benefit from some professional help.”
I stood frozen to my spot, my brain and body unable to function. Jessica was kicking me out? Where was I supposed to go? I wasn’t ready yet.
“Jessica, what are you talking about?”
She shook her head. The sadness in her eyes showed me she wasn’t doing this to be mean, but because she thought it was best for me. “The only reasons I haven’t done this sooner are Emmie and Joey. I hate for this to affect them, too, but you leave me no choice.”
“Who the hell is Emmie?”
“Very funny. This is what I mean. You can’t even take me seriously when your entire family is at stake.”
What the hell was she talking about? “Jessica, you and Mom are my family.”
“No. We used t
o be a family. Now it’s just you and me, and you’re ruining that, too. I can’t handle you anymore.”
My eyes widened. “That’s nice! What, am I supposed to be some orphan now? You and my life back home is all I know!”
Her lip quivered. “Before we left for the cruise, I looked into some places for troubled girls. Don’t worry, they’re all in the area so I can visit you often. But I’m not sure about that now, with everything that happened with Joey last night. And—”
I held up both hands. I’d heard enough of her bullshit. “You know what, Jessica? Fuck off. The minute we land, or whatever the hell this ship does, I’m gone. You don’t need to worry about me anymore. I’m going to the island with Joey. You can kiss my ass.”
I ripped off my sundress and threw on a pair of jeans shorts and a black T-shirt that said “cloudy with a chance of sarcasm” on it. The entire time, Jessica sat on the couch and stared at her hands.
Whatever. I was so done with her, just like everyone else.
Once I tied my sneakers nice and tight, I left the room with my beach bag slung low and my blood pressure sky-high. Joey met me at the gangway. His electric smile set off his tan skin, making his face glow. A stuffed red backpack clung to his well-defined back. A smile formed on my lips despite the daggers Jessica had just thrown into my heart.
“Hey.” I walked up to him.
He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek, lingering for a few seconds with his warm lips on my skin. They were disconcertingly soft. His clean-shaven face was smooth against mine. “Ready for some fun? I have a nice surprise for you!”
I sucked in a deep breath and sighed. The distraction was just the thing I needed after Jessica basically told me she was throwing me out. “Sure.”
He lifted my chin with his finger. “Hey, everything okay?”
I shook my head. “I just had a fight with Jessica. She’s kicking me out when we get back to New Jersey.”
His eyes went wide. “Are you serious? I mean, do you think she’ll really do it? She isn’t that type of person.”
I shrugged. “Apparently she is, and to answer your question, yes, I think she’ll do it. It sounded real enough when she talked about it.” I tried to come across as blasé about the whole thing, despite my fear that she would do it.
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