by Rye Hart
Sensing that I was not going to get out of it, I allowed Luke to walk with me. I tried to find a way to make a clean getaway before we got to the elevators. Luke was seriously creeping me out and I didn’t want him to know what room I was in.
As we reached the elevator, Luke leaned in and tried to kiss me. I tried to sidestep him, but he had me pinned between him and the elevator. Mercifully, before his lips could reach mine, the doors opened behind me and Ana’s voice sounded.
“There you are,” she said, pulling me into the elevator and slamming her palm on the “close door” button in one fell swoop.
I collapsed against her and threw my arms around her. “Oh, thank fuck you were here,” I said.
“Yeah, no shit,” she said. “What the fuck was going on? Was he actually trying to kiss you?” she asked.
“Yes! Oh my God, Ana, you were totally right. He is so creepy!” I shuddered and wrapped my arms around myself. “He kept talking about how beautiful and wonderful I was, and that Rhett never deserved me.”
“Well I can’t really argue with him on that point,” Ana muttered.
I shot her a warning look and she raised her hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay. So, what are you going to do about it?” she asked.
“He’ll go away if I just ignore him,” I said.
Ana put her hand on her hip and cocked her head. “Has he so far?” she asked.
I shook my head, “No.”
“No. He’s been following you around, making suggestive comments, and he doesn’t even wait for you to say it’s okay before he plops down next to you and starts putting his hands on you. It’s not okay, Chanel. I know you two were sort of friendly in high school, and that you don’t have a mean bone in your body, but he’s obviously not the nice guy he used to be, and you need to fucking grow a pair and put him in his place.”
“But what if he’s the one who wrote the letter? What if I confront him and he becomes violent? There’s something about the way he looks at me that tells me he could be dangerous. I just don’t want to provoke him,” I said.
“Well you don’t have to provoke him to protect yourself,” Ana said. “Take the letters to security, or hell, take them to Rhett even. You know he’ll protect you.”
I knew Ana was right, but part of me still just wanted to bury my head in the sand. I should’ve just stayed the fuck home like I’d wanted to in the first place. Then I wouldn’t be confused as shit over the things happening with Rhett, and I wouldn’t be being stalked by a looney classmate.
I sighed as I shuffled into our room and flopped down on the couch. I closed my eyes as Ana continued to drone on about what she thought I should do. All I wanted was dinner and some peace and quiet. I didn’t want to have to deal with anything else right now.
I heard Ana turn the television on as she picked up the phone in the room.
“Room 602. Yes, I want two steak dinners, cooked medium rare, with loaded fries and Caesar salads, two creme brulees, and send a snack tray with carrots, pretzels, and cherry tomatoes with a couple of dipping sauces. Oh! And two pitchers of margaritas, please. Thank you.”
“Two pitchers?” I asked.
“If we’re gonna be in this room all fucking night, it’s gonna be a party. This ship has all the Fast and Furious movies and I’m ready for some Vin Diesel. How about you?” Ana asked.
“We’ll always have our love for that man’s muscles in common,” I said.
“‘Atta girl. Now, are we watching them in order, or are we starting with our favorite?” she asked.
“In order. If we’re gonna do this, then we’re gonna do it right.”
“The first Fast and Furious it is, then.”
CHAPTER 16
RHETT
I set my alarm to make sure my ass was up for breakfast. I had gone to the casino after my dinner with Marcie. It had been pleasant, other than the fact that listening to her talk incessantly for two hours was enough to make me want to shoot myself. I had tried to see what Chanel and Luke had been up to, but by the time I’d spotted where they were sitting, they were leaving. I had wanted to follow, but I couldn’t be a dick and just leave Marcie sitting there by herself.
I got dressed and headed for the dining hall, leaving Tommy to sleep off whatever it was he’d been drinking last night. I was ready to see Chanel. I was ready to sit down and talk to her. We had to clear the air between us, now more than ever. If I hadn’t been sure about dredging up the past before, I was now, especially with Evelyn on board. As much as I tried to convince myself to leave what Chanel and I had had in the past, I just couldn’t. I knew that I still loved her and I probably always would. I didn’t want to be her secret, I didn’t want this to be just a fling. Rather, I wanted it to be the beginning of our next chapter; one where I didn’t fuck everything up for both of us. I needed her to know that I was not, nor had I ever been, interested in anyone but her.
When I walked into the dining hall and spotted Chanel and Ana in the middle of the room. I grabbed a plate of food from the buffet line and carried my breakfast over to where they were sitting.
“Mind if I join you?” I asked.
Chanel looked up at me and I swore I saw relief cross her delicate features.
“Sure,” she said.
“So how was your date with Marcie last night?” Ana asked, a wicked smile on her face.
I shrugged my shoulders. “Well I learned everything there was to know about insurance sales and something called Zumba,” I said.
Chanel laughed, and the sound warmed my soul.
“How about you, Chanel? How was your date?” I asked.
Chanel’s eyes dropped to her plate and a funny look settled on Ana’s face. That protective spark ignited in my gut again as I waited for either one of them to tell me what was going on. In the end, Chanel blew out a breath and shook her head.
“It was fine, I guess.”
I sensed that she wasn’t going to say anything more about the subject, so I chose to let it drop. For now.
“What are you guys up to today?” I asked.
“Stuff,” Ana said.
“I’m not sure yet,” Chanel said, looking around the room like she was trying not to be heard.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Chanel said.
The rational part of me told me to brush it off and listen to her, but I wasn’t having this shit anymore. There was something clearly wrong, and she wasn’t enjoying herself. And even if we didn’t have the past we did, I would still want to make sure a good woman like her was okay.
“I know something’s bothering you. It has been for the past couple of days,” I said.
“And I told you it’s nothing,” Chanel said.
“Did something happen at dinner last night? Did Luke overstep? Because I can put a stop to that shit in a heartbeat,” I said.
“Rhett, come on. You’re not my personal bodyguard,” Chanel said.
“Chanel, just tell him. He might be able to help.”
If Ana was trying to whisper, it wasn’t a very good one. Anger clouded Chanel’s eyes as my gaze darted between the two girls. Ana’s back was now straight and leaning over the table, gazing hard into Chanel’s eyes. She was trying to wear her down. She was trying to get her to talk.
“You know you can tell me anything, right?” I asked. “At the very least, I can be an unbiased opinion.”
“You’re hardly unbiased in this situation,” Chanel said.
“What situation? Let me determine that for myself,” I said.
“Tell him,” Ana said. “Or I will.”
“You promised,” Chanel said.
“I promised I wouldn’t go to the captain. But he’s a trained Navy SEAL. If anything, he can keep you safe on the rest of this trip. Especially after the second letter this morning” Ana said.
“Safe? Chanel, what’s going on?” I asked.
“Rhett, it’s really—”
“Chanel.”
Her eyes wh
ipped up to me as Ana turned her gaze toward my profile. I hadn’t used that voice on her in years, but occasionally it had to happen. Chanel caved in on herself whenever things became too much. It was a defense mechanism. She would push people away, hoping to alleviate the stress she was under. It took a harsh voice and a calm hand to draw her out of that place, but I was determined to do it. With what Ana was saying, it sounded like she might be in danger, and I wanted to know why.
Chanel sighed as she turned her body toward me. Her tired eyes hooked onto mine as tears rose in her gaze. I held my hand out for her, and she took her, her small hand slipping delicately into mine. I curled my fingers around it and pulled her closer, our feet intertwining underneath the table.
Then I braced for the story she had for me.
With each word that left her lips, I grew angrier. These letters were fucking preposterous, and I couldn’t believe she wasn’t telling anyone about them. They were grotesque and threatening. Someone was clearly trying to frighten her for their own gain. They wanted her to themselves and they weren’t happy that she’d been spending her time with me. And I had a pretty fucking good idea who it was. I was pissed beyond reason. Not only because Chanel was being threatened, but also because someone had been intruding on our very private moments.
I let Chanel keep talking, the hand that wasn’t holding hers flexing and tightening in my lap. I wanted to beat someone to a bloody pulp.
“You got another one this morning?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said breathlessly. “And it’s bad.”
“What did it say?” I asked.
A tear fell down Chanel’s cheek as I squeezed her hand.
“It said that I was going to be his whether I wanted to be or not.”
“What?” I asked, my mouth going dry and my heart hammering in my chest.
“Tell him about the doors,” Ana said.
“The doors?” I asked.
“The letter went on to say that there weren’t any locks on any of the doors in this place that would protect me from him,” Chanel said.
I felt my blood boiling as my muscles shook with anger.
“There’s more,” Ana said.
“Would you shut up?” Chanel asked.
“Then keep fucking talking, because I’m over this bullshit, Chanel. I know you are not a mean person, but it’s time you took this seriously enough to put an end to it. You thought ignoring it would work, but it’s clearly only escalating. You need to deal with this now,” Ana said.
“Just let her breathe,” I said. “Chanel, I promise you it’s going to be okay. If I have to break every bone in that smarmy little prick’s body, I will.”
“I told you that you wouldn’t be unbiased,” Chanel said.
“No. I’m not. But even if you were someone else, even if you were just a mission, I still wouldn’t be. Someone on this ship is threatening you with some serious harm. Have you gone to anyone? The captain? The security guards? Hell, Connie Thomas?” I asked.
“No,” Chanel said. “I haven’t.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“I don’t want the drama. We’re almost home, and then I can put this nightmare behind me. I never should’ve come on this damn cruise in the first place. Something told me I shouldn’t, and this is what I get for not listening to my gut,” she said.
“Listen to me, Chanel. What this person is doing isn’t recompense for you coming on a cruise. This is a stalker, and a hostile one at that. Now, I’ll keep an eye on you and be on the lookout for threats, but that puts us in close quarters, which is what’s pissing this person off,” I said.
“I know, but you make me feel safe.”
Her eyes rose to mine, and my heart fluttered in my chest.
“I’m glad,” I said. “It was my job for a long time to make people feel that way. Now, did the letter say anything else?”
“Plenty,” Chanel said.
“What else did it say?”
She drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. I braced for the impact, but nothing could have prepared me for what flew out of her mouth next.
“The letter said that I would eventually come to love him. He might have to trap me, but he was the best for me. And if a locked room was for my own good, then he had no problems putting me in one. The letter said I could be … taught.”
“Taught what?” I asked.
“Taught how to please him,” she said with a shaky voice.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Chanel. You think you can just ignore this? This guy’s a psycho. You need to get those letters to security ASAP.”
“I thought you said you would look out for me?” she asked.
“I will, without a shadow of a doubt. I’ll follow you wherever you go if you want me to. But those letters need to get to someone. This is serious, Chanel. I don’t think you realize how serious this is.”
“You think I don’t get it?” she asked.
“No, I don’t. Because if you did, you would be reporting it. You should have reported it from the very beginning. It’s clear that his behavior is escalating, and that makes him very dangerous.”
More tears barreled down Chanel’s cheeks as I got up from the table. I picked her up and pulled her into my arms as I backed us into the shadows. My eyes scanned the room, looking for Luke. I knew in my bones that it was him who was sending the letters. The way he draped himself all over Chanel as often as he could, the palpable anger he gave off whenever I was around, all of it pointed to him. And I’d be damned if I let anyone, especially that arrogant little prick, hurt my girl.
“Thank you,” she said shakily.
“No thanks needed. Everything is going to be okay,” I promised.
CHAPTER 17
CHANEL
Even though Rhett wanted to stick by my side in Curaçao, I waved him off. I wanted to have some time with Ana, even with the looming threat over my head. Having Rhett there would only serve to worry me more about the letters, and I wanted a chance to forget about them, to explore the beautiful port, take in the sights, and enjoy the snorkeling adventure Ana and I were going to take. Ana promised that she would never leave my side and that we would stay close to other people and not wander anywhere off the beaten path.
The tropical island was beautiful. It was surrounded by crystal clear waters and powdery, sandy beaches. The sand was almost white, making it look like a winter wonderland in the middle of the summer. Palm trees rose up from the ground, and brush lined the cobblestone streets. Every time I took in a deep breath of air, the saltiness of it relaxed me as it whipped through my hair.
Ana and I dipped into shops and looked at all the beautiful sights. Their jewelry shops had pearl earrings and necklaces made from the beautiful stone found naturally all along the coast. We feasted on fresh seafood cooked in kiosks on the side of the streets. It was the most succulent thing I had ever tasted in my life, and the letters quickly receded from my mind.
Until Ana tapped me on the arm.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I don’t mean to be the party pooper, but we have a visitor,” she said.
She pointed her finger, and I followed her gaze. Luke was walking around with a couple of guys I recognized from our football team, but his eyes were staring straight at us. I sighed and rolled my eyes as I hooked my arm in Ana's. Then, I pulled her across the road and into the next shop. It was a quaint little store with summer dresses and tiered skirts the locals wore on a regular basis. I tried to distract myself with trying on ridiculous outfits, making Ana laugh whenever I came out of the dressing room.
But when we emerged from the shop, Luke was standing on the corner.
“Seriously?” I asked. “He never used to be this creepy. What the hell happened to him, Ana? Did all that success go to his head?”
Ana shook her head. “Beats the shit out of me, but I don’t want him anywhere near you. Let’s go check out the stores on the other side.”
We threw away our food and made our way out t
o the main road. We dipped into one of the shops selling alcoholic drinks and emerged with pineapple shells filled with alcoholic spiked pineapple slushies. We were sipping on them as we strolled around the area, taking in the beautiful rays of the sun. Anna and I chatted about nonsense as we window-shopped, looking at the cute little trinkets made from shark teeth and animal bones that were native to the island.
Halfway through our journey to the other side of the island, I turned my head to look over my shoulder. I sighed with relief when I didn't see Luke. Maybe he hadn’t been following us at all. Maybe I had been projecting those feelings onto him because he was overly affectionate, and I wasn’t interested.
The sun was bright, and without sunglasses, it was hard to see. I allowed everything to drift from my mind again as I fell into a rhythm with Ana. She was going on and on about Tommy, wondering what he was doing and where “the boys” were heading for the day. I shook my head as I listened to her drone on, trying to bite my tongue against any snarky comments.
I was having fun exploring the island with my best friend, thankful for the distraction, but it didn’t last long. We turned a corner to get to a local shoe shop that was advertised a few shops back, and Luke was standing there.
His eyes trained right on us.
“There any way he could’ve beaten us here?” I asked.
“Not unless that bitch ran, and he doesn’t look sweaty to me,” Ana said.
“What time is our snorkeling adventure?” I asked as I turned us around.
“In an hour. Ready to head back for the bus? Because this shit’s getting weird, and I’m over it,” she said.
“Yep. Let’s head back and wait for the bus.”
Ana and I linked arms again and started walking in the direction of the bus that would take us to the snorkeling spot. I fought the urge to look over my shoulder again to see if he was following us. I wanted to stay as far away from him as possible, but I also didn’t want to give him the satisfaction that he was frightening me. I didn’t want him to have that power over me.
The two of us made our way back to the bus stop to wait for our transportation to the beach. I was sitting there with Ana watching the clock tick down, but I found myself looking out for Luke, despite my best efforts to ignore him. Ana was droning on about something Tommy had said when she’d seen him earlier, but I was only half listening. I was too wrapped up in my own stupid drama. First, my reconnecting with Rhett and what it might possibly mean, and now all this scary shit with Luke.