TWENTY
SHANNON
MY BREATH HALTED AS MY LUNGS COLLASPED IN ON THEMSELVES.
My knees shook as my eyes latched on to him, sure I was seeing things. Then my eyes moved down, landing on the crescent-shaped birthmark on his forearm, and I knew.
Jonathan Reins, the same Jonathan who took from me, was Matthew’s best friend.
I stumbled a bit, and Matthew pulled me closer with a chuckle. “You haven’t started drinking yet, have you, babe?”
I shook my head, answering.
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Jonathan looked almost the same with the exception of his hair being a bit longer and his football physique slimmer, but he had the same dark eyes and the same sarcastic tilt to his mouth.
His eyes moved down my body, taking in my long legs and thighs, and when he met my eyes again, I saw the exact moment he remembered who I was.
He remembered me.
He remembered what he did to me.
I saw the memories skim across his expression briefly.
His eyes widened a bit, but not enough that anyone else would have noticed, and then he leaned in, grabbing my limp hand and shaking it, making me feel like I was drowning in the ocean water that surrounded us.
“Hi, Shannon,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The way he said the word pleasure made my stomach roil and bile rise up the back of my throat. He grinned, the side of his mouth lifting in a taunt I remembered well. He was testing me, seeing if I would open my mouth, but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t hurt Matthew that way.
He had said himself that Jonathan was like his brother. I wouldn’t be the reason he lost someone he loved. Not to mention, who was to say he would believe me over his best friend.
I couldn’t do it.
I wouldn’t.
My hand fell from his grasp, and even though it killed me, my lips tilted in a fake smile.
“Y-you t-too,” I stuttered, choking on the words.
I pushed behind Matthew, staying hidden while he and Jonathan talked. He kept his fingers twisted in mine, holding me there, occasionally swiping his thumb across my knuckles as he chatted.
I listened without hearing their words. I felt trapped, stuck on a large boat in the middle of the ocean with the one person in the world I never wanted to see again. My anxiety was getting the best of me, making me feel as if the boat was rocking when it wasn’t.
Motion sickness threatened, and I gagged, covering my mouth with my free hand.
“You okay, baby?” Matthew asked, his brows pulled low with worry.
I sucked in a breath, filling my lungs enough to get my words out. Nodding, I said, “Yeah. I’m fine, but could you tell me where the bathroom is?”
While Matthew explained how to get to the bathroom, my eyes locked on Jonathan’s, and the asshole had the nerve to smile at me.
As soon as I knew where I was going, I turned away and started toward the restroom, but before I could get too far, Matthew pulled me back, placing a sweet kiss on my lips right in front of his friends, Jonathan included.
“Don’t be long,” he whispered in my ear. “The quicker we get off this boat, the quicker I can spend the night making love to you.”
I pulled back, taking him in from his gorgeous blue eyes to his perfect smile. He really was everything I never knew I wanted.
My precious moment in time in a life I was just passing through.
And I loved him. I definitely loved him. Enough that I knew I would never hurt him. Even if it meant I had to hurt myself.
I nodded, placing another kiss on his lips before I pulled away.
Making my way toward the bathroom, dizziness swooped over me, making me hold on to the wall to keep from falling. A girl I passed laughed, commenting on how drunk I was. Little did she know I hadn’t had a single drink.
Once I reached the bathroom, I stood for a second staring at the door, knowing I couldn’t go in there. Knowing the real reason I had walked away from Matthew and the devil himself.
Turning, I started toward the opposite side of the boat, taking a set of steps that went down to the lower level. I cut through the crowd like I was being chased, sliding through the groups and saying, “Excuse me,” several times until I finally saw the place I wanted to go.
The little man in the boat looked up at me with a tiny smile.
“Headed out?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes, Finch, please take me back to the dock.”