He tucks his hands under his armpits and stands in that dad pose he sports when I’m ready to burst into tears. “My tool kit is in my trunk. Let me go get it for you. Maybe there’ll be something you can use.”
I don’t have the heart to tell him no, so I nod and say, “That’d be great.”
Daddy walks off while I dart inside and up the staircase to grab the last of my things. I’m so afraid I’ll see Nick, and I can’t deal with him now. I need to go. Stay focused. Stay calm. Cry later. I chant my mantra over and over again, planning on singing angry 90’s music all the way home. The people on the ferry will totally ignore me. It’ll be awesome. The Jagged Little Pill album is already queued to play on my phone.
When I get to my car, I dump the rest of my stuff in the trunk and slam it. That’s when I see dad toting a red toolbox toward me. When he’s by the car, he says, “Sometimes things don’t work out and the reason has nothing to do with you, or how good you are.”
Damn it. My eyes sting, but I blink back the tears. “Thanks, Dad.” I take the toolbox and kiss him on the cheek.
“Sure. I’ll come by the shop when I get home. We’ll fix it, Sky.” I nod and smile at him. There’s no point in telling him right now. Besides, I have a feeling he knows I’ve fallen on my face and lost everything.
Now the only decision left is whether or not to retrieve my crappy camera with Sophie’s boudoir pictures. It’s sitting in the chapel and I don’t want to risk seeing Nick. I can’t just leave it there, so I decide to sneak around in the dark by staying off the main path. I move through the parking lot like a crook, and around to the side of the hotel. Keeping off the path, I take the long way to the chapel, ensuring I won’t see anyone.
Staring at the ground, I kick a rock and wonder how things could have gotten so messed up. My heart is gone and my chest feels empty. My anger has melted away and I don’t know where it went. It’ll probably spring up at an inappropriate moment and make me look even crazier than I already do.
There are massive boulders on both sides of me, and I know I shouldn’t walk this path after sunset, but I really don’t want to talk to anyone else before I leave. I weave my way in and out of trees and boulders, following close to the shore, while making sure I’m still hidden in the shadows. For a moment, I think someone is behind me, but when I look back, nobody is there.
I continue on to the chapel and just before the turn I should take to come up behind it, I hear a twig crack. I whirl around, heart racing, and expect to see an ax murderer, rusty blade in hand, but instead it’s just Deegan. “Hey, Sky. I thought you were never going to show up.”
Confused, I stare at him and then finally remember his text message. “Oh, yeah. Listen, today didn’t go as planned.”
“Tell me about it.” He falls into step beside me and slips his hands into his pockets. “But that’s no reason to waste a perfectly good night, right?”
Sex with Deegan? Now? Can he not read me at all? My shoulders are slumped forward and my eyes are all puffy. Any idiot could tell that I’d cried long and hard. “Not tonight, but thanks.”
“Hey,” he grabs my arm and pulls me with him toward a rock. A tree grows right along side of it, so you can’t see anything else. “Oh shit, don’t tell me that asshole nailed you instead of me. Is that where you’ve been all day? I thought the cheating thing would have sealed the deal. Guess you take whatever you can get.” Deegan waggles his eyebrows at me.
“What are you talking about?” My brain still feels foggy, like I’m missing something.
“I put that coin in your room when housekeeping was there. I said I forgot something in your bathroom and I left the coin on the sink for you to find. I thought you were the innocent type, and was sure a cheater would turn you off. Guess not.” He tries to kiss me, but I won’t let him. Pushing my hands against his chest, I try to shove him away.
“Deegan, cut it out.” My stomach sinks. This feels wrong, even though I know him. He wouldn’t hurt me. He’s just messing around. I push him again, but he doesn’t back off.
“Don’t be like that, Sky. Let me help you forget whatever’s bothering you.” In that second he changes. Deegan doesn’t listen to me, pressing harder against me as he gropes and grabs my ass. At the same time, his lips come down on my neck. It’s what we did last night, but it feels different now—it’s unwanted.
“You’re bothering me,” I try to shove him away, but he doesn’t move. “Deegan, stop! It’s not funny anymore!” My voice is a little louder this time, but it’s nowhere near a scream. I shift to knee him in the groin, but the guy pins me against the rock and clasps his hand over my mouth.