supposed to learn the ropes of the family business and all
that.”
Varun snorted. “Yeah – he'll learn what he needs to
know in a year. That'll take. Some of us have been working
with this hotel since we were kids. I'm sure he's busy on a
date or snorting cocaine or whatever it is he does.”
“I take it you guys aren't close?”
“Is it that obvious?” Varun smiled. “Sorry – I mean,
I should let you make your own judgments about him.
Maybe he's changed.”
“He wasn't exactly warm and fuzzy with me, either,”
I said.
“Last time I saw him,” Varun sighed. “Last time I
saw him was when Jana died.” He took a deep breath. “Three
years ago.”
“Jana? Was that the girl – I thought that was in
England.”
Varun gave a dark laugh. “No, not that girl. You see,
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Chance gets around quite a bit. A lot of girls seem to get
burned up when he's around. The rumor about Eton – I don't
know if it's true. Maybe he was setting fires again. Maybe
some girl just left her cigarette burning out by mistake. But
Jana...”
“The girl Brandon mentioned,” I said quickly. The
girl I look like. “ I saw that he upset you.”
“Yeah,” he walked over to pick up another pile of
discarded plates. “I don't usually like to talk about it. But I
feel like I can talk to you, you know? Like I can trust you.”
“You can trust me,” I said quickly.
“I'm glad. Listen, Jana – she was Haven's best friend.
She was a great person – really nice, smart. Interesting, too.
She and I – you know. She was my girlfriend. Until Chance
came back for the summer.”
“And you think he had something to do with – with
what happened to Jana?”
Varun shrugged. “I don't think he stopped it,” he said,
his voice growing bitter. “He's just as responsible as if...” He
stopped short. “Never mind,” he said. “She loved him, you
know. A whole year with her – and then Chance showed up
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and suddenly it was like I never existed. And they started
taking risks together, you know. Going to places on the
island where it wasn't safe. Fire-dancing with the locals
without being trained. Like – hopped up on adrenaline. And
I know that wasn't her, Mac. That wasn't what she was like –
she wasn't stupid. But she loved Chance so much she was
willing to take any risk possible...and he didn't watch out for
her. He just cared about himself. About being cool. And he
as good as killed her for it. I would have watched out for
her.”
We fell silent. Varun took my hand and led me down
the beach. As we left the lawn, we came to a lush garden,
studded with tropical flowers. The sunset gave them all an
unearthly glow – yellow, pink, and orange. The night was
just starting to fall over the inky sea.
“Isn't it beautiful?” Varun turned to me. “The most
beautiful thing you've ever seen?”
“Yes,” I breathed. It was true. Nowhere in Angel
Island was anything like this.
“When I miss her – or when I'm lonely, I come here.
To think. To be alone. I've never taken anybody here before.
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But there's something about you, Mac. It makes me trust you.
It makes me feel like I can talk to you. Even about her.”
He slid his arm over my shoulders, pulling me
towards him. It was not the brash, stupid flirtation Brandon
had tried on me earlier. This was something different.
Warmer. Friendlier. I felt, as I leaned into him, as if I were
being enveloped within his kindness, his compassion.
Surrounded by beauty.
I could feel Varun pulling me closer, and I did not
move away. His lips were so soft, so gentle on mine.
As he stepped back, I could see his blue eyes
glimmer with happiness.
“I missed you, Mac,” he said softly.
But before I could ask what he meant, he pulled me
closer into another kiss – more passionate, more urgent, and
then – with his arms around me – I forgot what I was going
to say.
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Chapter 8
The sun woke me early the next morning, streaming
over my face in bright, hot rays. I murmured softly as I
emerged from my cocoon of dreams. I had been dreaming of
Varun, of how we had kissed until the moonlight emerged
above us, how he had offered me his arm like a perfect
gentleman and walked me across the lawn to our cottage,
how he had kissed me on the forehead as we stood before the
door, neither one of us wanting to be the first to say goodbye,
before kissing me once more full on the mouth, squeezing
my hand before I entered the room. I had gone straight to
bed, curling up with my blanket although the night was
humid, feeling the cotton caress my skin and imagine that it
was Varun's arms holding me tight. Being him was like
swimming in a warm spring, I thought –
