I grimaced but didn’t say anything. It was true. I hated the thought that we were in such limbo here. The promise of isolation, privacy, and a chance to disconnect in order to reconnect, had quickly turned into our own personal purgatory, yet it was hard to process that while we were surrounded by such paradise.
“The way Manu talked, we may be stuck here until the end of the week, when the boat returns, unless they realize the phone lines are out and send someone sooner to fix them,” Brad said. I didn’t like the sound of that. The thought of staying on the island for much longer made me sick. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to look at the ocean the same way again, not when it had taken so much from us. And once we were back home and at work, I’d have a chance to talk to Laura in a neutral, private environment. I needed that more than I was willing to admit. We had to discuss what had happened, or I was going to burst.
“Surely they know the storm caused outages,” Megan said, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“I hope so,” I agreed. “I can’t believe they don’t keep a boat here for emergencies. That seems reckless.”
“I guess that’s something we’ll have to add to our review,” Megan said softly, though the joke was tepid.
When we could finally make out the outline of the pavilion, I saw Andy sitting at our usual table, but much to my dismay, as we got closer, I was sure he was alone. Brad stiffened beside me, noticing it at the same time.
“She’s not there.”
“She may have just gone to the restroom,” Megan offered. “Let’s check with Andy.”
I refused to look out at the water. I wasn’t going to be searching for Laura—she was fine. Definitely alive. Definitely fine. This wouldn’t be like Emily. It couldn’t.
She was fine.
We reached the table finally, the rest of the walk completed in total silence, and when Andy saw us, he looked up. He didn’t seem to be in much better shape than Brad; his eyes were bloodshot, and he was still wearing the clothes I’d seen him in last. He had two pieces of toast in front of him, though it looked like he’d only been picking at them. There were no other plates at the table to indicate he wasn’t dining alone.
“Hey, Andy,” Brad said. “Have you seen Laura this morning?”
Andy’s brows drew down, and when he spoke, he kept his voice low. “No. Why would I? She isn’t with you?”
“She went for a run earlier, and she hasn’t come back.”
Andy shook his head. “I’ve been here for half an hour, and I haven’t seen her coming or going. Maybe she ran the opposite direction?”
“Maybe,” Brad said, his lips tight. I wondered if he could feel the same panic setting in that I was feeling. I wanted to be respectful of Andy, not bring up any memories that he was trying to suppress, but this felt eerily similar to Emily’s disappearance. My heart bounced around in my chest like a wild horse, and I had to stand completely still, pretend to be less freaked out than Brad, less worried than Andy.
“We should go look for her,” I said, trying not to jump to it right then. Why weren’t we already going? What were we doing just standing around?
“Agreed,” Brad said, locking eyes with me, the panic evident. Thank God I’m not the only one.
“You guys want some help?” Andy asked, standing up. “I can’t make myself eat right now anyway.”
“Thanks,” Brad said, nodding. “I say we split up. Nick, Megan, you two go that way,” he pointed past the relaxation center, “and Andy and I will go this way. We’ll stop by and ask Jaren and Natasha to help, too.” He glanced at the watch on his wrist. “What do you say, we’ll meet back here in an hour?”
“Sounds good,” I said, tugging Megan to follow me. I couldn’t stay still any longer. I was going to scream if I didn’t get going. I took off running, the sand making it difficult to move very fast, but I pushed through anyway. I had to find her. “Laura!” Where are you?
Chapter Twenty-Six
Natasha
“Laura!” I yelled, staring into the woods, slick sweat on my skin. A mosquito buzzed near my ear, and I swatted it away, licking my dry, chapped lips. I needed water, but I couldn’t stop the search until we’d looked everywhere. Jaren was walking back toward me, his head hung down. “Nothing?”
“No sign of her.” He swiped the back of his hand across his brow. “I’m hoping the others had better luck.”
“She wouldn’t have just run off,” I said, shaking my head. “We can’t give up. This doesn’t feel right.” I narrowed my eyes at the woods, praying for a glimpse of her. Praying she’d run out laughing, like it had all been a prank—albeit the most insensitive prank in history.
“We aren’t giving up. Let’s go check back with the others. They said meet up in an hour. For all we know, they’ve found her.” He put an arm around my waist, shocking me with his touch. “If not, we’ll come back and keep looking.”
My eyes softened as I looked at him, my heart swelling with appreciation. “Thanks, Jaren.”
He gave a short nod. “You know I’ve got you.”
Fear knotted inside me as we continued our journey back to the others. Where was she? She wouldn’t have wandered off, not knowing what we were all dealing with already. I knew her better than that. But then, where was she? Why hadn’t she returned? I felt bile rising in my throat as I tried to force the thought away. This wouldn’t be like Emily. It couldn’t. Laura was still alive. I couldn’t lose her.
We were the last of the group to make it back. They were all red-faced, sweaty, and exhausted, but Laura was nowhere to be seen.
“You didn’t
