“So, what are you doing here?” Nick asked Laura. “Why did you come out of hiding?”
“I needed to ask Andy for an update. Manu has been giving them to me. We knew the police were coming, and we knew they were going to tell him about Brad. They met with us earlier today, too, but they didn’t tell us anything, and Manu has been with the police all day. I was going stir crazy waiting for answers.”
“I told her she shouldn’t have come,” I said.
“But what are the police waiting for?” Nick asked. “If they know Brad did it, why are they waiting?”
“They’re waiting for an arrest warrant,” I told him. “Brad will be arrested tomorrow.” The words sent chills down my spine. I hated having to betray my best friend. Despite everything he’d done, he was still the best friend I’d ever had. We’d been through so much together. He’d lent me money and couch space more times than I could count. He’d been with me the day we’d buried my baby brother. I’d been with him the day he got married, the day he brought his daughters into the world.
It felt like the biggest betrayal of my life, and I knew the guilt would eat at me for the rest of my days.
I glanced out the window, to the dark hut just a few yards away, where Brad would be sleeping peacefully, as a lump rose in my throat.
“So, what now?” Nick asked. “What do we do until they arrest him?”
“We wait,” I answered, not taking my eyes off Brad’s hut. “We all just wait.”
Chapter Forty-One
Nick
It was the first night’s sleep I’d gotten in so long. It felt like years, but it had only been days. Andy, Laura, and I curled up in the king bed where my daughter should’ve been sleeping.
I had wild, vivid, painful dreams of a baby ripped from my arms, thrown into the ocean. Again and again I cried out for her, but she never surfaced. The dream repeated on a loop for most of the night. I was always searching for a different outcome, but it never came.
When I awoke, Laura was curled into my chest, Andy’s back against hers. Even in the most tense and heartbreaking situations, she brought me peace like I’d never known.
Realizing it was starting to get light outside, and remembering all that I’d discovered the night before, I sat up abruptly. Beside me, Laura and Andy stirred. When her eyes popped open, she sat up quickly, too. Her face was ashen, her lips drawn in.
Today was the day.
Today, everything would change.
I slid out of bed as I saw a group of officers walking past our hut, wondering if that was what had woken me, or if on some level, I just knew to wake up.
Andy was up then, too, and together, the three of us made our way toward the door. We watched quietly, my thoughts racing as the officers, led by Knowles, made their way up Brad’s porch. Without warning, they opened the door. Laura took my hand, wrapping her free arm around mine. She was shaking, despite the heat. This was going to destroy her.
It was too much.
I wanted so badly to shield and protect her from everything, to keep her safe, but how could I? I couldn’t do anything.
I heard Brad screaming then, yelling at the officers, his voice sleepy and angry.
“What the hell?” he demanded, and the officers must’ve responded because his next response was much louder. “What does that mean? Why? No! No, I have rights. I’m an American citizen. You can’t just—you can’t—”
Laura stepped through the door, pushing past me on her way toward the hut.
“Laura, wait!” Andy and I hurried after her. We reached the porch at the same time, watching as the officers led Brad out. His eyes grew wide when he saw Laura. “Laura? What are you doing? Where have you—” The officer jerked him, and he turned to look at him. “Laura,” he called over his shoulder, “you have to call our lawyer. They think I did something to Emily.”
She was crying then, and I touched her arm gently, causing Brad to look at me. “Did you have something to do with this? Andy,” he looked at Andy, “tell them I wouldn’t do this. I’m your best friend. I’d never—”
Andy put his hand on Laura’s shoulder, too, and I saw his own shoulders shaking with sobs. All the commotion led Natasha and Jaren to wake from their hut behind us, and they walked in our direction.
“What the hell?” Natasha asked, her fingers looped through Jaren’s. She pulled him to stand next to us, watching it unfold. “What’s going on?” It took her a moment to process that Laura was standing between Andy and me, and when she did, she squealed, throwing her arms around her friend. “Oh my God. It’s really you? You’re okay? Where have you been? Are you hurt? Are you okay? Oh my God.”
Laura hugged her back, squeezing her eyes shut as tears poured down her cheeks. “I’m okay,” she lied.
Truth was, none of us were okay, and as they led Brad away from us, his cries still carrying across the beach, I didn’t know if we’d ever be okay again.
Chapter Forty-Two
Laura
“Okay, do you have everything packed, then?” Natasha asked, her face still shiny and raw from the many tears we’d cried this afternoon. They’d taken Brad to shore on one of the boats, where he would be flown back to the States in police custody.
Manu had let me use the island phone to call my parents and let them know we were on our way home early. I didn’t tell them what had happened—couldn’t make myself form the words just yet.
One of the police boats remained outside, waiting for the rest of us to board. We’d been given the option of staying for the remainder of our trip, but I don’t think any
