“It’s not crazy,” Nick said. “I just—I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about. Do you think she’s dangerous? Or do you think she’s not serious about Andy?”
“I don’t—” The wind picked up, and I looked back at them. I couldn’t stay much longer. Emily was getting too close, the wind whipping her hair in every direction. How had they not noticed her? Laura laid her head on Nick’s chest and he wrapped his arms around her, and I had my answer. They would never notice anyone when they were with each other. They were lost in a world entirely their own.
Eventually, the wind died down, and she stepped back, but not before my vision had blurred with tears. I’d lost sight of Brad, but Emily was drawing nearer. “It’s probably nothing,” Laura said finally. “I shouldn’t have woken you up.” I pushed away from the tree, darting away from the trees and behind the huts where Brad had just left from, and rushed as fast as I could in the sand until I reached the last one. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and moving forward, praying no one would see me. I glanced over at the clump of trees once, but from where I was, I couldn’t see them. They were camouflaged, hidden away from the world like they’d hidden the truth from all of us.
Every one of us was bound to be hurt by their lies—Brad, Emily, me.
“Emily!” I called quietly as I made my way toward the water. She looked back, surprised to see me.
“What are you doing?” she asked, stumbling as she tried to turn around.
“Keep your voice down,” I whispered as the wind whipped again. I waved her over toward me, and when I could reach her arm, I took hold of it. “Come this way so we don’t wake anyone up.”
“I’m sorry about dinner,” she said. “I was just upset. I should’ve never told Laura. Not like I did. I don’t want anyone to know anymore. It was stupid. I don’t need them.” She was drunk, a wine bottle in her hand, her words slurred and too loud.
Relief flooded me as she said it. “Oh, sweetheart, it wasn’t stupid. And you don’t have to apologize. I understand why you did it.”
“I just think, you know, if they didn’t want to be around me… If they didn’t want me in their lives, maybe I don’t want to be in theirs.”
“That’s really brave of you.” It would break Andy’s heart, but it would save so many others. With Emily gone, Laura could keep the secret to herself. Nick would never have to know. I fiddled with the ring on my finger.
“So you think it’s the right decision, then?” She swayed in place.
“I do,” I confirmed, patting her arm.
“It’s just,” Emily went on. “Well, I think Brad should have the right to make that decision, right? I mean, he should be able to tell me if he wants to know me or not. Laura doesn’t? Fine. But she can’t speak for Brad.” She was rambling then, through sudden, loud sobs. “But he is his own person. She doesn’t control him. For all I know, he’s like your friend. Maybe he’s always wondered about me. Maybe he didn’t even want to give me up. I’ll bet she made him.” She poked at her chest, her voice raising. “Well, here I am, Brad—” I launched forward, putting a hand over her lips.
“Shhh, you’re being too loud.”
“Get your hands off me!” she screamed, pulling my hand away from her.
“Emily, it’s the middle of the night. You’re just tired. You’re drunk. You need to sleep, to think this through.” I needed to think it through. Make a plan. Decide the best course of action. “You’ll have more clarity in the morning.”
“I don’t want clarity,” she sobbed. “I want a dad. I wanted this to go differently. I wanted them to want me.”
I shook my head, glancing over my shoulder. She was too loud. Much too loud. Soon, Nick and Laura and Brad would come to investigate, and then the truth would be out. It would be too late.
“You just have to calm down,” I said, grabbing her shoulders as she started to sob louder. “Please, Emily. They’re going to hear you.”
“Let them hear me!” she screamed as the wind whipped through her hair again, her arms out wide at her sides, raindrops falling quick and heavy. “So what if they do? Maybe that’s what should happen, you know?”
“No, no. I don’t think it should.”
“What do you know, anyway?” she cried, shoving back against me. “I’m going to tell him. I’m going to wake him up and tell him, and then if he doesn’t want to be in my life, I’m going to get Manu to take me back home. You all can stay on this stupid island if you want, but I hate—” She froze. “Brad!” She jumped up, waving her arms, and when I looked down the coast, I could see Brad walking up near the huts again. We were hidden in the shadow of a clump of trees separating our huts from the empty ones, but if he got much closer, I knew he would hear her. “Brad!”
“Shut up!” I cried, slapping my hand over her mouth and
