Chapter 21
Julian let out a low, bitter laugh, mocking himself for only realizing what he’d lost after it was gone. He set down his fork and walked out of the restaurant.
Back at the hotel, Rue finished packing up and tugged Silas along for one last walk on the beach while the sun was still out. The sea breeze whipped across the shore, carrying that salty sting, and Rue dug her bare feet into the soft white sand, a faint ticklish feeling rising with each step.
Silas walked beside her, carrying her sandals and sunhat like a dutiful companion, his eyes occasionally flicking to the hem of her sundress as it danced in the wind.
“Want some coconut water?” he asked, pointing toward a beach shack nearby.
Rue shook her head, bending down to pick up a seashell. “We don’t get to do this often. Let’s just walk a little longer.”
She held the shell up to the light with a bright smile. “Look, isn’t it pretty?”
Silas opened his mouth to reply when a voice cut through the air behind them.
“Hey, gorgeous—can I get your Instagram?”
They both turned. A guy in a loud floral shirt grinned at them, holding up his phone. His earring caught the sunlight, flashing.
“I’m just visiting, but the second I saw you, I knew you were something else.”
Rue instinctively stepped back, and Silas moved slightly in front of her.
“Sorry, she’s—”
“Not into your type,” Rue said flatly.
The words slipped out so naturally, they surprised even her. The tone, the phrasing—it was like muscle memory.
The guy chuckled and pushed further. “C’mon, what’s your type then? I can change.”
Silas slung his arm casually around Rue’s shoulder, his voice dipping with a hint of frost. “She’s into guys who know how to take a hint.”
The guy walked off with a shrug, and Rue burst out laughing. “Didn’t know Dr. Silas had such a sharp tongue.”
Silas flushed a little, pulling his arm back awkwardly. “I just… didn’t want you getting hassled.”
“I know,” she said with a grin, darting a few steps ahead. Then she turned back and waved at him. “Come on! They’ve got surfboards for rent over there!”
Later, the two of them stood knee-deep in the shallows. Silas watched as Rue flailed around trying to get on the board, wiped out again and again by the waves.
By the fourth attempt, he waded over and gently caught her from behind, steadying her by the waist.
“Keep your center low, bend your knees.”
Her back was flush against his chest. She stiffened. “Silas, your heart’s racing.”
“Is it?” He let go quickly, stumbling back into the surf. “Probably just… from the workout.”
The air turned a little awkward, and Rue, sensing it, suggested they check out the nearby night market.
Silas nodded, grateful for the change of pace.
The night market was buzzing. The smoky scent of grilled seafood and cheap beer mixed with neon lights and chatter. A middle-aged woman in an apron darted between tables, shouting out specials.
“Lovebirds! Get our couple’s platter—half-off lobster!”
“We’re not—”
“We’ll take one,” Silas cut Rue off smoothly, wiping down the plastic table. “I heard their crawfish is legit.”
Rue rested her chin in her hand, watching him prep the utensils with hot water. “You always this thoughtful with everyone?”
“Only with friends.” He handed her the chopsticks, then added softly, “And… people I like.”
Before she could say anything, the guy from the next table leaned over.
“You two doing a beach wedding? My Airbnb’s got a package—sunset vows, shell bracelets included.”
At the word “wedding,” flashes of something blurry and white flickered through Rue’s mind—fragments of a ceremony she couldn’t quite place.
