Chapter 83

Jack

The worst was over, and I felt myself relax a little as Juno and I were offered a cabin on the larger boat to rest in. Although they offered two, I'd declined the extra, and Juno hadn't objected. Despite her desire to be close to me, however, something was clearly wrong.

Not once had she tried to do more than lean into me as I held her, waiting for me to go to her or instigate contact. It could all be the shock of what happened, but it had been happening since we were in the shelter together and the power had gone out. It was as if she didn't feel safe with me any longer.

Part of me didn't have the energy to make her feel safer anymore. I wanted to. Wished she would feel it. I'd never hurt her, but if she was blind to that, there was nothing I could do, and I knew it.

I still planned to see her safely to shore and make sure she got back to England okay, but by the sounds of things, that would take time. Although I wanted to know what state the rest of the Bahamas was in and how hard it had been hit, I didn't dare ask the crew in front of Juno. Not while she was so scared. It would only worry her further.

On top of that, we both really needed some sleep. Juno didn't resist being led to the cabin or lying down on the bunk bed there. I encouraged her to make space for me. At first, I thought she was going to object, but she scooted over and let me wrap my arms around her.

"Sleep," I said. "We're safe for now."

She nodded and leaned into me. For a moment, everything felt right, her in my arms, but it felt like it might be the last time. For now, I'd appreciate it and hope I was wrong. I moved my head slightly so I could smell her scent, the smoke from the bonfire and her shampoo an interesting blend.

Closing my eyes as well, I tried to fight sleep to make the most of having her close one last time, but I was too tired, the ordeal having taken a toll on me, too. Within seconds, oblivion crept over me and stole me away.

When I came to, Juno was still asleep in my arms, her body peaceful and warm. I exhaled and didn't move. The boat was still moving, clipping along the water at a fast enough pace that I could hear it outside and feel the gentle sway as the waves rocked us.

It was peaceful, and I didn't want the moment to end. Sadly, the moment ended all too soon as Juno stirred and opened her eyes.

"We're still moving?" she asked.

I nodded, not sure what else to say. I didn't want her to move or pull away, but she did. My skin instantly felt cold everywhere she was no longer connected to me.

Despite the ache in my chest, I let her go and pulled back as well.

"I'll go find out how close to port we are," I said as I rolled away and got up.

Almost as if she didn't trust me to come back, Juno followed, leaving her stuff in a small pile in one corner of the cabin. I'd shoved my stuff in my pockets and almost told her to bring her things with her to make sure they were safe as well, but I pushed the fear away. These folks had rescued us and were highly unlikely to do anything else.

It took me a moment to remember which way we'd come below deck and lead us back up. The sunlight made me blink, and Juno leaned closer as the boat swayed and dipped. I looked around, seeing land on the horizon we were heading toward. It pretty much answered at least one of the questions I had.

Almost instantly, the sailor who had come to our rescue in the night approached, smiling at us.

"Looks like you two slept well," he said as he winked. "We're not far off porting now. Didn't find anyone else in need of rescue, though we did our best. Are either of you hungry?"

"Food would be really good," Juno said before I could reply.

The sailor gave us a nod and motioned for us to follow him back down below deck. Juno didn't hesitate, giving me little option but to go along as well. It was a good enough way to pass the time until we were on dry land again. As soon as we were led to a small table near a kitchen, my stomach rumbled.

I could smell bacon, and a guy dressed in a chef's white apron appeared as if he'd heard us coming.

"Another round of breakfast?" he asked, looking at Juno and me as if having extras on his ship to feed was nothing new.

"Please," Juno said before mentioning her allergies. Thankfully, the guy seemed to understand and promised he could accommodate the requirements before offering me a bunch of options.

I picked something substantial and then sat at the table beside Juno. She yawned as she appeared to relax, almost as if the sleep and the offer of food alone had revitalized her but encouraged her body to remind her it hadn't had as much of either as it truly needed.

"What do you think we'll find on the larger islands?" she asked as she looked out of the nearby porthole. I shifted so I could see through it, too, noticing land appearing on the horizon on that side as well.

"No idea. It will depend on how strong the storm was when it came over them. And how close. Considering our own boat never came back for us, though…" I trailed off, not sure I wanted to voice my worries and fears.

Most of me was sure they'd had time to get back without running into trouble, but the mind liked to doubt and play tricks that enough of me was considering the possibility they might not have. Because of it, I was slightly on edge. Would we find my friends alive?

The food came quickly, the chef skilled enough that neither of us had any complaints as we wolfed it down. Again, I relaxed a little more, but the feeling of being slightly on edge, of life not being quite right anymore, wouldn't go away.

My body was still expecting something to hurt or need me to act, and it wasn't fully letting up. And I knew it wouldn't until we had seen with our own eyes that the others were safe and we were both on dry land.

I tried not to think about the house and island I'd just left behind and abandoned for now. It wasn't going anywhere, but it was going to take a lot of money to fix it. The interior would need to be almost completely renovated.

However, there was nothing I could do now, and it was more important that we'd all survived.

As soon as we'd finished eating, Juno and I thanked the chef and made our way back up to the deck. She didn't look as if she felt entirely well, but I didn't say anything, just going with her and making sure she stayed safe.

I felt like a guardian angel, following her around and protecting her until she decided for sure on my part in her life. It was a strange feeling, my chest aching at the thought of being less to her, but my heart would be unsatisfied if that turned out to be all I ever was. I found myself willing to almost settle for it, however.

Juno glanced back at me as she stood at the side rail and watched the boat come toward the harbor. Relief washed through me, and I felt her relax a little as we came past the outer wall to reveal a mostly intact town, only the odd outhouse or shed looking damaged.

The harbor was another matter. Masts were broken all over the place, and some of the boats had come free of their moorings and been pushed up onto the streets or, in one case, into a cafe"s dining area.

It had clearly been hit by the storm but weathered it better than my house had. Hope returned that my friends were okay.