Lured into Love (Blossom in Winter #2) - Melanie Martins Page 0,144
away from his house last night, where I was supposed to spend the weekend.” Since he doesn’t say a word, I add, “I need to at least wish him a happy birthday.”
“Why do you even care about him?”
“Because he is my friend,” I answer just as fast. “Is there a way I can send him a text safely?”
“A text can leave a trace, and the phone company can collaborate with your parents to track us. I don’t think it’s prudent.”
My heart aches a bit at his response, and letting out a sigh in annoyance, I say, “I’m sure there is a way I can send it anonymously. Maybe from an app or online?”
Alex scratches his stubble, thinking something through. “I’ll check into it.”
Oh, he better do more than just check into it, as I won’t let him leave the table without a solution. “Matthew deserves an apology for my running away on his birthday,” I tell him, looking him in the eye, my tone serious.
His gaze remains steadily on mine, considering me. “Alright, I can ask my attorney to send him a message on your behalf. I think that’s the most prudent.”
“Your attorney?” I repeat, totally baffled by his suggestion.
“Yeah, he’s the only one aware of the situation, since I’m pretty sure we will need him soon.”
I hate the fact that I have to go through a middleman, but it’s better than nothing. Plus, Matthew won’t know the difference. “You promise he will deliver the message?”
“Of course. What do you want to tell him? ‘Happy birthday and sorry for running away’?” Alex takes it as a joke, but I don’t.
“It’s not funny. He’s really a good guy.”
He shake his head in amusement, until he finally blurts out, “Fine. I will take care of it.”
Atlantic Ocean, October 26, 2020
Petra Van Gatt
If the first day onboard was sunny and the water calm, yesterday and today have been the complete opposite. The stewards warned the next few days we’d have “not so good weather,” which must be a euphemism for terrible, seasick kind of weather. The unsettling imbalance of the yacht makes it nearly impossible to even stand up straight or walk. Fortunately, the stewards have been delivering our breakfast to our bedroom in a trolley cart covered with a white tablecloth. While Alex is already taking his morning coffee and reading the newspaper in the armchair, I’m still trying to gain the courage to leave the warm sheets and walk a few steps toward the cart, where my matcha latte is waiting for me. But each time there is a strong wave, I’m reminded how painful this is, and my head starts spinning horribly.
“Are you seasick?” he asks, seeing my resistance to get up. “You look nauseous.”
“Yeah, this motion is horrible.” And the only way to survive this up-and-down and side-to-side acceleration seems to be remaining in bed.
“Oh, poor you.” He might be teasing me, but nevertheless Alex stands up and goes to take something from the cart along with a glass of water. Then he sits beside me and hands me a tray with pills and the glass. “Take one every six hours.” As I do so, he brings me my matcha latte and the plate with my avocado toast. “And now you’re gonna eat.”
I take a bite of the toast, and I’m glad he’s holding the matcha latte steady as the boat goes up and down, sailing through bigger waves. “Thanks.” Then I check the time on my iPhone and realize I’m already running late for my first online class of the day. Jeez! Fortunately, my laptop is in my backpack, not too far away. I take a sip of my matcha latte, and after blowing out a breath, I get out of bed to grab my laptop. Once I’ve got it, I rush back and slide under the covers again. Then I put the laptop on my lap, turn it on, and connect it to a VPN before logging in to the class. The unsettling motion is not making it any easier, but I drink a bit more of my matcha, hoping somehow that will help.
“Petra, you barely ate…” Alex chides.
I notice he’s still holding the plate with my avocado toast, barely eaten. “I know, but I have class starting soon. It’s Monday, you know.”
“At least finish your breakfast,” he insists.
“After.”
“You can’t watch it later?”
“I wish, but this is an interactive class. Like, they see who’s connected and who’s not.”