the house. I should stop in and see if she needs anything. I could bring her some wine or something, apologize for being such a dickhead earlier.
I don't, because I'm not as nice as I probably could be. When I get into the house, I find a plate left out for me where Thalia always leaves it. It's wrapped in foil on the stove top with reheating instructions. But like most nights, I leave it there and head for the bar instead.
Putting a little vodka on ice with soda water and a slice of lime, I check my phone again for the hundredth time. I'm feeling especially restless today. Ellis is coming tomorrow. And because Hanna is already in the guest house, they're setting him up in the master wing. I kept my side of the house after Dad and Zara moved out, and we made his office and bedroom into another space for guests. It hasn't been used in months. Except for the few parties we throw on the island, we never have guests.
Ellis will be in my house, sleeping down the hall. Maybe I should put Hanna in the house where I can keep an eye on her. I don't know if I trust him with her around. No, I'll keep him closer, making sure I'm the last one to go to bed at night so I know she's safe. Should I tell him she's off limits?
If he's anything like he was three years ago, he won’t care about what's on or off limits. Ellis makes his own rules, lives by his own limits. When he sees something he wants, he takes it.
There's movement outside that catches my attention. Going to the patio door, I watch as Hanna dives headfirst into the pool. It's weird having someone else here now. When everyone goes home at night, I'm alone. Being secluded on this island gives me a sense of eerie calm, but it's also like being suspended in air, waiting for something bad to happen.
I watch her swim for a few minutes, and when she pops out and sees me standing there, drink in hand, she lifts a hand to wave for a moment before climbing out and drying herself with a towel.
Finally, I walk outside, the clink of ice in my glass the only sound between us.
"The stars are beautiful," she says as she reclines in one of the lounge chairs. Lying all the way back, she stares up at the sky. She’s right. Without the light pollution from the city, the sky is remarkable out here. Tonight, there isn't a cloud in sight, so the view is perfect.
"Don't you ever get lonely here?” she asks as I sit down in the chair next to her. Leaning back, I stare up at the sky too.
"I'm too busy to feel lonely."
She turns to look at me. “I’ve been busy too, but I still get lonely all the time."
My eyes snap toward her, and my heart cracks a little at her admission. I don't know why this surprises me. Hanna is the girl you see with a man on her arm at all times. She's always surrounded by friends. There's no way she feels lonely.
Dropping the subject, she glances at me as she asks, “So, did you say there’s someone coming here tomorrow?”
Turning away, I hide the tic in my jaw. “Yeah, just a business consultant.”
“Oh…” her voice trails. “Are they staying on the island too?”
“Yes.”
“I hope it’s okay I’m in the guest house. Do you want me to—”
“No, you’re fine. He’ll stay in the house with me.”
Her head snaps in my direction.
“Not with me,” I correct myself quickly. “I mean in the guest room. It’s fine. You don’t need to move.”
“Okay…” she says, and it’s starting to feel uncomfortable again. It really shouldn’t. With as long as Hanna and I have known each other, I hate to feel like we can’t even hang out causally like this, but to be honest, I haven’t casually hung out with a woman I wasn’t trying to fuck in…well, forever.
Just then, as if she’s reading my fucking mind, she says, “You know, if you need company..."
My heart starts to hammer in my chest. Even the vodka flowing through my veins can't calm the erratic beat. I risk a glance in her direction, but she's not looking at me. Her eyes are still glued on the stars. It's quiet for so long I start to wonder if I'm imagining the assumption in her statement.
“I’ll