himself.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Danae was coming out of her cabin, pink cardigan in hand, when she ran into Mark in the kitchen area.
She had planned on snagging the cupcakes she’d picked up at a bakery and returning to the helm of the boat. The theory being that if she could stretch out her final evening with Josh a while longer, it might help her come to a firmer decision.
“Hey, I’ve been thinking, and”—Mark tugged on his ear, a nervous tic of his that caused her to tense up as well—“I’ve actually been wanting to talk to you for a couple days. It just never seemed to be the right time. Not to mention it’s been hard to find a moment alone. But I also don’t want to wait until it’s too late.”
Various excuses to put off the conversation flitted through her head, the ticking countdown of this trip still at the forefront of her mind. If she put it off, though, she’d fret about what Mark had been going to say as she tried to fall asleep later, and whether or not it was a concern about the campaign.
To prevent herself from forgetting the cupcakes, Danae slid the box to the edge of the counter and then rested her hip next to it. “Yeah, it’s been super busy, but lots of fun, too. Anyway, what’s up?”
“Yes. To the fun.” He laughed, an odd laugh she’d never heard from him before, and she shifted from foot to foot, the suspense killing her. “Guess I should just spit it out. I was hoping that I could take you out sometime. Like on a date.” Mark scuffed the toe of his shoe on the floor, his eyes fixed on the movement. Slowly, he lifted his chin. “I’m a different person than I was six months ago. Spending all this time together in a more casual setting has reminded me of how many great memories we have. I was a fool to throw us away so easily.”
To think that he had regrets—well, she couldn’t help but be flattered. For months she’d wondered why he’d dumped her, her wounded ego craving closure. That part of her did a little leap for joy, a sense of justification coming along for the ride.
Still, if she put her feelings for Josh on one side of a scale and her feelings for Mark on the other, Josh’s side would outweigh Mark’s, no question about it.
Then again, Josh didn’t want to make long-term plans. He wouldn’t even commit to going out on a date. But that wasn’t the only complication.
“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea, Mark. After we broke up, I was pretty hurt, and it was hard to work together for a while. I just got this promotion, and I don’t want to do anything that might mess up my job or the new campaign.”
Mark exhaled, his shoulders deflating slightly. “I completely understand. But D, we’re both in better places in our lives, and this trip has proven how well we can work together when we put our minds to it.” He stepped closer and braced a hand on the counter as his eyes implored hers. “Promise me you’ll think about it?”
Standing in the tiny kitchen, across from the guy she’d spent nearly a year with, she recalled how easy it had been to be with Mark. He was straightforward, driven, and put a lot of effort toward work, and they had similar goals when it came to the future.
“Thinking happens to be my middle name,” she said with a smile, and Mark grinned back.
The blood in Josh’s veins burned hotter with each sentence Mark spoke to Danae, intensifying the toxic churning in his gut. The temptation to be overdramatic and burst into the kitchen called to him, so contrary to his usual personality that he wondered who he’d become.
All because he’d met a woman who drove him crazy in every possible way.
In order to avoid doing anything he’d later regret, he backed away, climbing the stairs as quietly as he could and returning to the helm. He’d been waiting for Danae there, his head up in the clouds like he was a teenager instead of a grown man. When it had taken awhile for her to grab a sweater and “a surprise,” he went to see if she needed assistance. Or if she couldn’t find her jacket and needed to borrow his again. As absurd as it sounded, he almost wanted to ask her to wear his jacket