When we finish up breakfast, Wells easily takes my hand in his as we make our way to excursion services. There are a few other people milling about in the space. It’s a large glass room with multiple tablet kiosks to swipe through to choose which activities you’d be interested in.
It’s in the middle of the ship, along with guest services, a few bars, and the main cafe.
We pick a kiosk that faces out toward the hall and I begin swiping.
Forrest is swiping on the tablet next to me while Wells has a hand on my back, looking over all the options with me.
“Nothing that involves getting on another boat, and I’m not so sure about the whole swimming with pigs thing,” I say, as Wells swipes.
Luckily, the headings for each of the excursions are in a bold font and it’s easy to keep up.
I’m still not sure what to pick as I look up into the hall and I see the back of a man. He’s broad, with familiar curls on top of his head. It couldn’t be, could it?
Without thinking, I leave the kiosk and walk out to the hallway. Wells is hot on my tail, following me as I shimmy my way through the crowd.
“Claire, is everything alright?” Wells asks. His hand is gripping my dress so he doesn’t lose me.
“Yeah. I think I just see someone I know,” I say, heading in the direction I saw him going. Wells doesn’t stop me, but stays close as we get closer toward the elevators where he’s headed.
When I finally catch up to him, I grab his arm, and he tenses under my touch.
“Elliot?” I say his name and when he turns around, it isn’t him. He’s a complete stranger. My stomach drops and embarrassment floods me over how I just ran out here chasing after him because he was large and had similar hair.
“No. But you can call me whatever you want,” the stranger says with a smile.
“Sorry about that. I thought you were someone else.” I wrap my arms around myself and head back to the excursion kiosk and begin swiping again.
I’m not going to cry, and I’m definitely not going to let my embarrassment show.
“Who’s Elliot?” Wells asks.
“A family friend,” Forrest replies for me, but it feels like his gaze can see right through me, that he knows he was always more than a friend to me.
Did I really, for a second, think that Elliot would show up here? And what? Try to convince me to come home and confess that he’s also had feelings for me all this time.
I’m swiping the kiosk, barely reading anything as massive arms envelop me from behind, Forrest resting his chin on top of my head. His scent is soothing, it’s the first time he’s truly embraced me physically in public.
“Now, what do you want to do? Relax or an adventure?” he asks, letting me off the hook for why I just rushed out there and why I’m acting the way I am.
I just can’t explain it. I mean, I can explain why I want Elliot. He’s beautiful, strong, dependable, and he’s always had my back. Even when we bicker, he’s always been on my side, even when it involves going against my brothers, who are his best friends.
He just didn’t want me the same way I wanted him.
As Forrest holds me and Wells looks at me with a worried expression, I realize that they’re completely on my side, too.
It’s time to lethimgo.
“How about an adventure,” I say easily and we agree on a pirate sight-seeing tour.
We fill out the paperwork necessary for them to take me off the ship, and I spend the rest of the evening trying to get rid of this sinking feeling out of my gut.
Leaving the ship was exactly what I needed. Our tour guide is amazing, and I love seeing all the history of the place while sightseeing.
Forrest and Wells have been perfect, and I’ve been able to just have fun and let everything go. I’m finally in the moment and not overthinking everything and it feels so good.
We end the tour with a rum tasting, which isn’t my favorite, my nose scrunched from the last sip.
“I think I’ll stick to rum cake,” I say, plopping a piece of the cake into my mouth.