The Missing by Kiersten Modglin (essential books to read txt) 📕

down joyfully, “it’s like an episode of Survivor. Let’s put it to a vote.”

James grumbled, his arms draped casually over his knees as he stared at the sand. “I’m starving,” he said after a moment. “So if my choice is to carry you two through the forest or stay here and eat seafood oceanside tonight, I guess it isn’t too difficult to decide.” He shrugged, looking out toward the water. For some reason, I felt he was choosing to side with the men, rather than on the side he truly believed was right, but I saw no point in pressing the issue.

“So that’s how it’s going to be, huh?” Ava said, picking up on the same vibe I had. “You all outnumber us, so you make all the decisions?” I met Harry’s eye, feeling betrayed. Up until that moment, I’d believed he was on our side. Had Noah been right all along? Was everyone finally accepting that it was every man for himself? I no longer felt the nagging guilt over having kept the waterfall a secret between Noah and me.

“It’s not like that,” Harry said softly, bending down so he was eye level with me, though he was looking at Ava. “There are no sides. There is no us or you. It’s all of us. We’re in this mess together, and we have to look out for each other… I’m doing this to protect you both.” His eyes were serious, but not stern. I wanted to believe him, but I couldn’t. I felt as if he were hiding something… As if they all were.

Finally though, I nodded, watching as James and Harry began gathering sticks for Noah to sharpen with his knife.

It was the first time I’d felt truly alone on the island, even with Ava by my side. It was the first time, too, I considered the possibility I may never leave it. That I may never see my husband, my family, my friends again. The mere thought was utterly devastating.

By nightfall, James had managed to catch three fish that we were forced to split. The meat settled in our bellies, barely making a dent in our true hunger, so we filled up on water from the coconuts and lounged around the fire. Everyone was relatively quiet, mostly lost in our own thoughts.

“What do you guys miss most of all?” Ava asked, bringing most of us to a sitting position as we tried to think of an answer.

“Chocolate cake,” Harry said, scratching his belly. “I’d kill for a giant slice of chocolate cake right about now.”

“Beer for me,” James said, though I had doubts about whether he was old enough to drink legally.

“Sex,” Noah said with a low grumble, rubbing his bicep casually. “You’re all lying if you don’t say sex is what you miss most.” His eyes found Ava. “Those of us who’ve had it anyway.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything. No one denied the truth in his words, and I felt something warm low in my belly at the thought. He wasn’t wrong.

“Well, I, for one, miss bubble baths,” I said anyway, trying to change the subject.

“Yeah, because bubble baths are better than a nice round of bumpin’ the ole uglies,” Noah sneered.

“I miss my family,” Ava said sincerely, interrupting the argument I’d had planned. The mood shifted at once, the lightness in the air dissipating.

“Yeah,” Harry said with a long, drawn-out sigh. “Me too.”

“Me three…” I trailed off, thinking of my husband. My parents. It was almost too painful to do.

We fell silent again for what felt like a long time, before Harry spoke again. “We need to find out if we all have something in common.”

“Why?” Noah asked, batting his eyelashes playfully in the glow of the fire. “Are you planning on playing matchmaker?”

“No.” He didn’t bother to indulge Noah with a snide response back. “Because we need to figure out why we—the five of us specifically—are here.”

“You mean you don’t think it’s random?” James asked, his eyes wide with concern.

“It might be,” he conceded. “But it would be smart to narrow things down a bit.”

“Like what?” I asked.

“Like… Where are we all from?” Harry asked, starting off the round of questions.

We went on like that, discussing where we were from, if we had any enemies, what resort we’d been staying at, why we were in the Keys, and more. In the end, none of us were from the same state, let alone area. None of us believed we had any enemies who could’ve been involved in anything like sending us to a deserted island. We’d all been on vacation except for Noah, but for different lengths of time, some of us at the end of our stay while some of us had just arrived. And while Harry and I had been staying at the same resort, Noah lived in the area and had just been at the beach for the day, Ava had been staying at her parents’ beach house, and James had been staying at a motel with some friends nearby. It seemed as though we had no real connections between the five of us that could give any indication why this would be happening.

Eventually, the questions ran out and we settled back into the quiet of the night. By the time the moon was high in the sky and the last log on the fire had burned down to cinders, its orange glow growing dimmer, we made our way back to our shelter, agreeing that since Ava and I had sat up the night before, James and Harry would take first shift tonight and we’d rotate like we’d meant to before.

That’s the last thing I remember before I woke up the next morning, my back stiff and painful, belly growling from hunger. When I sat up, I realized I was alone. Instantly, the panic set in. What had happened? Where were they? Why had they left me?

I stood up, dusting my legs off and trying to decide