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

“When we met on the boat, I thought you were just some dumb kid.”

He placed his hand to his chest as if I’d stabbed him with my words, feigning pain. “Kid, ugh. I’ll bet I’m older than you think.”

“Twenty-three, tops,” I challenged.

His laugh was immediate and dry. “I’ve got socks older than twenty-three.”

My brow furrowed more. “You can’t be older than thirty.”

He held up two fingers. “Thirty-two…maybe thirty-three by now. My birthday is in August, and I’ve lost track of the days.”

“My birthday’s in August, too,” I said, shocked. “The seventh.”

“My fellow Leo, I knew I liked you.” He laughed. “I’m the fifteenth. Happy late or early birthday.”

I grinned at the sentiment. How strange was it to truly not know how old we were? I guess it didn’t matter anymore. “Happy late or early birthday to you.”

He was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Is that why you’re reluctant with me, because you thought I was younger than you?”

“You are younger than me,” I told him. “And no. I mean, in part, maybe, and in part because we’re just trying to survive and finding romance isn’t at the top of my to-do list, but mostly because of Ned.”

“Your husband?”

I nodded.

“Do you miss him a lot?”

“Some days,” I told him. “Always, really… But some days it’s almost impossible to go on.”

“That’s how it was when Theo died. It doesn’t get easier. You just get used to—” He froze, his eyes wide. “I didn’t mean that it’s as if your husband had died, I just—”

“It’s fine,” I assured him. “In a way, I guess it is like that. The grief I mean. The acceptance that I may never see him again.” I suddenly felt guilty for holding Noah’s hand, but I couldn’t bear to pull away. In some strange way, it was as if he were grounding me, keeping me on the island so I wouldn’t float away with my grief.

“Have you? Accepted it, I mean?” Though I knew he had selfish motivations for asking, he seemed genuinely curious. There was nothing pushy in his tone.

“More today than yesterday, but less than tomorrow.”

His thumb began caressing my knuckles again. “If you love him, you shouldn’t give up.”

I was silent, because the thought of answering brought tears to my eyes. The thought of never seeing Ned again was debilitating, but the truth was…the thought of never seeing Noah again hurt just as much.

I didn’t know the time to make that choice was quickly approaching.

Chapter Twenty-Four

When evening fell and James and Ava still hadn’t returned, we could no longer deny that something strange was afoot.

As the sun began to sink into the horizon, we headed out into the forest, weapons in hand, listening quietly for the slightest sound. Noah led the way with me close behind.

We traveled the same path as usual, hardly having to watch our step as we’d already memorized where the root that stuck up an inch too high was, where the plant with the thorns hid, and where the ditch you could nearly miss if you weren’t paying attention was. We knew our path backward and forward, which meant every bit of our energy could be focused on seeking out our friends.

As we grew closer to the falls, I thought I heard Ava’s whimpers. My blood ran cold, and I knew from the ashen, wide-eyed expression on Noah’s face that he’d heard it, too. We quickened our pace, hurrying forward. Something was wrong. Something was wrong. Something was—

Naked?

James and Ava were far from in turmoil, their bare bodies pressed together on the shore next to the falls. Ava cried out in ecstasy, her hands gripping James’s back. He let out a moan of pleasure, pressing his lips to hers feverishly.

For a moment, we stood there frozen, the shock of what we were seeing smacking me so suddenly I couldn’t do anything but stare. All at once, the heat of embarrassment burned my face, and I backtracked quickly, just as Noah did, pressing ourselves against a wide tree a few feet away. My eyes were wide, my hand over my mouth as I watched him process what we’d seen.

He snickered, pressing his forehead to mine, my back against the tree as our bodies melted together, each of us trying our best to hide our stifled laughter. It wasn’t as if we didn’t know—or at least suspect—that Ava and James had been sneaking off to have sex, but seeing it like that, seeing our friends in the throes of passion was embarrassing and hilarious all at once.

He took my hand, pulling me away from there quickly, and as we made it back to the beach, we both burst out laughing with giggles so demanding and necessary my insides burned.

“At least someone’s enjoying themselves around here,” he said through his laughter, tears in his eyes.

“Maybe a little too much. I think we’re on our own for dinner.”

“The way they were going at it, we may be on our own for life.”

“Do you think they’ve been doing it all day?”

“If so, they’ve got no excuse to be crabby when they come back.”

“You don’t think they saw us, do you?” I asked, the thought sobering. As much as I enjoyed poking fun at catching them in the act, the idea that they’d caught us catching them was mortifying.

“Nah, they were pretty focused,” he said, shaking his head as the laughter finally subsided.

“I’d be terrified someone would catch me. They’re braver than I am.” I placed my hands over my nose and mouth, trying to shake the image from my head.

“Eh, who cares? It’s not like they could check into the Holiday Inn. We’re all adults… Animals out in the wild.” He winked at me, then looked away. “Anyway, we should really think about dinner. What will it be tonight? Berries or fish, my dear?” He adopted a fake accent and bowed forward, as if he were a waiter. “I might be able to have the chef whip you up a fresh pineapple or two.”

My