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

stomach growled at the thought. “Pineapple sounds lovely, kind sir.”

He stood, holding out his arm for me to loop mine through. I did the same, suddenly very aware of our touch and the close proximity of our bodies. I had to stop it, get the thought out of my head, and move on.

Noah had to continue being Noah, and I had to continue being me—married me. An hour later, we returned with two pineapples from a tree we’d discovered a few days—weeks?—before. It didn’t grow many, which made the fruit a commodity that up until this point we reserved for special occasions.

When we reached the fire, I was surprised to see Ava and James there, deep in conversation. James saw us first, his back straightening as he saw the pineapples in our hands.

“You only brought two?” he asked, his lips downturned.

“These were the only two that looked ripe,” Noah lied. “And we didn’t know if you’d be back for dinner.”

“When have we ever not come back for dinner?” he asked.

“When have you ever disappeared into the jungle for an entire day without telling us where you were going?” came Noah’s quick retort.

“Appreciate you checking up on us for that, by the way.”

“We did check up on you,” Noah said, and I was amazed that he could keep a straight face. “By the falls. You were fine.”

Ava’s face blanched. “You what?”

“Yeah, so next time, tell us where you’re going and when you’ll be back. We need to know if we need to come looking for you.” He sat down across from them, and I followed his lead, watching as he pulled out his knife to begin peeling and slicing the pineapple. “And yes, we’ll share these with you.” He shoved a chunk of pineapple toward them both with a mock, exaggerated smile. “What are friends for?”

“We’re sorry,” Ava said, her words catching me off guard. When I met her eye, she appeared completely genuine. “We’re sorry for disappearing all day, and I’m sorry for what I said to you this morning. I was upset and…and scared, and… You’ve been nothing but kind to me, both of you, but especially you, Katy. I know you’d never hurt Harry. I just spoke without thinking. When we got that note and you returned without him, it was just scary. None of us know what’s going on or who’s with whom… It just took us a while to get our heads on straight. I’m really sorry.”

She was crying suddenly, and I felt terrible for the anger and resentment I’d felt toward her.

“You don’t have to apologize—”

“Yes. Yes, I do.” She was gripping James’s hand tightly, white halos around his knuckles from the pressure. “It wasn’t right. I was dealing with my own stuff, and—”

“Ava, you’re fine. You’re forgiven. We’re all dealing with our own stuff, and this island doesn’t help. It’s all stressful and scary, and honestly, I’d be shocked if you were handling it well. I can’t imagine what you must’ve thought getting that note and seeing us come back without him. But what I told you was true. I loved Harry. I mourned his loss. He was a great friend to me. To all of us.”

She nodded, taking a small bite of her pineapple as Noah resumed passing slices around.

“I just miss him,” she said, wiping her tears. “And I miss my family.”

“We all do,” Noah said, the only words he’d spoken since her apology. I couldn’t quite get a read on how he was feeling.

She rested her head on James’s shoulder, and he kissed it gently, his own eyes filled with tears. My own vision blurred with fresh tears as he pushed the sack that usually held coconuts, but had quickly become our carry-all, toward us. “We brought berries too. Some fresh ones since the ones from this morning had started rotting.”

“Thanks,” I said, pulling it closer to me. As I reached for a handful, I saw Ava eyeing me with too much enthusiasm. I froze, and her expression fell. Then, when she realized I was watching her, she looked away quickly.

Was I being paranoid?

I’d just condemned her for accusing me of a nearly identical crime. Could I really be so hypocritical now?

I put the berries down without saying a word and finished off my pineapple, waiting until Noah had sliced and divided every last bit. When I could no longer avoid it, I pushed the berries away from me.

Ava watched me intently. “You’re not going to eat any?”

“I’m full,” I said, shaking my head. “But thanks. They look delicious.”

“More for me,” Noah said, reaching for them. Ava and James both watched as he grabbed a handful, their eyes locked on the berries as they were lifted toward his mouth.

“Wait!” I grabbed his arm instinctually, stopping him, but once I had, all three of them stared at me as if I’d suddenly turned blue.

“What’s gotten into you?” he asked.

“I…I just… Sorry, I think these might be different than before.” I found the words, deciding on them as they came out.

“Different how?” he asked, staring at them strangely. He put them down.

I studied them. “Did you get them from a different plant? They look brighter somehow.”

James and Ava exchanged a worried look. “We picked them from the same place,” James said quickly. “Would it make you feel better if I ate some, too?”

I hesitated. “It’s probably silly. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, I thought we were okay again,” Ava said.

“We are,” I told her, still not reaching for the berries. I wanted to eat them, to trust her, just to keep the peace, but James wasn’t reaching for one. It would’ve been simple enough for them to disprove the theory, so why weren’t they? Because they were offended by the accusation, or because I was right?

Noah nudged the basket forward more. “Go on, then. Make us look like idiots.”

James appeared unsure, casting a quick glance to Ava before reaching forward and taking a handful. I waited with bated breath as he put them to his mouth.

“Stop!”