I head below deck, and think for a moment about going to warn Eric about the storm but decide against it. It’s not that I don’t care about him. It’s just that, right now, I’m confused, and even a little hurt, and it’s easier if I just leave it. He needs space, and the truth is I’m afraid of what this is going to do to our friendship. He’s angry with me, and I’m signing my life over to save his. The sad thing is, even if I was mad at him, and hated him, I could never let his life be taken because of me.

I run into Jess just outside Hendrix’s room, and she gives me a warm smile. She looks so calm; doesn’t she know about the storm? I must look worse than I realize, because she narrows her eyes and places the sheets she’s carrying on the ground before walking over and gripping my shoulders. “Are you okay?”

I shake my head weakly. “I…”

My voice cracks, and I realize how much I’ve been holding in. Damn Jess for getting it out of me. It’s those big green eyes and the gentle features on her face. She’s just that kind of person; she makes you want to curl up and cry, just so she’ll hug you. She’s kind of addictive. I let my body relax into hers just a little, and she rubs my shoulders gently, giving me a comforting feeling.

“What’s happening? Come on, come into my room and talk to me, I have a few minutes.”

I nod, and she leads me down the hall to her room. When we get in, I peer around. She has a small room like most of the guys, but hers is cleaner, and cozier. There’s a small bed, not quite a single size, in the corner and an old, wooden desk by the small rounded window. I walk over to the bed, and sit down. She has a faded pink comforter covering it, and I have the sudden urge to wrap myself in it.

“Is it Hendrix?” she asks, sitting down beside me.

“Last night…I got drunk and…God…”

“What happened?” she asks, turning toward me and crossing her legs on the bed. I do the same until we’re facing each other.

“Well, I took your advice and decided to join in and get to know the crew. I got a little drunk and Hendrix took me back to his room. We didn’t sleep together, but…”

“But,” she urges, her big green eyes wide.

“We…fooled around.”

“Fooled around how?”

My cheeks grow rosy, and I stare down at my hands. “I…oh God, I can’t say it.”

“It’s nothing I haven’t heard or experienced on this ship, Indi.”

“It was all hands…”

Her eyes widen. “You got him off…with your hands?”

“Kind of. And grinding. It was an extremely erotic moment, and then afterwards he turned and stormed out.”

“You’re his captive,” she says gently. “He’s freaking out. Don’t give up, the fact he let you get close to him…”

“It’s not like it’s hard,” I interrupt.

Jess shakes her head. “It is hard, Indi. The only reason he fucks Senny is because he needs something out here. There’s no connection, and he sure as hell doesn’t care about her. She’s easy, it’s as simple as it gets.”

“Do you suppose he thinks I’m easy, too?”

She shakes her head. “No, he looks at you differently.”

“How so?”

She shrugs, tucking a long, thick lock of hair behind her ear. “He just does. He watches you, and his eyes seem to glaze over. He’s interested, there’s a spark for him. Don’t give up.”

I cling to her words, because they give me a small moment of hope.

“I saw him earlier, he refused to talk about it. There’s a storm coming, so I think his mind is elsewhere.”

“Oh, I hope so.”

I scrunch my brow in confusion. “You hope so?”

“If there’s a storm, we get to dock on some pretty islands. We get a few days of swimming and peace before we have to get back on this ship. I crave those days.”

“It does sound kind of nice, but I’m scared…”

She reaches across and takes my hand. “Don’t be, Hendrix always gets us out before it starts.”

“He said the island is a fair way away.”

She smiles. “It’s okay, I promise.”

I hear the howling of the wind outside, and I detach my fingers from Jess’s and wrap my arms around myself. I hope she’s right; I’m not a huge fan of thunder. It’s kind of like my weakness.

“I should get back to work. Go through my drawers and find yourself a jacket so that you don’t get cold. The wind will be freezing.”

“Thanks, Jess.”

She smiles. “Anytime, I’m always here.”

When she’s gone, I walk over to the window and watch the clouds rolling in.

I hope she’s right about this storm.

And Hendrix.

The wind howls, and the ship rocks from side to side. I wrap my arms around myself, and my heart thumps wildly. I’m frightened. For the past two hours I’ve watched the storm near closer, I’ve watched the waves rise and crash against the side of the ship. I’ve watched the lightning hitting the water and making a sound so loud my ears are throbbing in pain. Eric is above deck now, and we’re all in the dining room, waiting for the ship to come close enough to the island.

Jess is huddled up beside me, her hand firmly in mine. Eric has his arms around me, and he’s holding me tightly, so tightly I can hardly breathe. I’m not sure if that’s because it’s been over a week since we’ve touched, or if it’s because he’s scared. The other pirates even seem to have a level of concern on their faces. Some of them are pacing, some drinking, some chatting frantically amongst themselves. We’re all waiting on Hendrix, who has been in the navigation office now for twenty minutes with Drake, trying to get us closer.