“Oh, I know just how loud Cami can be…” Hailey giggled while Zane looked down at her in his arms with his brows furrowed.
Reed’s eyes twinkled again as he said, “I’ll bet…”
Hailey smiled. ”Nah, Cami isn’t into girls. Unfortunately.”
Adela watched Zane’s frown fully take over his face.
“How do you know what sounds she makes?” Zane asked.
“We’ve lived together for four years. Let’s say that we all knew how to party, handsome,” Hailey said.
Zane’s cheeks reddened.
Jack snorted, probably also noticing how Hailey rattled the big tattooed construction worker. Adela gave Jack a playful slap on his arm, hoping that he didn’t ruin Zane acting shy since it made him totally look like a brawny, cute puppy.
“The only one I haven’t heard in all those years is Adi,” Hailey said.
Adela gave her friend a look that said ‘thanks a lot, friend’.
“Well, you’d better prepare yourself, because I’ve heard her come one time in the ocean—scared away every single bird within a three-mile radius…” Reed said and chuckled.
“Nooo. Adi? Our Adela?” Hailey said, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
Adela looked everywhere but at her friend.
“It’s always the quiet ones, eh?” Hailey joked.
“Until they’re no longer quiet,” Reed added.
“Ha ha, hilarious,” Adela said.
“Where are the others?” Jack said as he peered over to the other side of the beach where the two original, bigger huts stood next to the fire pit.
Reed brought a hand through his sandy brown hair. “Gabriel came back two hours after you guys left. Rod and Gabe got separated on that first day they had left camp. Gabe, Cami, and Dom left an hour ago to look for Rod.”
Adela grabbed Jack’s hand as she watched closely for his reaction.
“Shit,” Jack said.
“I know. I just fuckin’ hope that one day, we’ll all be safe and sound on this damn beach, so I can finally have a day to do shit—except maybe go fishing with Adi,” Reed said.
“I know what you mean,” Adela said with a sigh.
Jack placed his hand on her lower back and said, “We’ll see you later. Let’s head back to our hut, Adi.”
“Okay. I’ll check on you later, Hails,” Adela said to her friend.
Hailey waved a hand in the air. “Don’t bother. I’ll be sleeping, anyway. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Adela nodded. “Okay.”
She walked away, thinking back to Reed’s words about her being selfish. She hoped Jack could forgive her.
“I love you, Jack. Please never leave me.”
He held still mid-step. “This is forever, Adi. I promise you I will not bail on you like your father.”
She swallowed back her emotions. Not because he’d mentioned her father, but because she knew deep inside that he spoke the truth.