beautiful out here today!" Upton shouted as he raced from one side of the boat to the other, turning this crank and adjusting that rod. He wasn't even wearing a vest. What if he slipped and fell overboard? Then I'd be stranded on this boat all alone with no idea how to turn it around and save him. What the hell was he thinking, bringing me out here? What had I been thinking when I said yes? We should have been spending the day on the beach, where it was nice and dry and solid and safe.
"Having fun yet?" he asked jovially, hanging on to a sail line and swinging back and forth.
I forced myself to look out at the water, trying to see this beauty he was so hopped up about, but all I could see was me. Alone. Floating. Sinking. Almost drowning. That was it. Forget this 'brave Reed' act. I couldn't take it anymore.
"How much longer are we going to be out here?" I asked.
"What?" Upton replied.
"I don't think I can do this!" I shouted, my knuckles smarting from the force of my grip. Upton's face paled. He seemed to really see me for the first time on our sail. He dropped down onto the gleaming wood deck and teetered his way over to me, hanging on to whatever ropes were in reach.
"Are you all right?" he asked, crouching in front of me.
"If this is your idea of lying low..."
Upton covered his eyes with his hand, then slid it down to cover his mouth. He looked stricken. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I should have realized. To me this is relaxing, but obviously to you . . . I'm such an idiot."
I didn't say anything to refute this conclusion.
"I was going to anchor the boat out here for a little while," he said. "But if you want to go back--"
"Anchor?" I said, my voice a squeak. "As in stop moving?"
"That's generally what an anchor does, yeah," he joked.
"I think I could maybe handle that."
"All right, then. We'll try it," he said. "But if you want to go back, just say the word."
"Thanks," I said, already feeling more secure. "I will." Fifteen minutes later, the boat was at rest. Aside from the gentle lolling as it dipped up and down with the waves, there was no movement. Upton helped me up from my perch at the center of the boat and gripped me tightly as I walked on quaking legs to the stern. The area was lined with benches covered with colorful striped cushions. There was a picnic basket, filled with gourmet breakfast foods no doubt, in the center of the wood-paneled floor. I had yet to tell Upton about my early breakfast with Sawyer, figuring that if Sawyer had such negative feelings about Upton, then Upton might feel the same way about Sawyer.
"Is this okay?" Upton asked as I sank onto the soft bench.
"This'll work," I replied, my voice steady.
Upton sat down next to me and put his arm around my shoulders. I curled against him, my bulky life vest shifting awkwardly toward my opposite shoulder. His chest rose and fell steadily beneath my cheek, and I could just make out the beating of his heart. He ran his fingers back and forth over my upper arm and I sighed.
"Yeah. This will definitely work."
Upton shifted and I tilted my head back so I could see him. He moved his fingers to my face and looked into my eyes intently, like he was trying to make out each and every fleck of color there. I smiled slightly and he leaned in to kiss me. The waves lapped at the underside of the boat. Off in the distance, a motor revved, and seagulls cawed overhead. I was no longer scared. We were alone out here, yes, but it didn't matter. Because Upton was with me.
The kiss grew deeper and I gripped Upton's shirt in my hand, pulling him closer to me. The stupid life vest was like a wall between our chests, and when I felt him fumbling for the buckles, I didn't stop him. Forget safety. All I wanted was to feel Upton's body as close to mine as it could get.
The buckles loosened. I flung one arm out of the vest, then sat up, pushing him back momentarily, to free myself from the other. The second the vest hit the floor, Upton nudged me back onto
"Having fun yet?" he asked jovially, hanging on to a sail line and swinging back and forth.
I forced myself to look out at the water, trying to see this beauty he was so hopped up about, but all I could see was me. Alone. Floating. Sinking. Almost drowning. That was it. Forget this 'brave Reed' act. I couldn't take it anymore.
"How much longer are we going to be out here?" I asked.
"What?" Upton replied.
"I don't think I can do this!" I shouted, my knuckles smarting from the force of my grip. Upton's face paled. He seemed to really see me for the first time on our sail. He dropped down onto the gleaming wood deck and teetered his way over to me, hanging on to whatever ropes were in reach.
"Are you all right?" he asked, crouching in front of me.
"If this is your idea of lying low..."
Upton covered his eyes with his hand, then slid it down to cover his mouth. He looked stricken. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I should have realized. To me this is relaxing, but obviously to you . . . I'm such an idiot."
I didn't say anything to refute this conclusion.
"I was going to anchor the boat out here for a little while," he said. "But if you want to go back--"
"Anchor?" I said, my voice a squeak. "As in stop moving?"
"That's generally what an anchor does, yeah," he joked.
"I think I could maybe handle that."
"All right, then. We'll try it," he said. "But if you want to go back, just say the word."
"Thanks," I said, already feeling more secure. "I will." Fifteen minutes later, the boat was at rest. Aside from the gentle lolling as it dipped up and down with the waves, there was no movement. Upton helped me up from my perch at the center of the boat and gripped me tightly as I walked on quaking legs to the stern. The area was lined with benches covered with colorful striped cushions. There was a picnic basket, filled with gourmet breakfast foods no doubt, in the center of the wood-paneled floor. I had yet to tell Upton about my early breakfast with Sawyer, figuring that if Sawyer had such negative feelings about Upton, then Upton might feel the same way about Sawyer.
"Is this okay?" Upton asked as I sank onto the soft bench.
"This'll work," I replied, my voice steady.
Upton sat down next to me and put his arm around my shoulders. I curled against him, my bulky life vest shifting awkwardly toward my opposite shoulder. His chest rose and fell steadily beneath my cheek, and I could just make out the beating of his heart. He ran his fingers back and forth over my upper arm and I sighed.
"Yeah. This will definitely work."
Upton shifted and I tilted my head back so I could see him. He moved his fingers to my face and looked into my eyes intently, like he was trying to make out each and every fleck of color there. I smiled slightly and he leaned in to kiss me. The waves lapped at the underside of the boat. Off in the distance, a motor revved, and seagulls cawed overhead. I was no longer scared. We were alone out here, yes, but it didn't matter. Because Upton was with me.
The kiss grew deeper and I gripped Upton's shirt in my hand, pulling him closer to me. The stupid life vest was like a wall between our chests, and when I felt him fumbling for the buckles, I didn't stop him. Forget safety. All I wanted was to feel Upton's body as close to mine as it could get.
The buckles loosened. I flung one arm out of the vest, then sat up, pushing him back momentarily, to free myself from the other. The second the vest hit the floor, Upton nudged me back onto
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