I nod, picking out another piece of melon even though my stomach is churning. I grip it, and groan lightly. “Yeah, he requested me.”
“Get some fresh air after, it helps.”
“You all keep saying that,” I force a smile, stepping past him.
“We speak from experience.”
I laugh softly, and continue towards the cell door. I flick it open when I reach it, and head on down. Eric is fresh this morning, like he’s been allowed to shower. He’s sitting on a mattress that wasn’t there before, and he’s got some clean clothes. Hendrix has looked after him. Why? He never promised to do anything but feed him. Did our moment actually pay off? Eric looks up when I step into view, and he seems to sigh with relief.
“There you are. I was so worried,” he says, standing and walking over to the bars.
“Drake said you wanted to see me,” I say, popping a piece of pineapple into my mouth.
“Look, what I said last night, it was wrong. I didn’t mean it, Indi. You know I didn’t. I was angry, and scared, and I took it out on you. I care about you, and I care about what happens to you. I don’t want you to be sold, and the idea of it has my entire body twisting in panic.”
“I’ve got it covered, I told you that,” I whisper.
“Do you honestly think your plan of seduction will work?” he almost hisses.
I wrap a hand around the bars, and lean in close. “It already is. You got extras this morning, didn’t you?”
All the blood drains from Eric’s face. “You…you…slept with him?!”
I lean in closer. “No,” I whisper. “I didn’t, but…I’m creating a connection.”
“It’s a bad idea, Indi.”
“It’s the only one I have. I found a way off the ship, but if for some reason that fails, I need a backup plan. Him having feelings for me is my backup plan. I need to be sure if there’s no other way out, that he won’t sell me.”
“It’s risky,” he murmurs, looking at the floor.
“Have you got anything better?”
He shakes his head, and reaches through the bars suddenly, gripping my wrists. “I care about you Indi, you know I do. I don’t like the idea of you…seducing him to keep yourself safe.”
“He’s not so bad,” I say gently.
Eric’s eyes widen. “You care about him, don’t you?”
“I never…”
“How stupid are you, Indigo? He’s a monster. He’s going to sell you as a sex slave. How the hell can you possibly see him as anything but the revolting pig he is?”
“He’s got a reason for doing what he’s doing, but he’s not a bad person. I’ve seen it.”
“You’re just blindfolded because of his good looks, but there’s much more to him than that. He’s not going to soften, and you’re wasting your time.”
I tug my wrists from his. “You’re my best friend Eric, and I love you, but don’t make me regret my decision to save you.”
His mouth drops open, and he stumbles backwards. “How could you even say that?”
“Probably for the same reasons you said awful things to me.”
“Indi…”
“I’m going, I don’t want to say anything more. I said I’d get us off here, you need to trust that I can.”
I turn on my heel and walk off, neither of us say another word. I need some fresh air.
I need to think.
Blow me down!
As soon as the salty wind hits my face, I sigh and close my eyes. Oh, they were right, this is nice. I step up out further onto the deck, and amongst the salty breeze, I smell a touch of rain. I open my eyes and see a puff of dark clouds rolling in from the horizon. Is that a storm? My heart skitters, and I feel a whoosh of wind tickle my face. I hear voices trailing out from the navigation hut, so I walk over.
“It’s a big one, we need to dock for the night,” I hear Hendrix say.
“We’re over two hundred miles from the nearest island, Cap,” Drake adds.
“And we might only have hours before this hits,” Lenny says.
“We have to head as close to land as possible, incase of capsizing.”
Capsizing.
What?
My heart seizes, and I blink rapidly. Surely not? I mean, they’ve been out here for years and years, we’re not going to capsize…are we? I wrap my arms around myself and rub, suddenly feeling cold. I hear the creak of the door, and turn to see the guys heading out. Hendrix notices me, and his eyes widen for a second, before locking with mine. A lot passes between us, and there’s a long, heated pause before he says, “I guess you heard?”
I nod.
“Best you stay below deck.”
“Are we going to…sink?” I whisper.
“Not if I have any say in it. We’re heading towards a small island northeast to us. It’s a distance away, but with a good wind, we can make it. Go below deck.”
“I wanted to speak…”
“Below deck, Indigo. Now.”
I feel my eyes widen. He’s become determined. He’s giving me a look that’s telling me not to argue, but more than that, it’s telling me that I best not bring up last night. I nod, and turn, walking toward the door. The wind makes a howling sound, and my skin prickles. I hope he’s right, I hope we can make it to land before this storm hits. The idea of being stuck on a ship in a storm with the chance of capsizing isn’t really something I want in my life right now.