he afternoon goes quickly – quicker than I'd hoped – and before I know it, the sun has set, turning the horizon a crisp, burnt orange. I say goodbye to Lina and cycle back home, where Dad's old Sudan now sits in the drive, clearly parked in haste.

At the sound of my wheels on the tarmac, he bursts through the door and hurries toward me, throwing his arms around my neck. "Thank god you're all right. Why haven't you answered any of my messages?"

"Sorry," I say guiltily. "I've hardly checked my phone today. Is Lexi all settled in?"

"She's fine." He pulls away slightly, briefly taking in the carnage on the streets. "Was everything okay here? Where's Jordan?"

My heart pounds twice as fast. I ditch the bike and grab his arm, leading him inside the house. "Everything's a mess," I say as we sit at the table, and I tell him about everything that's happened – minus my steamy night with Jordan. He listens intently, his expression softening when I get to the part about the cafe being destroyed. Then he sits back, folds his arms, and grows really quiet while he processes everything I've said.

I nervously tap my nails on the table as a list of emotions cross his face. Even though he's never really said as much out loud, the cafe meant a lot to him, too. "Dad, are you okay?"

He looks up now and reaches out, wrapping his large, soft hands around mine, cradling them on the table. "I'll be okay. What happens now?"

"I have no idea." My eyes flit to the window, where streaks of light fall in through the glass and cast a lattice pattern on the table. "I guess that's up to Jordan."

"You haven't talked to him?"

"I'm scared to. He's going to tell me he's selling to Landon, I just know it, and even though it's not his fault, I don't want that to happen." I suddenly put my head in my hands, breathing in deeply. "Why does it feel like every time something good happens, it never lasts? It's always followed by something bad."

I don't look up, but I can feel his fingers move across my arm, where he squeezes affectionately. "Bad things happen, Evvy. You can't control that. It's what you do after that counts."

I sigh because he's right, even if I hate to admit it. I might not be able to change what happened to the café, but I can be there for Jordan, who needs my support more than ever.

"I hate when you use wisdom on me," I say.

He grins and says, "That's what happens when you have such a wise man for a dad. Make sure you're not back too late, the storm looks to be over but the weather is still temperamental right now."

I tell him I'll be back soon and grab my bike. It feels like I search the whole island for him, but he's nowhere to be found. I start with the cafe, then the inn, which is still closed down, and even head to the secret beach, but it's like he's vanished completely.

The tiniest doubt works its way through my stomach. Has he already hot-footed it to the mainland? Is he secretly off meeting with Landon somewhere? Has he suddenly left without saying goodbye? I pedal faster, scanning every face for his, but he's gone.

I circle back to the cafe again. The street outside is completely deserted, and it hurts to see how quickly it's been abandoned – yet another thing to be mourned and forgotten. I lay down my bike and inch my way forward. The place looks like it could cave at any moment, but I maneuver through what's left of the door and scan the interior for Jordan. Even though I'd expected as much, my heart deflates when it's empty.

Defeated, I'm about to head home when I look into the distance, toward the cove on the horizon. It's the one place I haven't looked, the last place he'd be, but I pedal toward it anyway, ditching my bike at the rocks before making a valiant climb over.

A bad feeling settles over me. It's getting dark, the rocks still wet from the rising tide, and with the hurricane only just fizzling out, this is the last place anyone should be.

Please be okay.

As I climb, I think about the way Jordan had wrapped his hand around mine, guiding me over the rocks. I pull myself over the last hurdle and hurry toward the empty cove, my heart pounding with each footstep.

Inside, I can just about make out the shadow of the mermaid statue, and beside it, sitting on the floor with his back against the wall is Jordan.

A wave of relief washes over me. He's staring at his hands, his face shrouded in the shadows. I quietly move clover, suddenly afraid of being noticed. After the way he took off earlier, I'm scared he doesn't want me here.

Something gives way beneath my foot and snaps, forcing him to look up. We're both silent, studying the other with a strange cautiousness that feels entirely out of place. Slowly, he gets to his feet until he's standing opposite. Without a word, he grabs my hand and pulls me into his arms, holding me close. I bury my face in his chest, sinking into his embrace.

"Thought I'd never find you," I say. I mean it in a jokey way, but my voice comes out shaky.

He tightens his grip, noticeably tense. "I was kind of avoiding you."

A second passes, and then, "Why?"

He's gentle as he pulls back my hair and presses his mouth to my neck. "Because I know what happens next."

"What happens next?" The sudden pounding in my chest is dizzying.

I'm suddenly aware of how still he is – as cold and as hard as the statue behind him. In a low voice, he says, "You end up hating me for what I have to do."

My heart pounds once. Then twice. "Landon Rivers?"

He nods briefly, refusing to look at me. So, there it is. My worst nightmare confirmed.

"Found him sitting outside of the cafe," Jordan says. "Told me he'd heard about the cafe and wanted to offer me a great deal."

"What did you say?"

He pulls away now, leaving a coldness behind that forces me to wrap my arms around myself. "He asked to meet me at the cafe tomorrow–" he closes his eyes like it physically pains him, "–I said yes." I go to speak, but he runs a hand down his jaw, cutting me off. "Things are bad, Evvy. My mom said debt collectors came to visit. She's asking me when I'm coming home, and I keep stalling. If I don't sell the cafe soon, this whole thing was a waste." Even though I know he doesn't mean me, the tiniest rejection swirls in my stomach. He notices my face and adds, "I didn't mean it like that. I just mean I didn't achieve what I set out here to do. My mom and I are no better off than when I left."

He turns his back, but not before I catch the fear in his eyes. He thinks this is it, that I'm going to hate him for selling the café, and a part of me thought I would, but I don't.

I can't.

"Jordan." I slip behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist. "I don't hate you. I get why you need to do this – it's why I think you should take the money we raised from the fundraiser, too."

Slowly, he turns, eyes dark, but cautiously optimistic. Relieved. "I can't do that," he says. "People donated that money with the belief that it would go to improving the café, not pay my bills." He pauses and searches my face, a softness in his eyes that I've never seen before. "But thank you. For everything, I mean."

I nod and pull back a little, glancing at the statue behind him. "I'm glad she survived the storm, at least." I take a deep breath, and then, "I've never told anyone this, but when my mom died, I used to come here every day. I'd throw down my school bag and I'd just hug her and sob, wishing my mom could magically come back." I look at him now, tracing the angles of his face with my gaze. "At the time, I thought nothing would ever be okay again. I was convinced I'd end up being sad forever, like she is," I say, nodding at the mermaid.

"What changed?" Jordan asks.

I shrug. "Nothing, really. I just got here one day and I realized I didn't need to cry. So I just sat there quietly, kind of content." I turn to him now, pulling him closer by his hand. "I guess my point is that everything is temporary. Whatever happens next, we'll figure it out."

The grin that spreads across his face is adorable. He goes to kiss my forehead, but I tilt my head so that he catches my mouth, instead. "Come on," he murmurs against my lips, sliding a hand around my waist, "let's go home."

And even though he doesn't mean it, that his home isn't really here on this island, hearing it warms me all the same.

❤️