Chapter 279

We trekked a good distance without finding anything else from the yacht. My legs began to ache, and I rubbed them absently. Ahead stretched only more endless beach. Frustration rose inside me. This island was far too big for just the two of us to finish searching, yet it was too small to be spotted easily by the rescue teams, if there were any. I kept the thought to myself. The more I dwelt on it, the more I wished I could travel back in time and slap myself for rushing into a diving trip, and for dragging Ashton into this mess with me. Then I noticed that Ashton had veered off the beach. He was heading straight into the forest. I stopped. Daylight made it safer, but I still felt uneasy. The thick trees pressed close, heavy with shade. I had always feared that kind of suffocating place. ‘Are we really going in there?’ I called. Ashton glanced back. He paused mid-step, then turned fully to face me. He reached out and caught my hand. The heat of his palm startled me. Then he spoke in a v