NovelEnglishBOAT?
LUKE
The airport buzzed with noise: loudspeaker announcements, the shuffle of travelers, and the occasional burst of
laughter from a group of tourists who had no idea what it meant to lose. themselves on an island and then claw
their way back. | stood near the departure gate They'd promised us an air ambulance initially, the kind of thing
you see in movies with flashing lights and medical
professionals hovering over you. But Josh, somehow, had a miraculous turnaround, thanks to the mangoes and
his strange ability to sweet-
talk every nurse into treating him like royalty. His leg, which had been an infection waiting to spiral out of
control, was now on the mend.
When they told us we didn't need the air ambulance anymore, Josh had shrugged like it wasn't a big deal, but
Sarah? She nearly lost it. A private charter was suggested next, but it didn't take much to see the way Josh's jaw
tensed at the thought of another small plane. The man had survived a crash; no way was he voluntarily boarding
anything with a propeller.
| tried convincing the authorities that a boat made the most sense, but if | was being honest, a boat didn't sound
any better. They settled on a commercial flight, with the promise of a
111
bigger plane to ease their nerves
That's how we ended up here, boarding a business-
class flight back to the States. Sarah, heavily sedated thanks to smiracle drug the airport doctor prescribed,
was strapped into the window seat with her head lolling against the glass. She'd mumbled something about how
this was still a terrible idea before the drugs ki Now, she was blissfully oblivious, her chest rising and falling in a
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtsteady rhythm that was a stark contrast to the storm | knew was still brewing in her mind.
Josh, on the other hand, looked completely at ease. Too at ease. He sat next to me, sipping champagne like we
were on a luxury vacation instead of clawing our way back to reality. | kept
glancing at him, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Man, you good?" | asked, breaking the silence between us.
He turned his head, his eyes meeting mine, and for the first tsince we'd been found, | saw it. All of it. The
trauma, the fear, the exhaustion that no amount of mangoes or foot massages could fix. It was there, just
beneath the surface, threatening to spill over. "I just want to see her, man," he said softly. "| just want to see
her."
I nodded, my throat tightening. Josh didn't need to say her name. We both knew who he meant.
"I get it," | said, my voice low. And | did. More than he could ever know. As much as he missed Laura, | missed
Jess equally if not
more.
29.937
Josh leaned back in his seat, staring at the ceiling of the plane. as though the answers to everything he'd been
through were written up there. The flight attendant cby to refill his glass, and he waved her off, his fingers
drumming against the armrest. | stayed quiet, letting him have his moment. What the hell was | supposed to
say? | understood how badly he needed to see her face, hear her voice, and know she was still his. | couldn't.
Because | wanted to see Jess too.
The realization hitlike a sucker punch, and | turned my head, staring out the window at the clouds rolling by.
It was a stupid thought, one | couldn't afford to have right now. Josh needed her. She was his. End of story.
Sarah stirred in her seat, letting out a soft mumble that | couldn't make out. Josh looked over at her, then back at
me. "She's tougher than she looks," he said, nodding toward Sarah.
| grunted in agreement. "Yeah, well, she better be. That dive off the boat could've killed us both."
Josh cracked a small smile. "She toldabout that. You really blacked out?"
I" b : [1
Don't remember a damn thing," |
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Josh chuckled, the sound hollow but real. "Guess we owe her, huh?"
"Guess so."
The silence stretched between us
again, broken only by the hum of the
A 2
plane's engines. | glanced at Josh
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sawith i) grew up with-the same
guy who used to tackleon the
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field like he had a point to prove. “I'm
| " .
glad you're here, man," | said, the
words slipping out before | could
stop them. The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
Josh looked at me, his eyes
: I"
softening. "Yeah. Mg 09. Might hiss
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[1
those marigogs though...” The
content is on novelenglish.net! Read
the latest chapter there!
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