Jessie & Elizabeth (abandoned)

13. The Test of Trust [Part 1]

"How much? When do you need it?"

Daryl's voice sounded oddly cheery when he replied. He'd called me at the perfect moment, right when Elizabeth had pulled up at the parking lot and I was starting to run out of courage. I'd never picked up the phone so fast before. Thank god for brothers who constantly needed your money.

"No, no, I can do this now."

Elizabeth scowled, obviously not agreeing. Ignoring her, I turned away, walking around the BMW to a more shielded corner. The salty ocean wind had been attacking me as soon as I'd exited the car, and I was already getting sick of it. Actually, maybe I was sick, with the way my body was shaking and my throat felt dry.

"No, it's fine, Daryl. I get it. I — hey!"

Elizabeth didn't react, only brought my phone before her mouth and said clearly, in that business-like tone of hers: "Your sister's busy. She'll call you later." Without further ado, she tapped the red button and handed it back, her furrowed brows telling me not to protest. "No stalling," she said. "You had your chance to back out."

I swallowed. I had. She'd asked me exactly twice if I was sure I wanted to do this, and I'd said 'yes, of course' both times.

I was really, really starting to regret that, especially now that we'd arrived at the marina.

Before me, hundreds of boats huddled together, floating calmly, from tiny ships to yachts the size of a bus. Beyond, there was the endless ocean, the turquoise water blinking at me in the sunlight, pretending to be harmless.

I sighed. "For someone who wanted to fire me two days ago, you're freakishly intent on getting me out on the water today."

Something glimmered in her brown eyes, and annoyingly, it softened me up. She was in skin-tight yoga pants and a sporty jacket with fluorescent strips, her hair tied back in a braid, and almost no make-up. Seeing her in an outfit like this had been an adjustment, to say the least, and I had had to chastise myself for sneaking a glance at her butt too many times already. "You should've thought of that before you invited yourself on my boat, as you keep calling it. I take my sailing time extremely seriously, Jessie."

I tried to glower at her, only I wasn't as skilled as she was, so it had zero effect.

"Mom, Jessie, come on!"

Ari had come running towards us, jumping up and down, and Elizabeth nodded for me to go first. I swallowed, my legs shaking as I followed the kids to the pier. Cami babbled excitedly, her little hand enveloped in her mother's, and Ari kept asking her mom if she could be the one to guide the sloop out of the bay and if she was allowed to "perform a tack", whatever the hell that was. The idea of being on one of the bigger vessels seemed doable, but when Ari pointed out the small sloop, I halted in my steps, my heart flying to my throat.

That one? We were going to fit two adult women and three kids on that measly piece of wood?

I gaped at Elizabeth. "You've got to be kidding me."

A pointed look. "I thought you knew me better by now." There was a playfulness to her tone I would've appreciated at virtually any other moment, but right now, I could only shake my head.

"No. No. Absolutely not. I'm not setting foot on that... that... deathtrap."

Ari laughed at me, placing her hands on her hips. She'd been questioning us about pirates constantly during the ride here, and the memory of her asking what they used to do with dead bodies when out on sea didn't exactly help with my nerves. "Are you scared?" she taunted, dragging out the last word.