What!?

20

To Iliana, the shark diving experience was both exhilarating and disappointing. The actual diving with the sharks, Blake at her side, was perfect. Just what she always thought it would be like. She loved being so close to such vicious predators, even though they mostly leave humans alone, there is the potential for a very violent death with them.

The disappointment came from the other brothers. Some were also diving, but other than Blake they still stayed by themselves on the other side of the boat. They still didn't talk to her and she was beginning to regret allowing them to be with her and ruin this experience that Blake had been so thoughtful to set up for her.

Blake could tell that her happiness was leaving and saw her becoming sad as she looked over to the other part of the boat. He was beginning to get very angry and irritated with the others. As he starts to get up Isaac and Preston come over to her.

"Sorry, Ili, we didn't mean to stay away from your side for so long. We were planning a surprise for you and it took us far longer than we intended. Would you be willing to go snorkeling with us?" Isaac asks her a bit anxious as he looks from her blank expression to Blake's slightly angry one.

"Not sure that I'll be here by then. I'm planning on leaving tomorrow."

Just then Phoenix and one of the crew from the boat come over. "That won't be possible, Ili. It seems that the tropical storm that was heading north of here just veered towards the islands."

Now Iliana thinks that he's just saying that to keep her here longer.

"That's right miss. Looks like it will make landfall late tonight or early tomorrow morning. But that won't matter. Before we can even get back to the island they'll be locking up the marina. There won't be any boats willing to risk the expected high winds and waves from the storm. You'll be stuck on the island until after the storm leaves." The crew man tells her apologetically. He rather likes the young teen and doesn't like watching her plans be changed like that.

The other young men, he wouldn't mind. He sees how they are treating her and doesn't like it. She has been nothing but nice and they've been rather arrogant and rude. The older ones don't seem to be too bad and the one that chartered them doesn't seem bad at all. He's even promised them a bonus if all goes well with the trip. A significant one at that.

"Thank you, sir." The crew man nods before heading over to the captain and the one in charge of the diving equipment. He whispers to them about the tropical storm heading their way. They just hope that it stays a tropical storm and doesn't turn into a typhoon. The water from the storm is needed, but the destruction isn't.

Iliana is in a much less happy mood now.

"I'll bring you back another time, just us two and go diving together. Don't let them ruin this for you, Iliana. If they don't wish to interact with you, we'll get rid of them at lunch. We'll have them go home with those that will be bringing us the food." Blake reassures her.

"Ili! There's a bunch of dolphins. Come and watch them." Dimitri calls to her and Blake.

Not sure just how much the others want her there she slowly goes up to watch the dolphins playing a short distance away. Far enough that they aren't bothering or being bothered by the sharks.

For some time she watches the dolphins playing around. The crew handing them binoculars when the dolphins started moving away. Then after that they saw a pod of whales surface and they seemed to be chasing after the dolphins.

Now in a much better mood Iliana turns to Blake and gives him a beautiful smile.

"Lia, don't go home early. We were able to organize a dinner like luau for you, but the soonest they could do it was Friday. Hopefully they won't have to cancel with the storm coming." Gregor tells her before she and Blake could return to their seats.

"When did you organize this dinner?" Iliana asks more than a little suspiciously.

"It's what took us so long. We've had to make a ton of calls and a lot of begging and a last minute cancellation by another group to get them to give us the slot on Friday. Please say that you'll stay for it?" Piedro doesn't have any shame and is openly begging her.

Iliana thinks about it and turns to Blake.

"Don't ask me, Ili, this will be your decision one hundred percent. We will stay or go depending on whether you want to allow them the time or not." Blake tells her softly. The last thing he wants is for her to hate him for making the wrong decision. He's finally getting her forgiveness.

It will take the other brothers some time to obtain it. It's not that Iliana holds grudges, she just doesn't trust the person and they have to reearn that trust.

"I don't know. It will depend I guess." Iliana finally answers.

The boys deflate at her words. They had hoped that she would just forgive them. They should have known it wouldn't be that easy. After all they had hurt her a great deal over the last few weeks. They can't even really blame her for not being excited about their plans for her.

"Depends on what, Lia?" Dimitri asks after waiting to see if his brothers would or not.

"Depends on if there is a reason other than that for me to stay. So far I haven't really seen much reason. Other than Blake that is and he said that he would go with me, so not really," Iliana shrugs, "this trip was supposed to show me just how much you all want me by your side. I'm very close to just sending you back to the island so you can do what you truly want to do and not be stuck with me."

The others start panicking at her words and trip over themselves to assure her that they do want to be there with her.

"Then prove it by showing her that you really do want to be with her." Blake tells them disgusted with them. Even he doesn't believe them now.

They nod miserably. 

Just then the cage comes back and Casper and Flynn get out. She can't remember a time when Casper was so white. She holds back her laughter as he comes over to her. "I don't know why you enjoyed it so much, Lia, but never again will you get me to do that."

"But the thing is, you overcame your fear enough to do it at least once. Some of your brothers refused even trying." Iliana says as she gives a comforting hug to the still shaking brother.

Flynn comes over with a shaky smile, but not nearly as white or shaky as his twin. "I have to say, that was definitely an incredible experience."

"Mr. Hamilton, if that is all the divers we need to head over to lunch if we are going to do the regular diving as well before we have to head home." The captain comes over telling them. He is very apologetic about it, but they are now on a time limit. Already the waves are starting to get a bit rougher than before.