Eroda Sunshine

Suspense

They headed west again two days later, Louis trying to keep a clear head and see to business. But his head was filled with nothing but clouds and haze.

I only feel this way because I am on this island and there is no one to build a romance with – build a life with. It's a natural urge, he told himself. Never mind that he hadn't had a relationship for the last two years when he wasn't on an island. Of course he felt attracted to Harry – Harry was really hot, but was that the only reason he was so drawn to Harry? He felt pretty sure this attraction was born of loneliness. Just because someone is available, and handsome and desirable didn't mean there was something deeper there.

Above all, he didn't want to get hurt again. He'd stuck it out for two years – he could stick it out for the rest of his life . . . couldn't he? The cold, hard facts were that he'd be here for the rest of his life. There was no hiding from that. He'd be here with Harry for the rest of his life.

He felt shredded inside. Harry seemed so perfect, but Louis wasn't stupid enough to believe in fate. He was pragmatic, not foolish and careless. Sometimes, though, he felt as if he were falling down a rabbit hole. It was best to remain clear-headed and not get any romantic notions, nor sexual ones.

Was he only fooling himself?

Best not to let these kinds of thoughts even enter his mind anymore. Fact was, he was trapped here on this island, like it or not. They were the cards he'd been dealt. He'd better not let his mind toy with the forbidden. The consequences could be dreadful.

When they stopped to rest at their usual place, Harry tried to initiate the staring game again. He'd been doing it nightly during dinner and sometimes at bedtime too. Louis refused to participate. He shouldn't have let it happen in the first place. It was playing with fire.

"Why do I feel a disconnect here?" Harry asked as he stretched out in the sand, one hand shading his eyes so he could look up at a sitting Louis.

"Disconnect? In what way?"

"Between us, who else? What is it you aren't tellin' me?"

Well, Harry had nailed it. He'd caught on to Louis' wistfulness. Louis hadn't known it was so evident.

"Just kinda . . . wonderin' what it'll be like, bein' here the rest of me life," Louis answered vaguely. That way, he wasn't lying. He just wasn't telling the whole truth.

"It might be really interestin,' Harry offered. "I mean, our life that we've had here, and then addin' on more people."

Well, it had sounded good until Harry had increased their number to more than two. Louis felt a pinch of aggravation.

"I reckon," he said evasively, purposely not attaching any feelings to it.

"Now, why the disconnect?" Well, Harry wasn't easily rerouted.

"Missin' things maybe, like bacon and cheesecake and baked potatoes, and dogs."

This time it worked. It got Harry off this disconnect thing.

"I miss pretzels too, and ice cream," Harry murmured. "But I thought you said you were grateful to have fish, and didn't overly miss that other stuff."

"Well, of course I do! But sometimes I miss coffee in the mornin.' Scrambled eggs, fried tomatoes and porridge to go with it."

"What kind of dogs?"

"A Labradoodle would be nice. But really, any dog."

"Soft drinks too! A beer! Lemonade! All we ever drink is water," Harry pouted.