Stuck on Vacation with Ryan Rupert (Ryan Rupert #1) [PUBLISHED]

CHAPTER TWO - A Splashy Statement

That night at dinner, Josh and Renee couldn't stop talking about the island.

"Oh, it's going to be so fun, Aubany, you're going to love it," Renee insisted. "There's so much to do, and it's all paid for so you don't have to worry about any of that."

"Oh . . . well, great," I said politely. I was well aware that the majority of activities involved the ocean—and I had no intention of participating in any of them.

"There's swimming, and snorkelling, and they even have a miniature golf course!" Renee continued. "Of course, it's not all on one island. Everything is spread out over four different islands. There are little boats to take you from one to the other."

I almost choked on my spaghetti. "Four islands?" I exclaimed.

"I know, it's exciting!" Renee said, completely misreading my expression. "You and Ryan are staying on the main island. That's where all the shops and pools are, and the dining hall," Renee said. I breathed a sigh of relief. As long as my room was on the same island as the food, then I wouldn't need to go anywhere else that involved trips over the ocean.

"Our room is on the Lanikai Island though, so if you need us you'll have to take a boat over. The trips aren't long. They only take about five minutes each way."

Five minutes on water was too much for me.

"How long is the boat trip to get there?" Ryan asked from beside me. He kept kicking me occasionally, but I was ignoring it.

"Two hours," Josh replied.

Two whole hours? I must have gone pale, because Renee suddenly gave me a worried look.

"Aubany? Are you alright, Honey?" she asked, as I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

"Um . . ." I trailed off. I didn't want to worry them, but I figured they should probably know of my fear of the sea. On the other hand, once Ryan got hold of that knowledge, he'd have the perfect weapon to make my life miserable. So, instead, I smiled at them and said, "I'm fine. Just a little worried about my Mom."

"Oh, yes. Poor Caroline," Renee frowned, and said sympathetically, "I never imagined something so horrible would happen to that lovely woman. I hope everything goes okay for her in California."

There was an awkward silence after that, and a feeling of sadness spread through my chest. Mom would have landed by now. Perhaps she was on her way to the hotel? I considered calling her after dinner. I wanted to check up on her, and make sure she was okay. But that would mean facing the fact that she had cancer, and if I did that I'd probably start crying. I mean, I wanted to start crying right now, in front of everyone.

I was not about to start crying, especially in front of the likes of Ryan.

I cleared my throat and said, "So Ryan tells me we'll be sharing a room." A part of me still didn't believe him.

But, to my disappointment, Renee nodded and said, "Yes. I just didn't see the point of paying for another room. But I trust you two will be responsible." She was giving Ryan a firm look. I glanced at him and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered.

"There are two beds though, so it should be perfectly fine," Renee added breezily—like sharing a room with Ryan wasn't an absolute recipe for disaster. "And I've heard your room has a beautiful view of the ocean from the balcony. You can hear the waves at night and everything!"

I grimaced. That was exactly what I didn't need.

I quickly finished eating and stood to take my plate to the sink, but Renee stopped me.