Whiskey and Scotch

Chapter 26

Movement beside me on the bed woke me up. I blinked at the bright lights of the bedroom, and the sound of voices began to register in my consciousness.

"Hey, where's Marisol?"

"Oh! There's so many of us now, I didn't even notice she wasn't here."

"She must have decided to get a head start on the day-seizing."

"That's my girl."

I shut my eyes tight against the light and waited for the noise to die down as the other islanders got up from their beds and wandered off to get ready for the day.

The room fell silent, and as I rolled over with a sigh I was surprised to find that I wasn't alone.

"Bobby?" I looked up to see him sitting up against the headboard, staring down at me with a gentle expression in his eyes.

"Morning, Josie," he said softly, reaching to brush a strand of hair away from my forehead. "I made you a cuppa, if you want it."

I pulled myself up to sit next to him, and after handing me the still-steaming mug of tea, he draped his arm over my shoulders. I settled into the crook of his body, craving the comfort that I always found in him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he rested his head on mine. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's cool."

I lifted the mug to my lips and took a sip, feeling the warmth of the tea flow through me as I swallowed. It was the perfect strength, the perfect sweetness. Making a cup of tea was such a small gesture, but Bobby somehow managed to make it perfect every single time.

"I just don't even know what to think, to be honest. Did I not make it clear that I liked him? I fucking slept with him, B."

Bobby's grip tightened around my shoulders as his body stiffened.

"I wish I knew what to tell you, lass. I don't know what the bloody eejit was thinking."

"Did you know he was going to switch?"

"If I did, I would've set him straight. I knew he was talking to Blake, but I didn't realize he was dumb enough to pick her over you. He didn't tell us."

"Apparently she got in his head, told him I wasn't that into him and would dump him."

He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "What a load of bollocks. She's so fake, I can't believe he couldn't see right through her. All the girls were like that, desperate to get one of us to notice them, but she was the worst."

"And it just had to be Henrik that fell for it. Ugh! I feel so stupid now."

Fucking bitch.

"Don't feel stupid," he said, giving me a comforting squeeze as I drank from the tea. "You did the right thing, he's the one that looks dumb. He downgraded, big time."

He may have downgraded, but why am I the one that feels like shit?

I chose not to respond, instead finishing the tea and placing the mug on the side table. I returned to my place under his arm and burrowed into him, resting my head on his chest and pulling the duvet up around my shoulders.

We sat there for a few minutes, his steady breathing the only thing breaking the silence in the otherwise quiet room.

My eyelids became heavy, and I was fighting off sleep when Bobby's finger tapped my nose.

"Boop."

My eyes flew open as I smiled up at him. I stretched with a yawn, then sat up, not quite ready to get up, but not wanting to risk falling asleep if I stayed close to him. He ran his hand down my arm, picking up my hand and giving it a squeeze.