Be My Anchor

Chapter Eight

Gabe and I walked away from the swallowing sea and into Port Lucaya Marketplace which was teeming with life. Bright buildings of every color surrounded us, each offering something new. It was a charming little place, and beautiful too. Even I would admit that.

We walked past dozens of small shops, eventually making our way to Count Basie Square. A band played on an outdoor stage and groups of people stood around watching them. Gabe and I stopped too, enthralled by the music.

To my left were three small children dancing rather chaotically. They laughed and ran into each other like they didn't have a care in the world. I didn't ever remember being like that when I was younger.

I switched my focus onto Gabe. He was staring at the band, twitching his fingers as if playing an air guitar. He moved his fingers so slightly that I almost didn't notice he was by doing it.

"You play?" I asked.

He jumped and immediately flushed like I just caught him doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing. He shrugged, not looking me directly in the eye. "No, not really." His hands came to a standstill at his sides.

But I was a stubborn person and I wasn't letting it go until I got answers out of him. I laughed a little. "That's too bad," I said nonchalantly. "I've always had a thing for guitar players."

Gabe stared at me momentarily before smiling. I could tell he didn't expect an answer like that from me. I didn't expect it either.

"Good thing I play bass then," he said. "I wouldn't want you falling in love with me so fast." Butterflies awaken somewhere inside me at the thought of loving him. So fast.

I raised my eyebrows. "So, you do play."

He shifted awkwardly. "I...strum occasionally. I'm not very good." Something in Gabe deflated as he spoke. He stared at his feet and dug a small rock into the ground with his shoe.

I lifted my hand to comfort him, but before I touched him, I thought better of it and pulled my hand back. Instead, I just said, "You don't need to be good, as long as you enjoy it." He looked at me with his eyebrows pinched together. Heat rose in my cheeks. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing. You just keep surprising me."

Before I could ask about it, I noticed a family walking toward us. Mrs. Hale waved to me from beside her wife and Davis. Somewhere in between shoulders, I saw Tristan trudging along behind them. Gabe followed my gaze and watched them approach us, except he didn't know who they were.

Mrs. Hale spoke first. "Marjo! I figured you would be with your family. I didn't realize your boyfriend came on the cruise with you." Both Gabe and I noticeably recoiled at her assumption. She put a hand to her chest. "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed anything," she said apologetically.

I faked a small laugh. "It's okay. Gabe and I are just friends." A few seconds passed before I realized I should be introducing them. I turned to Gabe. "This is Mrs. and Mrs. Hale, their son, Davis—he's my brother's friend—and well, you've met Tristan." I made eye contact with Tristan and he smiled wryly.

Mrs. Hale's eyebrows popped up and then she turned to speak to her eldest son. "These are your friends? You can stay with them instead of coming with us if you want."

"Um..." Tristan looked around as if searching for an answer. He held Gabe's gaze when he spoke again. "Sure. I'll stay." I barely noticed when Tristan's family left, but suddenly the three of us were alone.

One of the three children that were dancing fell and began to cry. A few adults rushed over and whisked them away. The wailing almost sounded foreign to me. Funny, I didn't remember ever getting hurt when I was little either.