Page 16 of Anyone But You

“We do,” I agreed as I finished bandaging. “Someone will find us,” I said confidently.

“How can you be so sure?” she snapped.

“Billionaire CEO Knox Ramsey goes missing after never arriving at his destination? Someone is bound to be looking for me.”

She glanced up at me and scoffed. “Trust me. They wouldn’t look for you if they knew you like I did.”

“Fair enough. I’m going to look around and see what I can find. Maybe something washed ashore. Stay put.”

I left her and returned to shore, giving us both some much-needed space and time to think. Just as I arrived, I noticed something approaching—a lone figure in a life raft.

Another survivor? No fucking way.

I didn’t think it was possible for my mood to sour any further, but my anger bubbled up when the young co-pilot, who was responsible for our crash landing, pulled the raft ashore.

“God! That was a fucking nightmare. I thought I was going to die. I think I shit my pants. I can’t tell with all the water—”

Wisely, he stopped speaking once he noticed the thunderous look on my face.

“Of course, after dooming us all, you somehow survived.”

“Hey! It’s not my fault the engines failed!”

“Well then, whose fault is it? Aren’t you required to perform pre-flight checks?”

“The captain performed our pre-flight check.”

“Did you sign off? I know there must be a checks and balances system.” I closed my eyes and sighed when the kid looked away sheepishly. “You didn’t…did you?”

“I didn’t, but it’s not from my lack of trying! He told me he knew what he was doing and wouldn’t let some green-behind-the-ears kid fresh out of flight school check after him—his words, not mine.”

I was about to give him a piece of my mind when my eyes strayed to the contents of the life raft. I was shocked to see a flashlight, rope, scissors, coffee, and a coffee pot.

“You managed to salvage a few things from the wreckage. I guess you’re not a useless piece of shit after all, huh?”

He scoffed. “Guess not.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You and the deceased captain are responsible for us crashing—don’t get too fucking cocky.”

“You don’t have to keep reminding me,” he drawled with a childish roll of his eyes.

“Did the flight attendant survive?”

“No—she perished.”

“Okay…so it’s just the three of us.”

“The three of us?” he asked curiously.

“Yes, the woman I’m traveling with.”

“But I only see you.”

“She’s right fucking—”

I turned to point at Victoria, and that’s when I noticed she was no longer where I had left her.

Oh, fuck.