Page 44 of Wayward (Wrecked #4)

Dry Docked

Haley

“ I like flying in your private jet a lot more than Z’s.

” I grab Easton’s hand. We’ve got another hour before we land in Miami.

But the memory of being on Z’s jet, locked up and not knowing where we were going, won’t leave me anytime soon.

Really, there’s a lot that’s going to take a while for me to process.

The only thing I know is that I love the men on this plane with me.

Penny’s sitting in the chair on the other side of the aisle. She jumped up the second Sam headed to the lavatory.

“Get up,” Sam says from the aisle next to Easton.

“You’re not going to make Penny move,” Easton says with a laugh.

“I was talking to you.” Sam cocks his head to the side.

“Fine. I need to use the loo too.” Easton closes his book. I give Easton a quick kiss.

“That’s the bathroom now that we’re almost in Miami,” Zane says from the row behind me.

Easton growls and heads off.

Sam drops into Easton’s seat. “How are you doing, Haley?” He takes my hand and kisses my thumb.

“I’m . . .” Honestly, I don’t know how I am. We’ve told Zane’s mom and sister. Easton’s dad knows, but that’s it. Dante assures me that his mom won’t care. She didn’t care when he came out as bi. She won’t care about this either. As long as we are all kind to her son. Calvin said the same thing.

That leaves Sam’s family and my dad. There’s also the very large question of where we’re all going to live and what we’re going to do to survive.

There’ve been little details discussed. But a lot of things have changed about me in the last year.

More than having five boyfriends, a dog, and a cat—but the one thing that hasn’t changed is that I like certainty.

I like knowing what’s going to happen and how it will be done.

It’s one of the things that made me a great stew.

I like the prep work. And I love a good list. A list!

“What?” Sam says softly, giving my hand another kiss. “Your eyes are sparkling with excitement.”

“I need some paper.” I search the pocket in front of my seat on the wall, but there’s nothing there but an airsick bag. “Good enough.”

“Do you want this?” Sam hands me a pen. And I start scrawling across the top of the bag.

Sam leans back, his eyes closed, his hand on my leg. That’s what I love about Sam. He’s so easygoing he doesn’t ask me a thousand questions about what it is I’m doing. He knows when I’m ready I’ll tell him.

I fill the whole bag with my list, front and back, before I open the inside and use it too. “That’s what I needed,” I say, absentmindedly. The bag flops over and rubs Sam’s arm.

“That’s a lot of something.” Sam leans over to me.

“It’s a list.” I need to copy it over, but it’s exactly what I need. “A list of what I’m going to tell my dad. Because he’s not going to cry and hug me like Zane’s mom. He barely spoke to me before I left on the Rock Candy . He’s not going to like . . . well, us.”

“Parents love me, Haley.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I do. May I look at it?”

“Yes,” I say and almost instantly regret it.

“A list of reasons why having all of us in your life is better than just one of us?”

“No. Yes. Not really. It’s what I love most about each of you. It’s . . . I’m not going to read it to my dad. But I wanted to have my points blocked out in my head for when he comes at me.”

“At you? You don’t talk about your dad much. But I don’t like that phrase. You’re an adult. And he can’t make you live your life the way he wants you to live it. That part of your relationship is over. He had his say.”

“No, my mom had her say. Even when he was there, he wasn’t really there. It shouldn’t matter what he thinks.”

“But it does.” Sam nods.

“That’s really infuriating. You know, I wish I could be more like Dante sometimes.”

“‘Blunt, forthright, honest, culinary genius,’” Sam reads from my list. “Let’s not ever show him this.”

I laugh, and he continues, “‘Hard worker, has a soft interior and a sarcastic exterior, can make me laugh even in the bleakest of times, protective, and cares about others more than himself.’ I might agree with a few of those. But you forgot hung like a horse. The world can’t handle more than one Dante. ”

“I suppose you’re right. On both accounts,” I say with a laugh.

“Calvin.” His eyebrows raise. “‘Protective, responsible, skilled survivalist, reader, hard worker, loyal, and committed to those he trusts. Is willing to change even if he doesn’t know it. A gentle soul . ’” Sam nods. “Easton.”

Easton turns his head. “What?”

I grab my list back. “Shh.” Not that there is anything I wouldn’t want the guys to read or know.

“What you got there, Sam?” Easton asks, and Calvin leans around the seat from behind.

“I’m a gentle soul,” Calvin says.

“Maybe remember that the next time you punch me.” Easton unbuckles from the window seat and crouches next to Sam.

“You okay with sharing, Haley?” Sam asks.

Dante’s standing behind me, hanging over my seat. “That’s a dumb question to ask now.” He laughs and leans down far enough to give me a kiss on my neck. “Speaking of sharing, we could all join the mile high club.”

“What’s the list about, Haley?” Zane crowds in next to Easton.

“Yes. I . . . okay, I’m nervous about talking to my dad. So I want him to know how great you all are.”

“Dad? Well, that’s a buzzkill, Sassy.” Dante gives me another kiss. “What does the list say about me?”

“I already read yours. You know, impossible, loud, a pain in the ass,” Sam says with a straight face.

“Sounds like you’ve finally learned the truth, Sassy.”

“It doesn’t say that.” I cock my head at Sam.

“I’m reading Zane’s next. ‘The most positive, optimistic person on the planet without being a Pollyanna, charming, dependable?—’”

“ Sounds like Penny.” Easton rubs Zane’s head.

“I’ll take it,” Zane replies.

“There’s more,” Sam continues. “‘Supportive, a visionary, a master builder, an incredible artist, funny without being mean-spirited.’” Sam points a finger at Dante.

“What? I’m not mean.” Dante holds his hand over his heart, and the guys moan. “I’m not mean to Sassy.”

“True.” Sam nods. “‘A quick thinker in emergencies, able to adapt to any situation, respects boundaries, and thinks before acting.’”

“I’ve got to disagree with that last one, Haley. Remember when he dropped the WaveRunner off the side of the Rock Candy ? That wasn’t thinking,” Calvin says.

“I did the math, and it worked. We would have been a lot worse off if I hadn’t taken the risk.” Zane smiles.

“I’ll add 'risk-taker when it matters.'” I take the paper back from Sam and scribble it on the bottom and hand it back to Sam. Zane gives me a wink. And my stomach flutters.

“Brilliant. Here, Sam, let me read the next one.” Sam hands the paper to Zane.

“‘Easton: vast medical knowledge that saved us over and over on the island. Brave, willing to stand up for what’s right. Smart, humble despite his accomplishments. Willing to work hard and get dirty. Compassionate and protective of his family and friends. Is more than his money.’”

“I put that in there because my dad is rather shallow. Honestly, you could be . . . well, let’s just say that more than once he told me I should seduce a guest on a yacht that I was working on.

” I reach across Sam and squeeze Easton’s hand, but he leans forward and grabs my neck, bringing me in for a kiss while we’re stretched across Sam’s lap.

His tongue sweeps through my lips. He tastes of whiskey and salt. And I end up moaning into his mouth.

“You keep making sounds like that, Sassy, and you’re going to be on the board of directors of the Mile High Club.” Dante’s fingers skim down my neck, and I pull back.

Dante’s not wrong. My heart races, and despite the insinuated warning from PR Mike as we got on the plane at the private airfield south of London, I’m a second from ripping off all of their clothes.

I shake it off. Because the last thing we want is to be outed by the press and have that take some of the heat off the Zambranos or Susan.

They’d be chasing our story instead of our justice.

Sex will sell more copies of magazines and boost more ratings of shows than greed. Though greed can’t be that far behind.

I take the list from Zane. “I’ll read Sam’s.” I know he’s already read it to himself. But I want to read it out loud to him. “‘Self-sacrificing—he was willing to give his life for us to get out a distress call.’”

“ Didn’t work out, though,” Sam says.

“That’s not the point. ‘Smart and calm under pressure. Brother to Charlie.’” I smile at Sam. “My dad met Charlie last—two years ago and said he was a stand-up guy. So I thought I should add it.”

“Charlie is a stand-up guy. And I’m happy to have it on my resume of assets.”

“Resume of ass.” Dante laughs.

“I’m not done.” I scrunch my eyebrows at Dante.

“Don’t give me the disappointed teacher look, Sassy. It makes me hard.”

I grab the list with two hands, fully aware that my face is turning crimson. “And . . . ‘Sam is thoughtful, considerate, loyal to family, friends, and his dog. He will always put my safety first.’”

“ Like Superman without the cape,” Easton says.

Sam’s easy smile lights up his face. “And when I tell my family about you, I’ll say you’re passionate about life. Observant of others and their feelings. Funny and wise.”

“Detail-oriented,” Dante adds.

“Kind.” Zane grabs my hand.

“Modest. You still have no idea how amazing you are, do you?” Easton stands.

“Calvin?” Dante says.

“Right, my turn. I was going to say hot as fuck. But that’s not something I should bring up around the Sunday dinner table when we visit the fam.

So I’ll go with being brilliant and resilient.

You knowing so much about plants really helped us.

But know when I say it to people it also means hot as fuck. ” Calvin tugs on my short ponytail.

The flight attendant, who’s been giving us our space, comes out from the galley. “We’re getting ready to land in Miami.”

Sam leans over to me. “Thank you, Haley.”

“Thank you? For what?”

“For being you. This . . .” He taps the paper on my lap. “You don’t have to defend us to your dad. But that’s up to you.”

I nod and take Sam’s hand in mine. “You’re right. I’m an adult. He’s made a lot of choices in his life. Most of them didn’t include me.”

“That’s what you said on the island. You can hear him out, though . . . but your relationship with him isn’t just up to him.”

I wrap my arms around Sam, and the seat belt and armrest frustratingly keep me from getting as close as I want.

Because it’s true I don’t have to wait for my dad, or play by his terms. It’s such a simple thing, but it’s not something I’ve accepted as truth before.

Now it’s like a light has flicked on. My dad can take me or not.

It might make me sad if he doesn’t want anything to do with me, but I’ll be okay.

“I love you,” I say.

“I love you too,” Sam says and squeezes my hand.