He straightens. “All right. Let’s have it.”
I step closer, inches from his face. “You had no business taking Maddie into the caverns. You know the risks, and you took her anyway. Now she’s hurt. That’s on you.”
His face sinks, but he recovers quickly, crossing his arms. “She came to me. She wants to learn. And guess what? She’s damn good at it. She deserves the respect of letting her make her own choices and know the truth about Nathan’s work. And you made it clear to her you weren’t going to help her.”
“I wasn’t going to risk her life,” I snap, my voice rising enough to draw a few glances from dockhands. Let them look. Idon’t give a fuck. “You think dragging her into that hole makes you a hero?” I scoff. “It makes you a reckless asshole who doesn’t give a damn about anyone but himself.”
His green eyes flash with anger and defiance. “And you think coddling her is any better? She’s not a porcelain doll. She’s capable, and she made a choice. You’re pissed because you can’t control her.”
My fists clench at my sides, heat rising in my chest. The urge to punch in his face is intense. “This isn’t about control. It’s about responsibility. You’re supposed to know better, Wes. You’ve been down there enough times to know how quickly it can all go to hell. And you let her go. You fucking took her there.” I move in closer to his face, hoping he feels my spit. “You arrogant piece of shit.”
Wes’s voice becomes lower but charged. He leans in. “You’re right. I do know better. That’s why I stayed with her every step of the way and made sure she didn’t get lost, or worse. I never left her. I was there for her when things got complicated.” His eyes narrow. “Were you?”
His words cut deeper than I want to admit, but I’m not about to let him off the hook. “Don’t you dare lecture me.” I ball my fists. “Until you hold the woman you love in your arms and watch her die, you don’t get to do that.” I’m trembling, a hair’s breadth from killing him. He has the decency to look ashamed.
A gentle lapping of water against the dock and the faint cry of a gull overhead are the only sounds as we stand there.
Wes exhales. “Scott, look. I’m sorry. You care about her, probably more than you’re willing to admit. And for what it’s worth, we shouldn’t have kept you in the dark. You’re right about that. I am an asshole. But she’s not going to stop. She’ll see this through, no matter what you or I tell her. If that means diving headfirst into hell, she’ll do it. With or without us.”
The truth of his words settles uneasily in my chest. Maddie’s stubborn determination mirrors her brothers in ways that terrify me. “So, what?” My voice is quieter now, but no less pained. “You think letting her risk her life is the best way to help her?”
“I think being there to catch her when she falls is better than leaving her to fail alone.”
I glance past him toward the horizon, where the sun gives way to dusk. The fiery colors are fading fast into muted blues and grays. “She’s not just a project to you, is she?”
Wes’s posture shifts, his usual confidence replaced by vulnerability. “No,” he admits. “She’s not. But I’m not the one she wants. That’s you.”
His eyes stare through me, waiting, daring me to argue. But I can’t. Instead, I meet his gaze.
“If anything like this happens again, and you’re a part of it… you’re dead.”
“Noted.”
I turn on my heel, the planks creaking underfoot as I walk back toward my truck. I’m going to go home and have a whiskey. I’ll try to drown my dreams about our future and instead focus on my job and how I can keep her safe at a distance. There’s no going back.
Chapter 29
Maddie
Ding and I are heading home to the Driftwood Inn. Even though I’ve been keeping myself busy, during the quiet times, it hurts. I really screwed up. It’s been more than a month since my diving accident. Even though life has settled back into a routine, I’m untethered, like a compass spinning endlessly without ever finding north. I want to take away the pain I’ve caused and just start over. But that’s not the way life works.
Scott is a storm cloud hovering in the room at the dive meetings. His eyes only meet mine once in a while. And when they do, their coldness cuts deep. He speaks with clipped words in a formal tone. Like I’m nothing more to him now than another person he has to manage. The tenderness and love we shared is buried, smothered by my betrayal.
“Cheer up.” Hannah’s voice jolts me from my thoughts as I walk into the dining room. She links her arm through mine. “Scott’s just being a grumpy old soldier nursing his broken heart. He’ll come around soon. I promise.” She gives me a peck on my cheek.
I try to smile, but it feels thin and forced. “I’m not so sure.”
“He will,” Wes says, sliding into the conversation as he appears at my other side. “The guy just needs time. He’s scared. He thought he lost you. Until he comes to his senses, you’ve got Hannah and me to keep you company.” I give him a nudge and grab a water bottle from the side table.
The dive crew is gathering, their voices carrying across the inn as Garrett and Dr. Fischer prepare to speak at today’s meeting. Members of the Coast Guard are also present. They’ve started attending the meetings and taking part in the dives. Considering the increased public interest and scrutiny of the recent incidents, they are closely monitoring all activity at the Drop. Everyone is on edge, with the thinly veiled threat of shutting down the project looming over us.
I take the opportunity to finally introduce myself to Mark.
“Mark?”
“Hello, Maddie.” His kindness softens his rigid demeanor. He looks like he’s in his thirties, which is about right since he and Nathan went to college together. “I’m sorry I never got back to you. It’s been so busy I let the time get away from me. Are you feeling better?” He gives me a look of concern.
“Yes, that’s okay. And I know you’re working now, but I hope we can have lunch one day to talk about Nathan. Hannah told me you knew each other well. There’s so much I don’t know about his last years.”
