Stranded

by Chance Carter

  “It’s complicated, Ryan...” she began, her voice tight with emotion. “I do care for you, so much, but I also have strong feelings for four other men. I really I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

  “Why do you think you will hurt me?” he asked, pulling her a little tighter. She inhaled, slowly and thoughtfully, trying to choose the right words.

  “Let me ask you a question first,” she hesitated, looking up at him for approval. He nodded at her to continue.

  “Why do you love me?”

  He pulled back, ever so slightly, looking surprised by the question, smiling curiously.

  “You are one of the coolest women I have ever met. You’re smart, determined, adventurous, caring...” he paused, as though waiting for his words to sink in. Overwhelmed, Joss dropped her eyes. “Joss, you’re so honest and real. I can’t even tell you how rare that is, at least in my world. We have known each other six weeks, yet I feel like I’ve loved you my whole life.”

  “I know, I feel the same way, but I wonder how much of that is because we’re here, confined together. All of us. Let’s face it, Ryan, the pickings are pretty slim when it comes to women on this island. We’re all so lonely, missing home; so isolated from the real world. What happens when we get rescued?” she asked sincerely. She really needed him to think about the facts; and the reality of their situation.

  “What do you mean? Nothing has to change. I love you and I want us to be together, on or off the island. It has nothing to do with you being the only woman here. I have known other women in the past and they just don’t hold a candle to you.”

  “What about the others?”

  “You mean the guys?” he shrugged as though not following her concern. “What about them?”

  “Well now, this is where it gets complicated, doesn’t it?” she said, offering him a gentle smile.

  “It doesn’t have to be,” he said back, his eyes saying otherwise. She could see him processing her words, really letting them sink in.

  “Ryan, I am falling for you,” she admitted, quickly throwing up her hand to curb his smile. “You make me feel so young, playful, energized. I love who I am when I’m around you. You’re such a good person; funny, smart, charismatic. But then there’s Daniel. What can I say about him? You know him, you get it. He’s naughty, adventurous, hard working, witty. I feel challenged by him. And then there’s Charlie...”

  Ryan raised his brows and nodded, unable to dispute any of it. She pressed on carefully, her words guarded and considerate.

  “Charlie is all heart. He’s nurturing, and sweet, and kind. I feel so safe around him. I think we all do. Oh, and Willie,” she smiled thoughtfully, “well, he’s soulful, compassionate, and genuine. A true gentleman. He just makes me feel like a woman, you know?”

  Ryan nodded, loosening his grip on her, his eyes filling with sorrow. “I get it, Joss, I do. You don’t have to explain.”

  “I’m sorry, I know this is hard to hear. Trust me, I’ve been juggling these feelings for weeks now, but you need to know the truth. I need you to understand completely where my feelings are so you can weigh them next to your own. Total transparency, right?”

  He nodded, encouraging her to go on.

  “Grant...” she continued, closing her eyes, her heart swelling with pure, unconditional love. She was quiet for a moment, considering her true feelings for him. He was both the dark and the light, a broken soul, but a beacon guiding her home. He was two sides of the same coin, and there was something intriguing about that. She couldn’t put into words, her feelings for him, because she really didn’t understand what they were. She just knew she desperately wanted to explore them.

  “Go on,” Ryan insisted quietly, “it’s okay. Tell me.”

  “I’m not sure what to say. The truth is, if someone told me I would fall for multiple guys at the same time, I would have told them they were nuts.”

  “I imagine this has been a wild experience for you,” he said, thinking about what it would look like if the tables were turned. He couldn’t even imagine trying to juggle five women at the same time, let alone be in love with them all. He loved Joss, and maybe part of that was because she was so strong, so impressive. She was able to, single-handedly, manage five male egos and still rise to the top. So many women would have faded into the shade, over-shadowed by so much testosterone. Not Joss. She really was their queen.

  “It’s been pretty crazy, that’s for sure. I have grown so much though. I’ve come a long way in the past six weeks. Each of you has taught me something, about life, love, sex, even about myself. I’ve seen different facets of myself, as a woman, through each of your eyes. I feel blessed,” she admitted sincerely, her eyes searching his for some kind of understanding.

  “I think I understand, Joss. You’re asking me not to make you choose.”

  “I’m telling you I couldn’t choose. I just couldn’t,” she choked, her eyes pooling with emotion. Ryan slowly raised his hands, sweeping away her tears with his thumbs.

  “You don’t have to. Not as long as we’re here together. You own us, Joss, and I think I can safely speak for the others.”

  “I don’t own you,” she laughed, shaking her head in denial.

  “Oh, you are wrong about that, my love. Our hearts belong to you, and since those hearts beat inside our chests, our bodies are yours too,” he emphasized, mashing his body into hers.

  “I guess I’m the luckiest girl on the planet then,” she smiled, accepting a quick peck on the lips.

  “You’re wrong again, Joss. We’re the lucky ones.” He kissed her again, this time with passion, punctuating his deepest feelings for her. He was madly in love, and he didn’t care if he had to share her. The other guys were good dudes, and as long as they treated her like the queen she was, there wouldn’t be any issues. When they were rescued, if that ever happened, they would just deal with the fall out. He wasn’t going anywhere, and if he was the last man standing, even better.

  * * *

  Their trip home was thankfully shark free, and aside from some rain that halted their progress, pretty uneventful. On day one they’d made it as far as their first little beach before the rain started. It pelted them for an entire night and most of the next day too, not easing up until the early evening. By then it was too late to venture out, so they lit a fire and hunkered down another night. None of them minded really. They enjoyed snuggling up under the shelter, finding sexy ways to occupy their time.

  The next morning the weather finally returned to blue skies and calmer seas. That day had marked forty days since the plane crash. Forty days away from home. Forty days since they’d all met. It seemed a lifetime ago; and yet it had all passed them by so swiftly. Joss wondered if anyone was still looking for them or if they had finally given them up for dead, stolen by the sea.

  After a quick breakfast, they set sail once more, lucky they had the wind behind them. It pushed them along quickly towards home and made the paddling so much easier. As they were running on reserve energy, mother nature’s assistance was appreciated.

  By late afternoon they finally landed back on their own beach, sweaty and tired but no worse for wear. Willie greeted them first, running into the surf to help pull their raft to shore. Once their feet hit the sand, he pulled each of them into a hug, lingering a little longer with Joss. The boys smiled knowingly and turned back to unload the raft, offering them a little privacy.

  “How did it go?” he asked, walking her up the beach, his arm loosely draped around her.

  “It was not the success we were hoping for, sadly. No signs of any ships. It’s a wonderful spot though. So much better than what we have here, although we didn’t get a ton of time to explore,” she replied, reaching up to hold his hand.

  “I missed you,” he admitted, looking down at her, the sweetest smile on his handsome face. She could tell he wanted to kiss her but was holding himself back. She wanted it too. She’d almost forgotten how much chemistry they had. Almost. She ra
ised her chin, encouraging him to kiss her. He took a quick look around then leaned down, meeting her lips. His soft moan sent delicious shivers down her spine.

  “I missed you, too,” Joss whispered as he pulled away. “How were things while we were away?”

  “Quiet, lonely. Don’t get me wrong, I like Charles and Grant, but I’m going to be honest with you girl, you bring the light. You make being here bearable, enjoyable,” he insisted, kissing her again, this time a little more passionately.

  She returned his kiss with equal intensity, resting her head against his chest when they parted, completely moved by his words.

  “Should we head back and help unpack, see the guys?” she asked, looking up at him. She would have liked to have spent more time with him, but she was certain the others would be looking for an update on their travels.

  “Sure,” he said, shaking his head no. Joss giggled, twisting out of his embrace.

  “Come on, big guy. We can catch up later,” she winked, pulling him along.

  “I’m gonna hold you to that,” he smirked, gently squeezing her fingers.

  “I hope you do,” she teased, the innuendo landing right where she wanted it. He raised his brows and grinned, making her giggle again.

  Chapter 24

  Joss, curled up by the fire, was thrilled the gang was together again. Charlie was by her side, obviously as happy as she was. They had fared well while they’d been apart, but the truth was, life on the island was just better when they were together. The energy around the fire was upbeat, playful even, as they caught up with each other and shared stories. Joss couldn’t stop smiling. As frustrating as it was that they’d come home with nothing positive to share, they all remained confident. They were together, she thought, they had their health, and the island was providing everything they needed. Until rescue came, they would continue to thrive, if she had any say in it. She wouldn’t ever let her boys down.

  “So how much time did you spend searching the coastline?” Grant asked casually, directing his comment to Daniel. Aside from the occasional glance, Grant seemed to be avoiding her again. She couldn’t help but wonder if her absence had made him take a step back.

  “Once we got to the north beach we hiked up the ridge a couple times day and scoped the area for 2-3 hours. It gave us the broadest view of the ocean. We made sure to go at different times, just to be safe. We never saw a thing,” Daniel explained, keeping his tone light.

  “It was definitely a better vantage point, the north side, and it seemed to offer better resources,” Ryan interjected. “We could practically pull the fish out of the lagoon with our bare hands.”

  “Is that right?” Willie asked, looking up from the fire, suddenly interested.

  “Yes, and there was a fresh water source only a five minute walk from camp,” Ryan continued. “It might be worth considering a move.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Charlie chuckled, not crazy about moving their existing camp, especially by raft.

  “Seriously mate, Ryan is right. If you saw the location, I think you’d agree. It’s amazing, right, Joss?”

  Joss looked at them, all of them waiting for her reply.

  “I have to admit, it was a pretty special spot,” she sighed, recalling the days they had spent there, as well as their very hot nights. “It would be a lot of effort to get us there though, moving all of our supplies. And what about the plane?”

  “She’s not going anywhere, I’m afraid,” Grant chimed in, “and I can’t leave her behind. I know she’s a wreck, but she’s my wreck.”

  “We don’t need to think about that right now, do we?” Charles insisted quietly, squeezing Joss’ hand for support. “Our camp is not bad and we still have plenty of resources, although I do admit, it would be nice having potable water closer to home. It’s such a pain in the ass hauling it back for miles, and those condoms are not going to hold up much longer. We already lost one this week.”

  “That’s true,” Joss agreed. They’d be lucky if they got another week with what was left. As handy as they were, condoms weren’t meant to transport gallons of water. “Thankfully we still have plenty of water bottles. I know it’s not as efficient to carry them on our backs, but we’re not destitute. Plastic will last a thousand years, and there is always more washing up on shore everyday.”

  “Yes, thank god for ocean garbage,” Ryan laughed, tossing a branch on the fire.

  “I don’t think we need to move camp, but at least we know that if we had to, we’d have somewhere to go. It is beautiful,” she concluded, meeting Charlie’s eyes, hoping to reassure him. “Hopefully we’ll be rescued long before that happens.”

  “Seems so strange, doesn’t it?” Willie chimed in, his voice thick with melancholy. It was so rare for him to share his observations that when he spoke, he always got their attention. This time was no different.

  “What seems strange Willie?” Charles asked curiously.

  “We’ve been on this island for almost six weeks and all of us seem content. You’d think we’d be full of anxiety, desperate to be home, and yet here we are, happy as can be. Am I the only one who wonders why that is?” They looked at one another, considering his words, none of them chiming in to dispute him. He continued, a crooked smile forming on his face, “I mean sure, there are probably things were missing about home, but does anyone miss their life? The way it was before that fateful day we all got on Grant’s plane?”

  Joss looked down and shrugged, considering her life at home. No, she had nothing to really look forward to once they were rescued. Sure, she loved her job, but everything that made her happy about that was just as fulfilling on the island, maybe more so. She looked around at the others, contemplative looks on their faces. It was quiet for a few minutes, all of them thinking about their lives.

  “Well I’m not gonna lie, I miss steak. I could go for a medium rare porterhouse, a dollop of butter melting over the top, with a side of garlic mashed potatoes,” Ryan offered puckishly, breaking the silence. “Oh and toilet paper...”

  “What, you have something against rat on the barbie?” Grant said, making the others chuckle.

  Ryan rolled his eyes, “Dude, who doesn’t have something against that.”

  “Well on that note, I think I’m going to bed,” Joss said, standing up. She was completely exhausted. “But just so you know, Willie, I’ve wondered that too. I can’t speak for anyone else, but for the first time in a long while, I’m happy. I know it sounds stupid but I feel like I’ve already been rescued, like our little island is home. I feel more whole here than anywhere else I’ve ever been.”

  They looked at her thoughtfully as she made her way around the fire, stopping to kiss each one goodnight, tears pooling in her eyes. She stopped in front of Grant, hesitating, wondering if he would accept her kiss. He smiled at her, reaching for her hand, and gently pulled her in for a kiss, his lips softly brushing her cheek, dispelling any concerns she had about him.

  * * *

  They’d been back from north beach nearly two weeks and the weather had been amazing. Given their circumstances, life was good. They were happy. They had easily replenished their supplies and had even added on to their shelter, making it larger and sturdier, in anticipation for the upcoming rainy season. It was a still a few months away, but they wanted to be prepared, just in case. It was no fun being cramped up in a tiny shelter when it rained, and if they still happened to be there, they thought it best to fortify their home. As well, the long rainy season could make it hard for them to forage, so preserving whatever food they could was imperative.

  Joss and Grant were alone at camp, waiting for the others to return from the watering hole. Because they were down to their final condom for transporting water, the guys had to take all the empty bottles with them, just to ensure they would have enough water for two or three days. It was heavy work and was no longer a two-person job. To keep things fair, they’d devised a rotating schedule and it was Joss and Grant’s turn to stay behi
nd at camp.

  They had spent the early part of the morning at the lagoon, searching for clams, crabs and sea urchins. It never ceased to amaze her, the abundance that came from the sea. They had found plenty for their supper and maybe even breakfast the next morning. Once they completed the task, Joss took her laundry down to the beach. She scrubbed her clothes with rocks and rinsed them in the ocean, a time consuming and difficult process. She would have given anything for a washing machine and promised that if she ever had one again she would never take it for granted. Her delicate underwear were not holding up well, falling apart little by little. Soon she wouldn’t have any panties left and would have to either go without, or make herself a loin cloth.

  Grant was in the shelter when she got back. He’d cleaned up around camp and was looking for relief from the mid-day sun. She hung up her clothes to dry, then stepped into the shelter to see him, ducking under the low hanging palm leaves. Grant sat up when he saw her, a smile on his face.

  “Were you napping?” Joss asked, shimmying over to sit near him.

  “No, no. I was just thinking.”

  “What were you thinking about? What’s on your mind?” she asked, taking a small sip of water from the bottle he’d handed her.

  “I don’t know really,” he drawled, raising a brow. Joss knew him well enough to know that with a little coaxing he’d spill the beans. They had developed quite the dance, the two of them, and Joss was now intimately familiar with his rhythms. She knew exactly where to place her feet, when to spin, and the exact moment to dip. And he knew that she knew.

  “Mind if I catch some shade with you for a few minutes?” she asked, snuggling up beside him.

  He raised an arm, inviting her to tuck in under it, and rest her head on his chest. They did that a lot, the two of them, cuddling and talking for hours. She loved her relationship with Grant. It was deeply intimate, protective, and honest. The only thing missing was sex. It wasn’t that they weren’t attracted to each other in that way, quite the contrary. There was something curiously erotic about not having sex with Grant, infinitely arousing. She knew on some level that he loved her, not because he’d said it but because of the way he made her feel. She didn’t want to pressure him, she didn’t need to, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t fantasize about making love with him.