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Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Delaney was gradually adjusting to life without Fin, however, every day she still awakened with the dull ache of emptiness inside her. After two months, though, she felt she was beginning to disguise it better.

From the very beginning she knew that her feelings for Fin were stronger than his for her—hence the easy dismissal when he discovered Shane as a common link. He could've been honest, Shane would've understood they'd met and fallen for each other. But he'd pretended he'd never even met her. It was enough to knock a person down a couple of pegs.

Her pulse quickened as she saw the girl Fin had been dating before he left. As it happened, the most unbearable person she'd had to deal with thus far had not been Shane or even her mother, but Beth Gilbert. She seemed to hold Delaney solely responsible for Fin's disappearance, and loved to rub salt into her wounds whenever she had the opportunity. Delaney held her breath as Beth ambled over to her study table in the library.

"I bet you're getting a lot more work done now that you're studying alone," she said. She rested her backpack on the Formica tabletop.

Delaney stared at her blankly. "Not really," she answered.

"I have to admit you do look awful lonely over here." She was obviously enjoying herself as she flicked her perfectly straight bob. Delaney noticed she added chunky magenta highlights around her face, and she wondered idly if Fin would've liked them. Maybe she just wasn't hip enough for him. "Just think, while you're sulking at the library, Fin is sitting under a palm tree in the Virgin Islands," she said smugly.

"Virgin Islands?" Delaney asked before she could stop herself. She took the bait, she realized immediately, but she was dying for any information on Fin.

"Oh. You didn't know," she said with mock sympathy. "I'm sorry, I just figured you'd been talking to him." She paused a moment for effect, and after gauging that she'd inflicted the appropriate damage, she continued. "Yeah, he called me today. Actually, I just got off the phone with him before I came in here. Shame, had I known you hadn't spoken to him I could've let you say hi while I had him on the line."

"Thanks," Delaney said dryly. "I really have to get back to my work."

"So, the ship was docked in the Virgin Islands today and he had the day off. He said he was going to snorkel off the coast of St. John. Can you believe it?"

She couldn't believe it, actually. Fin in shark infested water wearing only a wetsuit and snorkel mask for protection sent a shiver down her spine, and thoughts of the movie Open Water with abandoned scuba divers immediately came to mind. "Well, you know Fin and adventure," she said with a wistful smile, praying that Beth would leave.

"So, how's that boyfriend of yours?"

Delaney made an effort not to roll her eyes. "Good."

"Mmm," she said as she stared at her adversary. "I've got to run. Don't worry, I'll tell Fin you said hi the next time we talk."

Delaney held her breath and counted to ten. She couldn't even be bothered with the formality of saying goodbye even though she knew it's exactly what Beth wanted—proof that she'd rankled Delaney's feathers—yet again.

After watching Beth disappear down the stairs, she checked her cell phone for any missed messages. Maybe he called her too, or even sent a text since he had the day off. Nothing.

She chewed her lip nervously as her fingers fidgeted over the keys. Two months and nothing. Well, that was going to change right now. "Enough with the silent treatment. If you're free to call Beth, then I think you at least owe me a text," she typed as the hurt turned to anger, pressing send before she could stop herself.