“We said she was fine,” Penn said icily.
“I didn’t ask you.” Daniel cast her a glare before he turned back to Gemma and softened his gaze. Gemma stood dripping wet, clutching her bag to her chest. “Come on. Why don’t you come on my boat and dry off?”
“Go about your business,” Lexi said again, but she sounded more confused than angry. Like she didn’t understand how he could ignore her.
Daniel gestured for Gemma to come with him. As Gemma hurried over to him, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Penn wanted to rip Daniel’s head off, in a very literal sense. Once they slipped away from the girls, Daniel put his arm around her. Not a romantic gesture, but like he meant to protect her.
As they walked over to his boat, Gemma felt Penn’s eyes burning into her back. Lexi called after her, saying that they’d see her again, and something about her voice felt like a song.
Gemma almost turned around to go back to them after she heard Lexi, but Daniel’s arm around her kept her from it.
Once they got to the boat, Daniel helped Gemma onto it. Since Penn, Lexi, and Thea were still standing on the dock watching them, he suggested they go down into the cabin. Gemma didn’t normally get onto boats with older guys she barely knew, but given the circumstances, she felt like he was the safer bet.
His boat was rather small, so the living quarters were pretty cramped. A twin bed across from a small table with cushioned benches on either side. A kitchenette with a mini-fridge and tiny sink. A bathroom and some storage nooks at the other end, and that was about it.
The bed was unmade, and clothes were strewn over it. Dirty dishes were in the sink, and a few empty soda cans and beer bottles were sitting on the counter and table. A stack of books and magazines rested next to the bed.
“Have a seat.” Daniel gestured to the bed, since the benches next to the table were mostly covered in clothes and books.
“Are you sure?” Gemma asked. “I’m wet.”
“Nah, it’s fine. It’s a boat. Everything’s always wet.” He grabbed a couple of towels and tossed one to her. “There you go.”
“Thank you.” She ran the towel through her hair and sat back on his bed. “And I don’t mean just for this. Thank you for … well, rescuing me, I guess.”
“It was no problem.” Daniel shrugged and leaned against his kitchen table. He wiped a towel over his chest, then ran a hand through his short hair, messing it up and spraying salt water. “You looked so terrified.”
“I wasn’t terrified,” Gemma said defensively.
“I wouldn’t blame you if you were.” He leaned farther back, looking out one of the cabin windows behind him. “Those girls give me the creeps.”
“That’s what I said!” Gemma shouted, excited to hear someone agree with her. “My sister told me that I was being mean.”
“Harper?” Daniel looked back at Gemma. “She likes those girls?”
“I don’t think she likes them, exactly.” Gemma shook her head. “She thinks I should be respectful of everyone.”
“Well, that is a good philosophy.” He reached over and opened the mini-fridge. “Want a soda?”
“Sure.”
After Daniel grabbed two cans of grape soda, he handed one to Gemma and kept one for himself. He sat on the table and crossed his legs underneath him. Gemma wrapped her towel around her shoulders and opened the soda.
She looked around the cabin, checking out his bare furnishings. “How long have you lived here?”
“Too long,” he said after taking a long swallow of his soda.
“I think I’d like to live on a boat someday. But like a houseboat.”
“I would definitely recommend living on something larger, if you can.” Daniel gestured to the tight space. “And it can be a bit rough staying out here when the sea gets choppy. I’ve been out here so long, though, I doubt I could even sleep on land. I need the water to rock me to sleep.”
“That would be nice.” She smiled wistfully as she imagined sleeping on the bay. “Did you always love the ocean?”
“Uh … I don’t know.” Daniel crinkled his brow as if he hadn’t thought of it before. “I guess I’ve always liked it.”
“How did you end up living on a boat, then?”
“It’s not very romantic,” he warned her. “My grandpa died and left me this boat. I got evicted from my apartment and needed a place to crash. And here we are.”
“Gemma!” Someone shouted from outside the boat, and Daniel and Gemma exchanged a confused look. “Gemma!”
“Is that your sister?” Daniel asked.
“I think so.” Gemma set down her can and headed out to the deck to see what Harper was carrying on about.
Harper stood on the dock next to Gemma’s bike holding the bike chain in her hand. Her dark hair was in a ponytail, which swung back and forth as she looked around frantically.
“Gemma!” Harper yelled again, the tremor in her voice betraying her fear.