Chapter 1

Augusta Simmons's fifth year as captain.

I'd kept it a secret from her and quietly booked passage on the Voyager, the luxury international liner she commanded. I wanted to surprise her.

After the welcome dinner ended, I moved to slip up behind her and cover her eyes the way I always used to. Someone beat me to it.

"Augusta, happy fifth anniversary."

"I honestly thought you'd forgotten our deal and bring Darren aboard. He's been going on about it for five years and you keep refusing to bring him. Aren't you afraid he'll make a fuss with you over it?"

Augusta pinched his cheek, her whole face soft with affection.

"He won't."

"I've told him. Off the ship, I'm his. On the ship, I belong only to you. That still stands, always."

But she'd promised something too. She'd promised that as long as she lived, she would never betray Darren Delgado.

My eyes burned red, and I started forward to confront her.

Then Augusta shifted aside, and I finally saw the man's face.

My feet felt nailed to the floor. Cold climbed up through the soles of them.

1

I stood there staring at the two of them.

A group of crew members in uniform passed by, ribbing him.

"Evan, five years, and you two still haven't gotten sick of being sweet on each other. The rest of us are sick of watching."

"Yeah, Evan, teach us your secret. How do you get the captain so hooked on you? Let us learn a thing or two."

Evan Abbott went bright red under the barrage, and looked to Augusta for rescue.

Catching his glance, Augusta laughed softly and hooked her arm through his. "All right, my Evan's shy. Stop picking on him."

I didn't catch what the others said after that.

My eyes were locked on Augusta's hand resting on Evan's arm, and the tears blurred everything.

Five years ago, Evan was let go by his company. At his lowest, I took him in.

He'd grown up by the sea and was a strong swimmer, so I asked Augusta to find him a job aboard the ship.

Two years ago he was promoted to cabin manager, and even took Augusta and me out to dinner. Until the moment he appeared just now, it had never once crossed my mind that my best friend and my girlfriend could betray me.

No wonder Augusta never let me come aboard, always saying the conditions on the ship were poor, that she didn't want me to suffer.

The truth was, she was afraid I'd find out about her and Evan.

And all that talk about how the time off the ship belonged to me, and on the ship she belonged only to Evan.

But she spent most of the year at sea. The time she left for me wasn't even a third of what she gave him.

The fireworks show began. The passengers were all out on deck watching, and I stood on the balcony while the howling sea wind drove straight into me, sharp with cold.

In no time I was frozen numb.

By the time I went back inside, the fireworks outside had ended too.

The moment I opened my phone, I saw Evan's new post on his social media feed.

The most beautiful fireworks and the person I love most.

The photo was of him and Augusta kissing under the fireworks.

Augusta's face was hidden, but I'd been with her for eight years. How could I fail to recognize her.

My fingertip rested on the screen a second, then tapped save.

When I refreshed, the post was already gone.

That was when Augusta's message came through.

Tonight's fireworks were so beautiful.

Below the photo was a location tag.

Less than a hundred meters from me.

For five years Augusta had reported her whereabouts to me every single day without fail, and everyone envied me for having such an obedient, clingy girlfriend.

I used to think so too.

Only now did I understand that behind every one of those reports stood another man.

I put the phone away with a bitter smile.

The next second, I changed my mind.

I typed out a message to test her. It really was beautiful. Next time I'll go see it with you.

The message had barely gone out when Augusta's call came through.