The Shallows by Holly Craig

Author:Holly Craig [Craig, Holly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2023-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

Now

Five hours after the storm passes, leaving the waves exhausted and the wind out of puff, the cruiser engine starts up again from the shelter of Fraser Island. We’re heading back north. If the island we’re saying goodbye to was Fraser Island, then we’re not far from tropical northern Queensland. So, if we’re not far from tropical islands, the next boat will be here soon, and we’ll have to leave our luxury cruiser behind.

That’s why I’ve started packing. Hair conditioners, soaps, foldable toothbrushes, dental floss, spare hand towels, crackers, biscuits, chips, lollies, chocolate, fruit, water bottles – anything I may need to survive in our new destination. I don’t think we’re going to Hamilton Island, a five-star resort. These will be our luxuries.

‘Let’s hop in the spa,’ I say. In fact, let’s use everything while we can. I plan to blow dry my hair and wash it. I plan to drink a glass of wine with lunch. I plan to watch a movie in the main bedroom with a bowl of popcorn, while wearing a fluffy robe and slippers. I’m going to put on the air conditioning, I’m going to blast it through the room. I’m going to layer cream, expensive cream, all over this swollen body of mine and sink myself into a bubble bath. Fuck Charles. That’s my mantra. Fuck him.

Kiki and Cooper are leaping around the place, talking in high-pitched voices while they await the next adventure, so I pretend to be just as excited for them. I’m so relieved they’ve seen and heard nothing that’ll damage their souls later on in life. I plan to keep it that way until I find a way out of this infernal mess.

‘I’m going to have a bubble bath, so you two can choose one thing you’d like to do before we switch boats, okay?’

‘I want to hop in the spa,’ Kiki says to Cooper.

Cooper considers that option for a moment and then says, ‘I want to play the games on the TV.’

I get them both organised, filling the spa with lukewarm water and firing up the jets. Kiki pulls her bathers on and dumps the towel beside the spa. She’s going to snorkel under the water and play mermaids. Cooper sets up cushions on the carpet, and sits straight-backed in front of the television, ready for the games to be switched on. And I fill the bath with rich, milky soap.

I’m stepping out of my clothes, clipping my hair in a bun, when the door to the bathroom opens. At first, I expect Cooper to enter, complaining about the Wi-Fi not working or the games being too hard to play, but it’s not Cooper. It’s Charles. Charles with his cold hands sliding around my ribcage and cupping my bare breasts. Charles with his breath freezing the hairs on my neck. I pull away, yelling out his name.

‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ I cover my breasts as my pulse throbs in my throat. Jack’s face flashes in my mind and I want to cry.

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