*Shelby*
The boat ride back to the resort passed in a bit of a relieved blur. I sat nestled between Michael's strong arms, my head resting against his shoulder as I closed my eyes and simply savored the feeling of safety enveloping me once more.
After the harrowing night we had endured–the boat tragedy, the desperate swim to shore, the bone-chilling hours huddled around our signal fire as we futilely tried to stay warm–I was just so thankful to have been found so quickly.
Lin and Aubrey huddled on the bow bench, wrapped in the rough beach blankets Lucas had grabbed from somewhere on deck. I could hear their hushed whispers as they took turns calling their worried boyfriends, no doubt recounting abridged versions of our ordeal. Their grateful tears and shaky laughs told me their partners had been as frantic as Michael when our voyage went so unexpectedly awry.
