Chapter 115-A couple of clowns

Chapter 115: 115-A couple of clowns

The pirates roared in response. Since the world ended, they’d gotten a kick out of suppressing others and showing off their forces.

Getting the go ahead, they were more than happy to take on one more stubborn survivor. They envisioned living in the cruise and never suffering again and found the motivation to go even harder against Aymara.

Dylan’s heart leaped. He couldn’t have them kill off his only chance at surviving well.

Boarding the ship would certainly be dangerous, but once they were aboard, he could find Aymara. He could explain that he had been forced into this situation, that Sarah had made reckless decisions, and that he had never intended to become her enemy.

He was certain Aymara would listen. After all, she had loved him for years. Surely those feelings couldn’t have disappeared completely.

’I should make my move now before it is too late!’

Just then, Sarah suddenly moved closer to him. She slipped her arm through his and leaned against his shoulder, deliberately making sure the gesture was visible to anyone watching from the cruise ship.

"Dylan," she murmured sweetly, "are you worried?"

He glanced down at her arm. "What are you doing?"

"Standing beside my boyfriend. Is that a crime?"

"We’re not..."

She squeezed his arm before he could finish.

"Don’t be nervous. Once we get aboard, we’ll have everything we need. No more struggling, no more worrying about food, and no more sleeping in a cramped room."

Dylan’s jaw tightened. He understood what Sarah was doing. She was trying to provoke Aymara.

The thought should have annoyed him, but another possibility occurred to him. If Aymara saw Sarah clinging to him, perhaps she would finally realize that she could lose him.

And the jealousy would remind her of how much she had once loved him. It was a foolish hope, but Dylan was desperate enough to entertain it.

He slipped an arm around Sarah’s waist and pulled her closer. He held her against him, skin against skin but his eyes were fully locked on the cruise ship ahead.

"You’re right," he said, forcing a smile. "We’ll be fine together."

Sarah’s eyes widened slightly. She hadn’t expected him to cooperate so easily, but she quickly recovered and rested her head against his shoulder.

"Of course we will."

Dylan swallowed. He waited for Aymara to come storming out and demanding he release Sarah.

’Just ask me once, Ayma. I’ll let her go and never see Sarah again. I’ll only be with you.’

Aymara watched their little performance on the surveillance screen. It was like a drop of water to a still lake, only causing a soft stir and vanishing the next second.

She stared at them for a moment before bursting into laughter. A couple of clowns thought they could rattle her with the same old trick. It was laughable.

Hahaha. Hahaha.

"Oh, this is priceless."

Nathaniel glanced at the screen, then at her. "They seem rather comfortable with each other," he said, testing the waters. "Don’t you feel anything seeing them so close?"

"They can get married for all I care." Aymara waved a hand dismissively. "Actually, I hope they do. They deserve each other."

Her response was so casual that Nathaniel should have felt relieved. Instead, an unfamiliar ache settled in his chest.

He knew Aymara had rejected Dylan. He had heard her say it himself, when she believed he was asleep. She had told Dylan that she no longer loved him.

But words spoken in anger and feelings buried beneath years of attachment were not always the same thing.

What if seeing Dylan in danger changed her mind? What if she remembered their good days, the promises they had once made, and the future she had imagined with him?

Aymara had abandoned Nathaniel once because Dylan had demanded it. What would stop her from doing it again?

Nathaniel lowered his eyes, hiding the turmoil behind a composed expression.

He had no right to demand anything from her. They hadn’t even agreed on what their relationship was. Their kiss had been a beginning, not a promise that she would never change her mind.

Still, he couldn’t help remembering the warmth of her hand around his, the way she had held him when he was unwell, and the quiet sincerity in her voice when she apologized for the past.

For the first time in years, he had allowed himself to hope. Perhaps that had been his mistake.

"Mara," he said softly.

Aymara turned toward him immediately. "Yes?"

"If Dylan asks to come aboard, what will you do?"

She looked at him as though the answer should have been obvious. "I will refuse him."

"And if he insists?"

"Then I’ll refuse him more loudly," she said confidently, her voice didn’t hesitate or shake. It was stable and solid.

Despite himself, Nathaniel almost smiled but the worry remained in his heart.

"What if he tells you he’s changed?" He kept on asking.

He knew he came off as insecure and might even provoke Aymara but those questions were eating away at him. Asking was his only way to not be devoured in endless abyss of "what ifs".

Aymara’s expression grew strange. "Then I’ll congratulate him on his personal growth from a safe distance."

Nathaniel looked at her. A sea of thoughts circulated in his head. All of them started and ended with the memory of that day in the rain and the fact that Dylan was Aymara’s first love.

She reached over and squeezed his cheek. "What’s with all these questions? Are you worried I’ll take him back?"

He froze up. She had read his mind. Yes, he did worry that she would not only take him back but once Dylan was inside, he’ll be forced to leave.

Aymara’s smile faded when she saw his expression. It told her everything. Nathaniel still held the pain of the past and at that moment, it hurt more than ever because the reason for everything had shown up before them.

Nathaniel looked away. "I don’t know what you’ll do. I can only wait and see."

The honesty in his voice made her chest tighten. She released his cheek and leaned closer, trying to catch his gaze.

"Nathaniel," she called.

He kept his eyes on the screen. "I know you say you don’t love him anymore. I heard what you told him before." His fingers curled against his knee. "But you loved him for a long time. I don’t know if those feelings can disappear so easily."

Aymara stared at him, suddenly understanding the fear beneath his words.

He wasn’t worried about Dylan taking her ship. He was worried about Dylan taking her away from him. And that fear didn’t stem from thin air but from previous experience.

"Mara, I..."

Before she could finish, a sharp alarm interrupted them.

[Warning! Unauthorized boarding attempt detected.]