Tangled Read Free

island, disappeared into a bathroom. I sat on a wickercouch for a few minutes, waiting for Skye. When she didn’t come out I decided to wander around.
    The reception area had no walls, only a salmon-colored roof and a floor of smooth ceramic tiles. To the right of reception, I could see the tall windows of the gourmet restaurant Luce had been raving about. To the left, there were two white buildings with pink roofs, housing the guest suites. And outside, past the acres of manicured lawns, there was the Caribbean Sea. It was turquoise, sparkling, calm. I’d seen a few coastal areas in my life, Long Island and Myrtle Beach, but nothing compared to this. Not even close.
    I was heading toward the water when Skye joined me. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and she had one arm pressed across her stomach.
    “Feeling okay?” I asked.
    “I guess.”
    We meandered down a path lined with pink and yellow flowering bushes. Butterflies flitted around the lawn. We passed a pool and a gurgling hot tub tucked under a canopy of palm trees. A few middle-aged people were dozing on lounge chairs, fluffy white towels behind their heads.
    The path ended at a beach. Skye and I kicked off our shoes and stepped onto the sand. There were morechairs lined up and some raised tent structures surrounded by gauzy curtains.
    I’d changed into my shorts in the airport bathroom, but Skye still had her cargo pants on. As she bent over to roll up the cuffs, I stared out at the water. I could see a tiny red boat bobbing on the horizon.
    “Jena?” Skye asked.
    “Yeah?”
    “I’m sorry about the Matt thing, from the airplane.”
    Skye was apologizing to me ? I nearly doubled over in shock.
    “Don’t mind me on this trip, okay?” Skye dipped her toe into the water. “I’m going through some stuff.”
    Neither of us said anything. I was curious what Skye meant. What problems could she possibly have? But more than that, I couldn’t get over the fact that Skye had apologized to me. Yes, it was bitchy to imply that Matt was out of my league. If Ellie or Leora said something like that, I’d change their friend status on ReaLife until they begged for forgiveness. But with Skye, I feel like I owe her a blanket apology just for being . For taking up space. I know Eleanor Roosevelt said “Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent,” but it’s one thing to copy it into my everything book and it’s another to actually believe it.

five
    That night, at the restaurant, my mom and Luce did most of the talking. I was groggy because I ended up sleeping all afternoon. I hadn’t meant to, but I lay down on one of the huge white beds in the huge airy room that Skye and I were sharing in the huge fancy suite that was our home for the next six days. The next thing I knew, Skye was returning from a workout at the health club and the moms were back from the beach and they were all taking showers and dressing for dinner and I was annoyed at myself because while everyone else was tanning or tightening, I was asleep. But that’s how sleep happens for me. When I want it, it never comes. And when I’m not planning to pass out, I’m instantly comatose.
    I was also quiet at dinner because I was feeling like an unstylish loser. My mom had said to pack casual so allI had were T-shirts and shorts. Wrong. We were seated at an elegant table with cloth napkins and an artillery of spoons and forks and knives. There was a sweeping view of the sunset and it was one of those places where the waiters hustled around asking if everything was all right every time you buttered your bread.
    And there I was, in my Old Navy shorts and orange flip-flops. Skye looked drop-dead elegant in a simple black sundress, silver jewelry, and low heels. Luce was wearing linen slacks and sandals. Even my mom had on a new skirt from the gift shop.
    And to top it off, they were all drinking champagne. Even Skye.
    I couldn’t believe it when the waiter asked if I wanted some. He