Five Years of Marriage to Mr. Bradford (by Koi Fish) novel Chapter 494

Chapter 494

The bourbon was strong and hit fast,

As warmth flooded her body, her head grew pleasantly fuzzy. The upside was that the haze dulled her fear.

Once the stew was finished, the crew cleaned up and returned to their duties, leaving only Vance and Rebecca on the deck.

Vance had never seen her drink anything this potent. Her cheeks were now flushed bright red. “You okay? Not too drunk? Stomach feeling all right?”

She had already been seasick and nauseous; drinking probably hadn’t helped. Maybe sleep would make it better.

“Rebecca, stay awake.” He started to reach out to pat her cheek, then caught himself. “Open your eyes. Don’t fall asleep.”

“Can you stop bothering me?” she muttered, lifting her heavy eyelids.

“If you sleep, I’m splashing water on you. Rebecca, wake up, or I’ll leave you here alone. Are you not afraid of sea monsters? I’m serious. I’m really leaving now.”

She cracked her eyes open, saw he was still there, and closed them again.

He tried again. “I mean it. Look behind you. The black water is creeping up the deck.”

She had finally started to relax, but his words jerked her awake. She looked over and saw the water, but it wasn’t creeping

anywhere.

“This is not funny!” she exploded in fury.

“Okay, you’re awake now. Don’t go back to sleep,” he said, backing up several steps.

But her irritation from being woken burned hotter. “What the hell do you mean?”

He sighed. “There’s wind out here, and you’ve been drinking. You’ll catch a cold if you sleep.”

She fell silent, and he grinned. “Liquid courage, huh? Not so scared anymore?”

“You’re scared!” she shot back.

Was it so funny? Some people feared heights, others hated the dark, and some suffered from claustrophobia, while she simply feared the deep sea.

After watching Titanic, where many were moved to tears, she had been plagued by nightmares for nights on end.

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In her dreams, she was alone in a tiny boat, drifting in the dark expanse of the ocean, surrounded by nothing but darkness and towering waves that could swallow her at any moment.

“What’s wrong?” Vance was surprised by her strong reaction.

She knew she wasn’t acting like herself, but alcohol amplified everything, including her anger and the old, buried resentments.

Words she had never planned to say came tumbling out. “Yes, I’m timid. I’m terrified of the ocean, okay? A lot of people think the sea is beautiful. I won’t deny that, but I’m still afraid. That’s why island trips were never on my travel list. But you? You always dreamed of island vacations, didn’t you?”

He froze, then looked past her at the dark water. “You’re afraid of the ocean? Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Yeah, I was stupid. I never said anything. I even convinced myself that one day I could go with you. As long as you were there, I wouldn’t have to be afraid!” She glared. “Who knew you would turn out to be the most dangerous part? Good thing I never went. Who knows? You might have thrown me overboard.”

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