The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 108

"Do you guys need some help?"

Sloane turned her head to look.

Standing there was a young woman in her early twenties, her hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a white windbreaker. She had a round face that crinkled into an incredibly endearing smile, complete with deep dimples. She was holding a professional DSLR camera, with a smartphone dangling from a lanyard around her neck.

"I'm American too," the girl said with a cheerful grin. "It looks like you're trying to get a group shot. I can take it for you."

"That would be awesome!" Diego eagerly handed over his phone. "Thank you so much!"

The group reassembled. The girl took a few steps back, raised the phone, and counted down, "One, two, three—"

Click.

"Let's do one more!" the girl suggested. "Switch up your poses, keep it natural."

Everyone chuckled and shifted their stances. Sloane angled her body slightly, letting the sea breeze catch her hair. Standing next to her, Josh's gaze inadvertently swept across her face before he rapidly looked away.

Click.

"All done!" The girl walked over and handed the phone back to Diego. "Don't blame me if they didn't turn out perfect, my phone skills are pretty limited."

"Thank you so much!" Diego scrolled through the photos, his eyes lighting up. "These are amazing! Your skills are way better than mine!"

The girl smiled and turned to leave.

Liam Jensen called out to stop her. "Hey kid, what's your name? Where are your friends? Did you come to Antarctica all by yourself?"

The girl glanced back over her shoulder, her smile absolutely radiant. "Lilah Lane. Yep, came alone! Figured I should see the world while I'm still young."

"Badass," Liam said, giving her a thumbs-up.

The girl waved back and disappeared into the crowd.

Not long after the group photo, the ship's PA system crackled to life with an announcement:

"Attention all passengers, attention all passengers. The vessel will shortly be entering the turbulent westerlies of The Drake Passage, and we anticipate severe turbulence. Please return to your cabins immediately and secure your safety restraints. Meals will be delivered directly to your rooms by our staff. If you experience any distress, please press the emergency call button in your cabin. Repeating..."

Sloane instinctively reached up and clutched the necklace resting against her skin.

The obsidian teardrop lay flat against her collarbone. It was freezing to the touch, but for some reason, it brought her an odd sense of comfort.

She closed her eyes, letting her body rock with the violent rhythm of the vessel. Thanks to a twenty-year athletic career, her physical equilibrium was far superior to that of the average person. The turbulence was jarring, but it wasn't enough to make her severely ill.

After an indeterminate amount of time, she drifted into a restless sleep.

...

At three in the afternoon, Sloane was jolted awake by a frantic pounding at her door.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

It wasn't just a knock; someone was hammering on the door like their life depended on it.

She threw herself out of bed, stumbled slightly, caught her balance, and sprinted to throw the door open.