30 Days and Counting

Day 6

Fantasia

After hanging out on the beach for a few hours yesterday, Taraji and I went back inside to lay down in bed. She didn't leave my side the entire night. "I'll keep you company until Colton comes back." She told me. He never did. She ended up falling asleep with me in her arms. When I woke up, I expected to be met with Colton's angry grin. Again, he wasn't there. I slipped out of bed and walked to the bathroom. My puffy eyes were evidence of the amount of crying I did last night. I brought my phone with me to check my emails in hope of some kind of news.

I got a message from our trip manager letting me know that law enforcement was doing everything they could to try and find Colt. My sadness began turning into full blown worry. Maybe instead of sitting inside crying, I should be out there helping look for him.

I turned on the shower and did everything I needed in the bathroom. When I opened the door, I was met with Taraji sitting there on the bed facing the door. She looked like she was playing with her fingers, "Good Morning." I started.

"Morning, how are you?" She asked. She rubbed her hand on her face trying to wipe away the sleep. I responded with a simple "good, you?" She shrugged her shoulders. I looked down at my phone in my hand as a result of habit. "Have you heard anything else yet?"

"Nope, still just missing." I went to sit back on the bed as she went to use the bathroom. I reminded her that the villa already had spare toothbrushes that she could use in the closet. She came out of the bathroom and rejoined me on the bed. She laid back into the pillow and I found a spot next to her. I laid back on her shoulder and looked at my phone. I went back through emails and messages as she did the same. I remembered the idea I had in the bathroom and wanted to dish it out to her. "I think I want to go find him myself."

Taraji stopped scrolling and shifted. I rose my head off of her and looked her in the eyes. "What do you mean?" Her tone was not rude or confused, just questioning.

"If he's never left like this and all of his stuff is still here, it's more than just a run away not yet groom. What if when he comes back he looks at me differently for not trying to find him."

"But you are trying to find him. You're getting in contact with people who actually know what's on this island and letting them do their job. Going out there to get him yourself could be extremely dangerous."

"He's the love of my life T. I'm not about to sit on my ass doing nothing while these "professionals" still can't find him." I got louder with every word because I was trying to make her hear me.

"It could be dangerous Fan-"

"I don't care what the hell it could be!" She seemed shocked by my yell and shut her mouth. "Again, I'm not going to sit on my ass doing nothing while my boyfriend is probably struggling to survive."

"Okay, I hear you." I started to get up when she grabbed my arm, keeping me there. "Don't walk away. I understand you, and I'll do what you need me to do." I stared into her eyes while still bubbling with anger.

"Thank you." We sat in silence and I looked down before attempting to say anything else. "Can I...can I tell you something?"

"Yes?" She turned her body fully to give me her attention.

"I didn't really appreciate the way you interjected my idea without giving me a chance to share my reasoning."

"Okay." She nodded and grabbed my hands. Her one word response and her attention told me that she was absolutely listening to me. I have never in my life felt like I could share my thoughts with someone when I felt I needed to. I could feel the anger and sadness start to slip away from me. Before I knew it, tears were filling my eyes again. "Tasia, are you okay? What happened." She released my hands and grabbed my face.

"I'm sorry." I chuckled trying to stop my tears, but they began to fall out.

"No, I'm sorry." She told me. I shook my head and swallowed my remaining emotions.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I just feel like every time I talk to you, I can be completely open with what I have to say."

"That's how you should always feel, Tasia. If you can't fully express your feelings with someone, then maybe that isn't the right someone to be around." I nodded knowingly. This is the first time since Mrs White that I felt that my feelings were listened to. "What do you want us to get into? Whatever you want to do, we can figure out the safest way to do it. I don't want to see you sad over missing him anymore, okay? We're going to find him, and you two will live happily ever after."

I couldn't help but laugh at her use of fairytale story quotes. I hugged her with more force than I intended. She fell backwards again and I attacked her face with kisses. "You're amazing Taraji."

"Don't I know it," she said in a slick tone. I rose up from her and playfully hit her in the arm.

"We have work to do, let's go."

I gave her a slight plan of trying to track all of the things prior to me not seeing him for a while. I explained the issues we were having right before the trip and we went through possible ideas of how it all ties into everything. We had a conversation about some outlandish scenarios that's sound like they're straight out of a movie. Taraji said something that rung a not so amazing alarm in my head.

"What if a pirate or something took him and he won't set him free." I said laughing. Taraji had already been laughing and it started to die down.

"The only thing that will set someone free is the truth."

My eyes widened at the coincidence of her saying what I saw in the message I was sent. She saw the shock on my face and responded to it. "What happened? You think of something?"

"No." I was less shocked by the quote she gave from the Bible, but more so of how much it relates to our current situation.

—+—+—+—

Dun Dun Dun

Apologies for any grammatical errors!

I really hope what I'm writing makes sense. We're getting there y'all.😭😭

Do you think Taraji's words were a coincidence or something more?

-TK