Stranded with the Rockstar (Rockstar #1)

8. Sunny

Before I open my eyes, I already know I am lying in our makeshift tent. In the short time we've been on this island, it's already become my 'home.'

The pain in my leg is still present, but I delay looking, afraid that the blood may still be there. But when I hear Harry shifting position next to me, my instincts lift my eyelids.

He's sleeping on his side, facing me. The sun is still shining, so I'm able to see his peacefulness undisturbed, although with an orange tint thanks to raft. There is no trace of the playful smile that usually dons his face—which I have yet to figure out is genuine or not. His chin, cheeks and upper lip are covered with thick dark hair, not long but definitely not as short as I was used to seeing it in pictures. He must feel my gaze because his long eyelashes begin to twitch before his eyes meet mine.

"Are you going to shave?" I ask. We have a pocket knife in the first aid kit.

He seems surprised by my question, and the truth is, I'm surprised myself. Why do I care?

His small smile returns. "I'm going to give our rescue team a few more days, then I'll try. I've never shaved with a knife before."

I saw my dad do it countless times on camping trips. I smile, imagining Harry attempting. It will probably take him hours.

"Wow," he says quietly.

I turn toward him, wincing slightly at the pain in my leg. "'Wow' what?"

"That's the first real smile I've seen from you. I like it."

I feel my face turn red, something that always made Brett laugh. He would give me compliments just to see this reaction every time.

Harry must notice, and I'm grateful when he changes the subject. "How's your leg feel?"

"Hurts." I answer honestly. "What happened?"

"You passed out. I carried you back here, stitched you up, and must have fallen asleep. I'm guessing you have an issue with blood?"

I nod, not ready to talk about my phobia right now. "What do you mean you stitched me up? How do you know how to do that?"

"I played a medic in a film a few years ago. The director wanted everything to be authentic."

"You're an actor too? What movies?"

I'm simply trying to stall having to look at my injury. Harry knows this, but answers regardless. "Nothing you would have heard of."

I don't tell him that I probably wouldn't have heard about any movies, popular or not.

"Although I almost signed on to play Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid."

"Isn't that a cartoon?"

He chuckles. "Just look at your leg. I swear I cleaned it up."

I bite my lip and do as he says, looking down between him and I, and bending my knee to get a better view. There is a large bandage taking up over half of my calf. I peel it away and see Harry's cross-stitch handiwork along my skin. I can't imagine it's the quality of a surgeon, but it seems to have done the job.  And the shiny cream covering it must be the antibiotic cream from the first aid kit.

I reapply the bandage. "Thank you so much, Harry."

This time, he reaches across to rest his hand on my cheek. "You're welcome, Sunny."

I'm shocked by the touch and immediately roll onto my back, forcing his hand to drop to the ground. The silence is awkward, and it brings to my attention how incredibly thirsty I am. I haven't drank anything today. "Is there water?"

"Oh! Um...no. I was filling up the pot when I heard you calling. I must have forgotten after that."

"I'll get it." I groan as I try to sit up, the pain in my leg is sharp.

"Sunny, you can't. You're going to have to rest your leg." He sits up as well. "For at least a few days, I'd say. It's not like I had proper equipment, and you don't want those stitches to tear open."

I scoff. "A few days? Then I hope we get do rescued soon, or we'll starve."

"I'm perfectly capable of getting us water and food."

Although I know that I shouldn't be angry with him—he did save me after all—my overwhelming irritation that I'd been suppressing over the past week decides this moment to make its appearance.

"Then why haven't you, Harry?! In case you haven't noticed, I've done everything! I get us water every morning, I get us food, I collect the firewood, make sure the fire doesn't go out. I patched the raft when it had hole. All while you slept for fifteen hours a day!"

He looks dumbfounded by my outburst, and he's not the only one. I've never talked to someone like that in my life, but I suppose no one has ever gotten me to this level of emotion before, either.

"Sunny, I...I...guess I didn't think about it." His eyes go back and forth, as if he's searching for words. "People just always take care of things like that for me. I was planning on paying you when we get back."

"Paying me?!" I don't even see the inside of this tent anymore. I only see red. "Is there anyone in your life that you don't pay?" He flinches. I must have hit a nerve, and I'm glad. "What is the going rate for saving your life these days?!"

"Saving my life?!" Anger makes it's appearance and he raises his voice to match mine. "Need you forget that I just saved yours? Without me, you'd still be in that hole! And probably bleeding to death!"

"And if you would have thrown me a rope, I'd still be on the boat!"

"If you wouldn't have fallen in the water, so would I!"

We're both breathing heavily, and I catch his eyes scanning me up and down. I know what he's thinking, because I'm fighting the same urges. I imagine him pulling me to him, and drowning the rest of our fight with kisses.

Seriously, what is happening to me? I'm acting and thinking completely irrational. I turn away, attempting to get ahold of myself. "We only have a few more days together, hopefully. Let's just get through this."

"Deal. I'll go get some water." He doesn't look at me again as he throws the tarp open and crawls outside.

So I guess I'll just wait here.

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