𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 62 : 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐃𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠?

𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬°°°

“You need to keep watch on the kind of movies he watches,” Antonio throated to Nevena before carefully setting her upright.

But his hand didn’t leave her waist immediately — not until she found her balance.

She cleared her throat and adjusted her position. “Th-thank you.”

His jaw flexed as if he wanted to say something, but instead he looked away.

With no reply from him, she turned to Junior. “This isn’t some castle story. He’s only helping me from tripping.”

The ship creaked again, shifting beneath them with a deeper roll and a sailing announcement.

Antonio instantly moved to hold her while Junior squealed in excitement.

“This is so cool!”

“Cool?” Nevena cried, clinging to the railing with both hands. “This thing is trying to kill me.”

Antonio chuckled behind her. “You’ll be fine,” he murmured, placing his hand lightly at the small of her back. “I’m right here.”

Junior, completely oblivious, threw his arms open.

“We are sailing!” he screamed.

“Of course we are,” Antonio smiled.

“Come on, Buddy,” Junior tugged him softly. “The bow has the best view.”

“I don’t care about the best—” the sentence was further interjected with Antonio’s bass.

“Run along, kiddo. I’m okay here.”

As Junior disappeared out of hearing, Antonio turned back to Nevena.

This time, his arm slid around her waist unhesitatingly, pulling her flush against his frame.

She stopped breathing for a second, hating herself for feeling unbelievably safe in his touch.

“Why hide that you're scared?” His voice was hoarse.

“I’m not scared. I just don’t like ships. Or water,” she admitted in a low voice.

“The combination.” He snickered. “I sense more.”

“You caught me.” A flint of a sad smile crossed her lips. “Mother drowned in a ship collision when I was three.”

Antonio went still.

“No siblings, then?”

“No.”

Her voice cracked, old pain throbbing back to the present,

He didn’t ask more nor console her.

He just held her tighter — until the tremor passed.

Afterwards they stood uninterrupted as the sea widened around them .

Wind swept across the deck, lifting her hair. A few strands brushed his cheek and he closed his eyes briefly — savoring the moment.

“Junior?” Nevena cleared her throat after a while. “I think we should go look for him. He’s been gone for a while now.”

“Don’t worry,” Antonio's hot breath washed over her. “Somebody’s watching him.”

The ship blared its horn, curt and sharp.

Nevena shrieked, clutching his coat. “What’s happening?!”

“Calm.” Antonio murmured, his hands anchoring her. “We’re just getting off here.”

“In the middle of the sea?!” she snapped out of his grip, horror rising inside her.

There was no land or people in sight.

“Shhh,” he hushed and she quieted for a while — trembling.

“You’ve always trusted me,” he began. “Do the same now.”

Junior soon returned to their deck, cheeks flushed from all the excitement.

“Bestie! I told you the bow had the best view! You missed a lot.”

Nevena crouched with a nod,

“Time to go,” she said shakily, dabbing his cheeks with her scarf.

Antonio walked ahead, leading them toward a sleek speedboat connected by a private ramp that branched off from the main ship.

He exchanged a few words with the captain, though in a foreign dialect.

Then he helped Nevena down — one steadying hand at her back, the other holding her wrist and also carrying Junior.

She stepped in, breath uneven.

He started the engine and they shot forward, wind tearing at the loose ends of his coat.

“Did the ship break down?” Junior asked, staring back at the stationary ship.

“No,” Antonio replied, catching a glance of them from the rear-view mirror. “I asked them to wait until we’re out of sight.”

“Why is that?” the little boy asked, moving closer to Antonio.

“We wouldn’t want their strong waves catching up with us.”

He steered the boat expertly, to a completely different place.

Up ahead, an island loomed and he pulled over by the harbour and anchored the boat.

Nevena snuck a confided glance at Junior, who in turn shrugged his shoulders.

“Let’s have seafood before heading back to the city,” Antonio cleared the air as they got off.

He led them into the buzzing market. The locals were nothing like what Nevena and Junior were used to.

Mostly dressed in hand-woven clothes, their shades were built of fronds and sticks and they traded only in fresh sea creatures and food.

“Are we still in New Mexico?” Nevena asked, and Antonio nodded in affirmation.

“You’re on a tour. Might as well get the best of New Mexico culture to add in your review.”

They moved through the market—from snapping shrimps to scuttling crabs tied in bundles and to a giant whale.

It was so massive that it took six sailors and a local crane to haul it up.

“Bestie, let’s take a picture!” Junior tugged at Nevena.

Antonio stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching the chaos with mild affection.

Nevena took pictures of her and Junior, the whale, fishermen—not forgetting the locals and a few unsuspecting shots of Antonio.

The cyclone of the tour was duly supervised until Junior wandered too close to a long tank of eels.

“Stay away from those,” Antonio snapped, dragging him back. “If you get shocked by one of them, you’ll remember it forever.”

The little boy squeaked and jumped back, making Antonio laugh with reckless abandon.

Nevena watched him quietly and rolled her camera.

He looked softer and free with Junior, and to her — they could easily pass for father and son.

Same smile, same attitude — daredevil.

Antonio caught her staring and exhaled sharply, as if personally offended.

Her expression instantly dropped into a stiff, hostage-situation smile — camera trembling in her hand.

Silence wrapped around them until Antonio finally broke it with a noncommittal hum.

“What are you doing?”