Claim Me Captain! I'm Addicted to You!
Chapter 26: Panic

Chapter 26: Panic

Night had swallowed the island whole by the time Nick and Georgia’s liferaft scraped against the shoreline. They were soaked, aching, and utterly exhausted.

"Did you pack anything that could start a fire?" Nick asked between breaths, yanking the liferaft further up the beach.

Georgia panted, struggling with her end of the raft. "Nope. I searched everywhere, but couldn’t find a single lighter or match in the supply room. Gosh, this is heavy!"

Nick scoffed. "Of course not. Lighters are not allowed on the ship. But there are safety matches. Evelyn probably hid them like gold bars." He eyed her arms. "And seriously? This thing’s not even that heavy—you’re just... skin and bones."

Georgia paused mid-pull and shot him a look that could melt steel. "Excuse me?! I am not that thin. I’m just delicate."

Nick smirked. "Delicately weak."

Before she could kick sand in his face, Georgia proudly pulled out a small flashlight and flicked it on, casting a faint beam through the dark.

"Hah! Look who came prepared," she bragged, tilting her chin up.

Nick gave a half-nod, half-shrug. "Okay, fine. That’ll help for now. But we still need fire. This place is huge, and we have no idea what or who is hiding in it."

Georgia’s eyes darted to the tree line. Shadows slithered between the trunks, and the silence was too quiet. "Y-you think anyone lives here?" she asked, voice lower now.

"If they do, they’re either very quiet fishermen..." Nick paused for dramatic effect, "or very hungry cannibals."

Georgia froze. "T-That’s not funny."

Nick leaned in close, grinning. "Are you scared of the dark, Georgia?"

She huffed and tossed her hair. "No! I’m just... strategically aware of how darkness increases predatory risk. Logically concerned."

He chuckled, clearly enjoying himself, but as Georgia glanced back into the creeping shadows of the jungle, her bravado wavered. Unseen eyes could be watching. Or maybe it was just her imagination.

...Or maybe it wasn’t.

Either way, she inched closer to Nick. Just in case. And it didn’t go unnoticed by Nick.

They dragged the liferaft up the beach, their hands aching and their legs trembling with fatigue. The sound of crashing waves grew softer as they pulled it far enough from the tide.

"Let’s keep it here for tonight," Nick said, breathless but steady. "Tomorrow we’ll scout the island and find a better place to camp."

"Fine by me," Georgia replied, brushing sand from her damp shirt. She unstrapped one of the bags and handed it to him. "Can you prep our gourmet meal, Captain? All the clothes and blankets I brought are soaked. I’ll wring them out and hang them on the canopy to dry."

Nick raised a brow, peering suspiciously into the bulging bag. "Exactly how much did you steal from my ship?"

Georgia tossed him a devilish smirk. "Relax, Captain. Just the essentials—food, clothes, and whatever I needed to not die out here. You’re free to rummage through it. I won’t press charges."

He shook his head with a dry chuckle and muttered, "Pirate."

"Fine. But since we’re not on the ship anymore..." he looked up at her with a slight grin, "Call me Nick."

Then, grabbing the small flashlight, he clamped it between his teeth, flipping the beam toward the bag’s contents.

Georgia paused for a beat, caught off guard by his tone—and his sudden charm.

She smirked again, turning back toward the raft. "Alright... Nick. But don’t expect us to be friends."

Nick shook his head with a sigh and returned to sorting through the bag.

’Smart girl,’ he thought, spotting a small knife and coil of rope tucked neatly beside the canned goods. He pulled out two cans and set them aside before reaching for the second bag, methodically checking its contents.

Satisfied, he turned to Georgia, who was still wrestling with soggy clothes. "I’ll take care of the blankets. Shine the light over here," he said, pointing to a nearby tree.

Georgia nodded and raised the flashlight, angling the beam toward him. Her other hand, holding the backup light, wandered left and right as she casually scanned the dark perimeter around them—instinctively searching for anything that looked remotely like fire-starting material.

That’s when something twitched in the corner of her vision.

She froze, flicking the light toward the bush where she saw the movement. Nothing. Just leaves shifting.

’Probably the wind,’ she told herself... but her heart skipped a beat.

She inched closer to Nick, still scanning. Then—it moved again. This time, the bush trembled and a spray of sand flew up from the base.

"Ahh!" Georgia shrieked, dropping one of the flashlights as she bolted behind Nick and threw her arms around his waist, peeking over his shoulder with wide eyes.

Nick nearly jumped. "What the—? Georgia! What are you doing?!" he exclaimed, spinning halfway to face her.

"I swear something’s out there!" she hissed. "Something moved in the bushes—twice!"

Nick’s eyes narrowed. He quickly took the flashlight from her trembling hand and aimed it toward the brush.

The light cut through the dark, slicing across the tall grass and tangled leaves.

Silence.

Then... rustle. A slow, deliberate shake of the bushes.

Nick’s jaw tensed. "Stay behind me," he ordered, stepping slightly forward, his hand gripping the utility knife he’d pulled from the bag.

Georgia clutched the waistband of his pants, eyes darting around.

"If that’s a snake, I swear I’ll scream louder than the sirens back on your ship," she muttered.

Nick smirked despite the tension. "You already are the siren."

Before she could respond, the bush gave another twitch. Both of them froze.

Nick spotted a long, dried-out branch half-buried in the sand and quickly bent to grab it, his movements sharp and alert. He tightened his grip around the rough wood, his eyes locked on the bush that had rustled twice now.

Georgia, still shaken, fumbled for the flashlight she’d dropped during her panic. Her fingers wrapped around it, and she straightened, quickly stepping beside Nick, though she kept close enough to hide behind him if needed.

Together, they moved slowly, one cautious step at a time, toward the bush.

Nick extended the branch in front of him, staying just out of reach of whatever might be lurking inside. "Stay back," he murmured to Georgia, not taking his eyes off the bush.

"I am back," she whispered, gripping his arm with her free hand.

With a flick of his wrist, Nick used the stick to part the thick leaves. He leaned slightly forward, angling his head to get a better view.

The bush shook again—harder this time.

Georgia gasped and tightened her grip on his arm. "Oh my god, what if it’s a snake?"

"Then don’t scream," Nick muttered, squinting into the dark space beyond the leaves. He nudged the branch deeper.

Silence.

Then—

A sudden blur of motion leapt out of the underbrush.

Georgia screamed, stumbling backward, pulling Nick’s pants in panic.