Stuck in an Island with Twelve Beautiful Women
Chapter 1056

Chapter 1056: Chapter 1056

Jude didn’t answer right away. The flicker in Layla’s eyes wasn’t just fear—it was the need for truth, something more raw than comfort. His silence stretched just a second too long, and that second said everything.

"I think they did," he finally murmured.

Layla’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t look away. Her fingers played with the edge of her sleeve like she was pulling thoughts loose. "Then why are we all pretending we didn’t?"

"Because it’s easier to carry the silence than what we might say aloud."

She frowned. "Even with each other?"

Jude looked past her shoulder into the trees. He thought he saw something move, a subtle displacement in the shadows, but when he blinked, there was nothing. Still, he felt it. That weight behind the branches. A pressure against his chest. He met her eyes again. "We’re not ready."

Layla studied him for a moment more, then nodded and leaned in, resting her forehead against his again. Their breaths synced. Heartbeats overlapping. She kissed him gently, slow and deep, her hand sliding up his chest. Her lips said things her voice didn’t want to—fear, trust, defiance, love. When they pulled apart, it was like the chill receded for just a moment.

"Let’s sleep in the treehouse tonight," she whispered. "Just us."

He nodded.

Back at the camp, the others were turning in. Some in pairs, some alone. Grace and Emma were curled in the hammock, whispering quietly. Natalie sat by the last dying embers of the fire, watching the flames with a strange look in her eyes, as if she too was listening to something no one else could hear.

Jude and Layla climbed the winding steps of the main treehouse slowly. The wood groaned beneath their weight, but it was familiar, lived-in. Safe. They stepped inside and shut the door gently behind them.

The room smelled like moss and cedar. Moonlight filtered through the slats in silver bands. Layla dropped her outer layer and slid beneath the light sheet, her skin glowing faintly in the pale light. Jude followed, pulling her close, wrapping around her like armor. They didn’t speak. Just held each other until sleep pulled them under.

The night passed in pieces.

Jude dreamt of water rising. First at his ankles, then his knees. Cold, biting water that climbed without sound. In the dream, he looked around and saw all twelve of his wives, waist-deep in that black water, and none of them moved. They just stared forward as the thing stood on the far shore, tall and waiting. Its eyes—if it had any—were hollow. Still, Jude could feel its gaze like hooks under his skin.

He woke before dawn. Layla still slept, soft and warm in his arms, her breath brushing his chest. He lay there a moment, grounding himself. Then he untangled carefully and stepped outside.

The forest below was bathed in mist. Jude climbed down and walked alone through the morning quiet. The trees felt heavier somehow, their leaves drooping like they’d aged overnight. When he reached the stream, he knelt to splash cold water on his face, blinking up at the sky just turning blue.

Behind him, a faint footstep.

He turned.

Scarlet stood just beyond the rocks, arms crossed, her face unreadable. Her red hair was braided down one side, wet at the tips.

"I thought I was the only one up," she said.

"Couldn’t sleep," Jude replied.

She stepped closer, her feet bare and silent. "I came to think. Didn’t expect company."

They stood side by side for a moment. Then she glanced at him, her tone deceptively casual. "You ever get the feeling we’re being... watched?"

Jude looked at her, measured. "What kind of watched?"

"The kind where something’s just outside your vision. Close enough to feel but not enough to see."

He paused, then said, "Yes."

She nodded. "I keep thinking I see it. Not every day. Just enough to know I’m not imagining it."

Jude exhaled slowly. "Me too."

They didn’t say more. The admission hung between them like fog. Scarlet’s expression softened, and she looked up at him. "I don’t want to tell the others. Not yet."

"Why not?"

"Because the moment we say it, it’s real. And maybe we’re not ready for real."

He nodded, understanding too well.

She brushed a strand of wet hair behind her ear. "I’m scared, Jude."

He stepped forward and touched her cheek. "We all are."

Her lips parted, just slightly, and then she leaned in, kissed him—quietly, like she just needed the contact to stay whole. He kissed her back with the same softness. No urgency. Just two people anchoring each other.

When they pulled apart, she smiled faintly. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For not pretending."

They returned together in silence.

By mid-morning, the camp was stirring. Emma was making tea. Rose and Serena were organizing baskets. Zoey and Stella were giggling over something private, their hands brushing more than necessary.

Jude spotted Layla sitting with Grace near the fire. They weren’t speaking, just leaning shoulder to shoulder, sharing the kind of quiet reserved for those who didn’t need to fill silence with sound.

He crossed over and joined them. Layla smiled up at him and pulled him down beside her, tucking herself against his side. Grace handed him a cup of tea without a word.

"Everyone’s quiet today," Jude said.

"It’s the air," Grace murmured. "Too still."

Layla ran her fingers along his thigh absently, the touch comforting. "Scarlet was up early," she said. "She came back with wet hair."

Jude glanced at her, but she didn’t ask. She didn’t need to.

By noon, the wind picked up. Not a strong wind, but steady. Leaves danced across the ground in uneven swirls. The trees hissed above like they were whispering things no one could understand.

The group split again—Sophie, Stella, and Zoey took the baskets for more fruit. Rose and Emma headed toward the west trail. Jude joined Natalie and Layla for a short scouting trip toward the river, under the guise of checking traps.

The walk was mostly silent. Natalie was oddly distracted, glancing behind them every few minutes like she expected something to follow.

When they reached the riverbank, Layla crouched beside the water again, checking the nets. Natalie moved further downstream alone, muttering something about a strange noise.

Jude stood beside Layla, watching her work. "I think it’s getting closer."

She didn’t look up. "The presence?"

He nodded.

She brushed hair behind her ear and whispered, "Maybe it’s always been close. We’re just finally noticing."

Natalie called from down the bank. "Jude!"

He turned, heart spiking.

She was pointing.

He ran to her, Layla following.

In the sand, just at the edge of the water, were footprints. Not theirs. Not human.

Deep. Wide. With too many toes.

Natalie knelt beside them. "They weren’t here yesterday. I swear."

Jude stared at them. The prints led into the trees but never came out.

He exchanged a look with Layla. Her lips pressed together. She looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words.

They followed the trail just a little ways in. Not far. Just enough to see that the prints disappeared abruptly, like whatever had made them had simply stopped existing.

That night, dinner was tense.

Even the soft laughter between Lucy and Serena felt forced. Grace barely ate. Zoey sat close to Sophie, holding her hand under the table. Everyone glanced at the trees more than once, but still, no one said what they’d seen.

Not even Natalie.

Later, as the fire died and the stars emerged one by one, Jude sat with Layla on the roof of the treehouse. The sky was full of clouds, but the moon still found its way through, painting their skin in silver.

"I think it’s always watching now," she said.

"I know."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "And I think more of us have seen it."

He slid his hand over hers. "Do you want to ask them?"

"No." She looked up at him. "But I wonder... I wonder if everyone’s asking themselves the same question."

Jude looked down into the camp, watching each of them settle into their places. The firelight flickered across twelve familiar faces. All of them loved. All of them his. All of them aware.

Layla squeezed his hand, her voice barely more than a breath. "Do you think everyone saw it?"