She did as he said and led him to a copse of thick bushes that were not too close to the trees. There they sheltered from the whipping wind and stinging rain, clinging to each other for what little warmth they could find.
Asia didn’t know how long the storm lasted. It could have been one hour, it could have been four. She’d lost all sense of time. But when the winds finally died down and the rain ceased she was exhausted.
She looked down at Rico and his head was still resting on her chest, his eyes closed, his arms wrapped around her. She frowned. He couldn’t be asleep, could he? In all this?
“Rico,” she whispered. “It’s gone.”
“Hmm,” he groaned.
“The storm, it’s gone,” she said more firmly. “We have to go check on the boat.”
“Oh,” he said, then stifled a yawn.
“Were you sleeping?” she asked. “You were, weren’t you? Typical man. Guys can sleep through anything.”
She pushed him off her chest, denying him any further use of her body as a headrest.
He put up his hands and rubbed his eyes, looking for all the world like a child waking from slumber. Then as she stood he blinked up at her like an owl.
“Come on, Rico,” she said, annoyed at his slouchy behavior. “We have to go check on the boat. You’re acting all cozy and comfortable like you’re in your bedroom. We’re on a deserted island, remember?”
Rico blinked again, then he squinted up at her.
That made her even angrier. The man hadn’t moved an inch. “You know what, I’ll go check on the boat myself.” She turned and marched away. She wasn’t going to wait on a man who didn’t seem to understand the seriousness of their situation.
“Asia?”
She heard Rico call her name but she kept on walking. “Asia, please. I need you. I…can’t see.”
What the hell? That stopped her in her tracks. Had something happened to Rico in the water? Had he suddenly gone blind?
She turned and ran back to where she’d left him by the bushes. She dropped to her knees and stared into his face. “Rico? Are you alright?”
He blinked then squinted, the effort making his brows furrow. Then he smiled. “I can see you now. I’m okay.”
That floored her. Didn’t he just say he couldn’t see? “What kind of game are you playing?” she demanded. “First you can’t see then you can see. Which is it?”
He raised his eyebrows and gave a boyish pout. “Both, I’m afraid. I’m severely myopic. Can’t see a thing past my nose.”
“But you don’t even wear glasses.”
“Yes, I do. But only at home.” He shrugged. “I wear contact lenses the rest of the time.”
Now Asia understood. “You lost your contacts in the water.”
Rico nodded then he dropped his eyes and dug his fingers into the sand. He crushed the sand in his hand and did not look up again.
Asia dropped to the ground and sat beside him. Just before he dropped his eyes she’d seen a look flash across his face, a look that told her he felt helpless and he hated it. He was probably so used to being in control he had no idea how to handle being dependent on someone else.
She stared out at the ocean, bluish gray but surprisingly calm, then she said, “Have you ever thought of laser correction?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want anyone shooting lasers into my eyes. What if they make me go blind?”
“Rico, I can’t believe you think that way. This is the twenty-first century. Hundreds of people have that surgery done every day.”
“Surgery,” he repeated. “Not on my eyes. Never.”
She shook her head in exasperation. “You are so old school. Everybody is doing it.”
“Let them. I won't.” His tone was obstinate.
Asia sighed but she didn’t say another word on the subject. She could tell that no amount of arguing would make him change his mind. She wouldn’t even waste her time.
She got up and tried to brush the sand from her bottom. Not an easy task when the sand was stuck to damp clothing. “Well, you stay here while I go check on the boat.”
“I’m coming with you,” he said, and pushed up from the ground to stand beside her.
“But you can’t see a thing,” she objected.
“And that’s why I’m not letting you leave me here. Anywhere you go, I go. And besides, I’ve got to stay close to you,” he said. “Make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”
“Look who’s talking,” she scoffed. “The man who traveled miles out to sea with one pair of contact lenses and no spare.”
That shut him up fast. Asia saw his lips tighten and the expression on his face told her he was pissed. She didn’t care. He was used to reprimanding his workers. Let him get a taste of his own medicine for a change.
Before she could move Rico set off by himself, his head down, eyes squinting at the ground right in front of his toes. He moved steadily but slowly, obviously unable to see much farther ahead. She could guess what he was going through. Everything ahead must be one blurry mass. He probably couldn’t even see the boat in the distance. But she’d wounded his pride and that pride would not make him stop and wait for her help.
Well, let him go. If he wanted to march off blindly and fall into a hole then that was his problem.
The thought had hardly registered in her mind when she saw Rico stumble. Her heart lurched but he righted himself and kept on going.
Enough was enough. She ran to him and grabbed his arm. He shook her off.
“Will you stop?” She grabbed his arm again. “You’re acting like a child. Now hold my hand.”
It was a good thing Rico couldn’t see his own face. His mouth was set in a mutinous pout that made her want to smile, but she kept her face serious. Asia slipped her hand in his and began to walk beside him. She guided him around a patch of sharp rocks and onto the smoother sections and so they walked until they were finally back at the dock.