he next morning, when Lexi is making omelets and Dad is reading the paper, I sit at the table and think of all of the ways I can make Jordan suffer. There isn't a lot on my list so far, because it's hard to destroy someone you know nothing about. To really hurt a person, you first have to love them.

Dad looks up from his paper at one point and notices my expression. "Uh oh. Who are we mad at?"

"The universe," I say, putting down my list. "Well, the universe and Jordan."

Lexi raises an eyebrow and says, "Who?"

I shake my head because I'm still so angry. Jordan's arrival means I could lose my job–my dream–at any moment. What I thought was a miracle is nothing more than a nightmare. "He's the coconut who's just rolled onto the island to sell The Big Fish Cafe."

Lexi gasps at the same time as Dad. They both know the significance of this.

"The Big Fish Cafe is being sold?" Lexi asks.

"And you're sure?" Dad follows.

I shoot them a grave look. "I guess the owner left the cafe to his grandson, and now he's here to sell it." I shoot Dad a desperate look. "He can't really do that, can he?"

Dad's eyes soften. "Actually, he can. He owns it now." He sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose, his telltale sign of stress. Dad used to be handsome, once upon a time. He's got this flowing hair and big green eyes, the kind of face those old school movie stars have. But when Mom died, it's as if those green eyes dulled, and patches of gray hair began to sprout on his head. Now he just looks perpetually tired.

"It's a damn shame about Old Johnny," he says. "I'd had no idea he'd even passed away." 

"I doubt anyone knows," Lexi says, resting an arm on his shoulder. It's clear Dad feels guilty about not making an effort, and he's not the only one. "He's been a recluse all year. You can't blame yourself for not realizing." 

He nods and looks out the window, suddenly lost in his thoughts. In what I'm certain is a bid to bring him back, Lexi says, "There's got to be something we can do about the cafe." Lexi, for the most part, has never shown as much interest in this island as me, but the Big Fish Cafe is just as much her childhood as it is mine.

Dad takes our hands now and looks at us tenderly. "Look, I know your mom loved that place, and we have a lot of great memories there, but I think you need to start preparing yourselves for the possibility that it might end up being sold."

I close my eyes. This doesn't feel like a solution: this feels like giving up. "No," I say, letting go of his hand. "No, we can't just do nothing. You know as well as I do who's going to end up buying that cafe."

Dad sighs because he does. Landon Rivers, one of the fancy property developers from the mainland, has had his eye on the shops outside of the harbor for months. His big boss–whoever that is–has high hopes of turning this beachfront into a money-making machine, but despite the vast amount of money he's offered, the locals so far have refused to sell. Thanks to Jordan, their perseverance was for nothing.

"Look," Dad says. "You're going to college in a few months, Evvy. Maybe it's best if you focus your attention on that."

Focusing on college is the last thing I want. "If the wrong person buys that cafe, this whole island is going to fall apart," I say. "It's going to be turned into something completely different. It's already starting to change."

With each day that passes, the island gets busier and busier. It's not that I mind, but with the crowd comes everything I hate: litter and violence and drunken tourists–everything my mother hated, too. 

Dad looks at Lexi in a bid for some backup, but she simply folds her arms. For once, she's on my side. He turns back to me and says, "You can't stop things from changing, Evvy. You can only change with them."

I rise to my feet with newfound determination. "Watch me."

***

y the time I turn up for my shift at the cafe, Kali is waiting outside. He wiggles a big, meaty finger at me and says, "You. We're going for a walk."

We walk down the harbor and sit on a bench, watching the boats come in. It's nice down this end–I'd forgotten how quiet it is away from the hustle. A small group of fishermen are sitting on the docks, and the smell of waffles wafts over from the candy store.

"So," Kali says, wiping sweat from his brow. "How do you feel now that you've had that 150-pound tumor removed?"

He's talking about Ryan, and I can't help but laugh. Kali has always been more like a father than a boss. Most people on the island take one look at his appearance and think he's some kind of thug, but he's not. He's as goofy as they come, with an incredibly kind wife and a six-year-old daughter he adores more than anything. 

"With everything going on, I've hardly given him a second thought," I admit. I suppose one good thing has come out of Jordan's arrival, after all.

"Good." He shifts his eyes from the ocean to focus them on me. "I have a feeling that Jordan punk is going to be back today, and I don't want a repeat of yesterday. We're going to have to sit down with him and talk about this like adults. Kill him with kindness, then maybe he'll change his mind."

My gaze stays fixed on the ocean, where the line of the sea meets the sky. If Mom were still alive, she'd be horrified that some city boy is threatening our cafe. When she first escaped to the island, the Big Fish Cafe was the first place she truly felt safe. She told me once that she'd been escaping a boyfriend who wasn't very nice, and this island is what saved her. Now this island is what needs saving, from the piranhas and bloodsuckers trying to take all we've got.

Kali was right. By the time we get back to the cafe, Jordan is sitting in a booth. I square my shoulders and walk up to his table, flashing a smile. "Hey."

He flashes a perfect grin. "Now there's that hospitality I knew you were capable of."

My smile drops, and I politely ask him if he's ready to order. He spends a few minutes deliberating over the menu before choosing the spicy conch fritters. So predictable.

I head into the kitchen and hand Layla the food ticket before watching him through the window. He sticks out like a sore thumb around the other tourists. The rest of them are wearing pastel colors and shorts that stop at their knees. Jordan is dressed in a dark green t-shirt and a dark pair of jeans–the complete opposite of an island boy. It seems hard to believe that it was just yesterday I was admiring his smile.

"He really thinks he can just come in here and act like everything's fine," I say.

Layla looks up from the shrimp she's beheading. "That the guy selling this place?"

"Yeah," I say. "Well, no. Not if I have something to do with it."

Kali was right, I realize. If we can't convince Jordan to change his mind, this island is doomed. It means if I want to stand any chance at keeping this place away from the piranhas, I need to play nice. I grab the coffee pot and head to his table, flashing my best smile. "Here's your coffee," I say, and I start to pour it slowly while those pale eyes watch me, ever so slightly amused.

"I have something for you," he says, and he pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and lays it on the table. 

It's the deed for the cafe.

My stomach clenches. I force a pleasant smile despite the bile in my mouth. "Look," I say. "I think we got off on the wrong foot yesterday. I was a little caught off guard about the whole thing, and I admit I reacted badly. I'm sorry."

"I don't know," he says, looking all innocent. "You were pretty rude to me yesterday, Evelyn."

I narrow my eyes. "How do you know my full name?"

He shrugs, but his eyes gleam with mischief. "It's a small island."

The corner of my mouth twitches as I fight to uphold my smile. "As I was saying, I'd really like you to reconsider selling this place. The only people with enough money to buy it would be the very people who'd turn it into something awful."

For a second, he looks sympathetic, but then he gets to his feet so that he's standing right in front of me. "Look, I appreciate your input, but I'm still selling."

"I'd like to see you try."

He leans in closer, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. "I figured that whole nice thing was an act. You know, you're not very personable for a waitress."

I bite my tongue so hard that I practically draw blood. I'm about to cause a scene right here in the cafe, but then Jordan steps back. "I've got to get going. I'll see you around, Evvy." With that, he strides out.

I get back to work, forgetting the list of ways I can make Jordan suffer: he's going on my island hit list, instead.

❤️