CHAPTER 323

ARIA’S POV

The feeling of solid ground beneath me is a small comfort, a reprieve from the overwhelming terror of the ocean. I no longer have to fight against the waves, no longer feel the cold, unrelenting water pulling me under. But as I lie there on the beach, the weight of what’s happened crashes over me, and I’m powerless to stop the tears that follow.

I cry for everything—the crash, the loss of Ethan, the unknown fate of everyone else who was on that plane. I cry for the terror I felt in the water, for the hopelessness that gnawed at me as I drifted further and further away from the wreckage. But mostly, I cry for the overwhelming loneliness that now engulfs me, stranded on this island, cut off from everything and everyone I’ve ever known.

As the tears flow, my thoughts turn to my family. I think of my mother, my father, Neal, Nathan—wondering how they’ll cope with the news. They’ve probably already heard about the crash, and I know they’ll be doing everything in their power to f