I never thought I’d end up like this—stranded on some forsaken island, with nothing but the salty air and crashing waves for company. The cruise was supposed to be a getaway, a break from the chaos of everyday life. But now, with the remnants of the shipwreck scattered across the beach and the sun setting behind the cliffs, I wasn’t so sure what had gone wrong.

"Derek, do you have any idea what we’re supposed to do now?" I asked, my voice hoarse from the salt and exhaustion. He was kneeling next to a pile of debris, his brow furrowed as he examined the remnants of our supplies. He had always been the calm one, the one with a plan.

He glanced up at me, his eyes tired but unwavering. "We survive. That's what we do now." His tone was sharp, but there was a quiet certainty in it that made me feel like everything might be okay, even if I wasn’t sure how.

I leaned back against a rock, my legs aching from hours of searching for food and fresh water. "How long do you think it'll take for someone to find us?"

Derek didn’t look at me as he spoke, but I could hear the undercurrent of concern in his voice. "Longer than we want. So we make sure we can survive until they do."

His words were simple, but they held weight. Derek had always been the protector, the one who kept everyone else calm in the middle of chaos. It was no different now. I knew he wasn’t just talking about survival—he was talking about me. He was making sure I’d make it, even if it meant pushing through his own exhaustion.

I sat up, pulling my knees to my chest. "We’re not getting off this island anytime soon, are we?"

He finally looked at me, his expression softening just a little. "We’ll get out of here. It’s just a matter of time."