Chapter 22

On Thursday, the friends board a sleek rental boat. Harriet and Wyn politely avoid each other after a fraught night, but brief touches and glances reignite tension. The group cruises among islands, delighting in seals and lighthouses while joking and bantering.

They dock at a summer island and explore the shoreline. A small conflict erupts when Sabrina jokes about Cleo’s time constraints and angling for a farm invitation; Cleo bristles, and Kimmy pointedly defends Cleo, exposing underlying stress. Sabrina retreats, hurt, while Parth tries to smooth things over.

Harriet heads back to the boat for the picnic supplies. Wyn follows, asking about the conflict. Their talk shifts inward: Wyn says Harriet never annoys him—only frustrates him—and clarifies that annoyance makes you avoid someone, whereas he always wants to be around her. They briefly bicker about whether they’re “fighting,” with Wyn observing they never fought when together, a painful implication about unresolved issues.

Summoned by air-horn blasts from shore, Harriet and Wyn resist their mutual pull. Acknowledging the risk of reopening old wounds, they table the conversation, dividing tasks—Wyn takes the cooler, Harriet the basket—and rejoin the others for lunch, tension lingering alongside the group’s unsettled dynamics.