Eventually, the female is won over by the male’s amorous overtures and allows him to mount her. Everyone claps for him, which is only a little strange? I steal a glance at Graeme. He’s kneeling several feet away, snapping photos.

We meander our way along the cliffs through the seabird colonies. In addition to the numerous boobies, Juan Luis points out swallow-tailed gulls, waved albatross, lava lizards, and even a whale in the far distance. A puff of gauzy mist hangs in the air, marking the place where it exhaled before disappearing beneath the waves.

Making the rounds with the other guests, I introduce myself and chat with everyone. Everyone except Graeme. He watches me from a distance, his expression inscrutable.

We continue. More than an hour later, Juan Luis announces that we’ve reached the farthest point in our hike. My breath catches as I take in the view. Dramatic, craggy cliffs overlook the azure ocean. Directly in front of us, at the bottom of the bluff, a geyser spouts saltwater in rhythmic bursts.

We fan out, each claiming our own space to soak in the view. I settle onto a low rock facing the cliff’s edge. The bright sun warms my cheeks, and I close my eyes and tilt my chin toward the sky. A bird whistles softly. Another answers.

Footsteps approach and something rustles beside me. I know from the scent that floods my nose—a burst of citrus tinged with salt—that it’s Graeme. I don’t open my eyes. “What do you want?”

When he doesn’t respond right away, I crack open one eye.

“That was nice of you. With that guest, Sharon. Taking pictures of her since she’s traveling alone.”

I nod uncertainly.

Staring out at the ocean, he takes a long, slow breath. “Tell me what I did.”

“Huh?”

“To make you dislike me so much. I’ve been wracking my brain all day, and I honestly don’t know. Whatever it is, I want to make it right.”

I gape at him.

After several long seconds, he finally looks me in the eye. “Please.”

My breathing shallows and my heart accelerates like I’m running a race. “It was the monkey video, okay?”

“The… what?”

“The one I made. The one that went viral last year, remember?”

“What… how…” He shakes his head twice. “Why the hell would that put me on your bad list?”

“Because you let James give you all the credit when I did all the work!” A wave of anger ignites my muscles and I shove roughly to my feet.

Before I can take a single step, Graeme stands, grabbing my wrist. Whirling, I jerk it out of his grasp.

“No. You’re wrong,” he says. “I would never do something like that.”

11

Excuse me?”

“I said you’re wrong. I would never, never accept the credit for someone else’s work. That’d be a shitty thing to do.”