Happily Ever After: The New Dawn Wedding

Chapter Seven

Ella

The rotor blades slow and the door opens. Rhia”s excited face comes into view. Not a second later, she jumps out, beaming at me.

”El!” She hugs me fiercely before stepping back, looking sheepishly at me. ”I can”t believe you own this island.”

”I know, right? I”m a lucky bitch.”

”There”s nothing for miles and miles, and then suddenly this green oasis pops out of the ocean. Lex circled it. It”s much bigger than I expected. We”ll need to do some exploring.”

Lex steps off the helicopter next, giving Ade a one-armed bro-hug before kissing my cheeks. That won”t do. I throw my arms around him for a proper hug, making him chuckle.

”I”m so happy the two of you are here.” Looking back at the helicopter, I add, ”You really can fly about anything, can”t you, Lex? I”m impressed.”

He laughs. ”If it has a propeller or a rotor, I can fly it. It never gets old.”

Ade slaps him on the back. ”Let”s get everything unloaded, and you guys settled in. Tomorrow we can go exploring. Last time we were here, El and I spent most of our time on the beach relaxing. It”s about time we find out what else this island”s got.”

”There”s a waterfall,” I tell them. ”I might even find my way back there.”

Rhia nudges Ade, whispering loud enough for me to hear, ”I wouldn”t hold my breath.”

”Hey, I heard that.” I stick out my tongue at my best friend, though she has a point.

I might be the world”s worst navigator, but this island is small enough that not even I could get lost.

And if, by any misfortune, we do, I”ll fake it. We have to come across the waterfall eventually, right?

The next morning, Aiden and Lex fill two backpacks with water and snacks for our hike through the island. Lex also throws Ade a couple of flashlights, rope, and Swiss Army knives.

”This is overkill,” I tell them. ”It won”t take us more than an hour to walk from one end to the other. It”s not like we can get lost.”

”You might, El,” Rhia teases.

”Oh, you”re so funny,” I grumble.

”It”s best to be prepared for anything,” Ade replies.

”Plus, you girls will be hungry after swimming in the waterfall. We”re looking out for you,” Lex adds, dropping a kiss on Rhia”s nose.

Smiling up at him, she says, ”It”s always good to be ready for anything.”

I roll my eyes at all of them.

Half an hour later, we”re fighting our way through the forest in the middle of Lion Island. Thick undergrowth makes progress slow, and I”m glad Ade insisted I wear sneakers. Right now, I wish I had brought hiking boots.

Lex leads the way, hacking a path for us with the machete he retrieved from the helicopter as we set off.

I”m internally cheering. With him guiding us, I”m absolved from any responsibility for finding the waterfall. It”s a win-win for all.

”It wasn”t this hard when Tiero and I went to the waterfall,” I say as a branch flicks back and nearly hits me in the face after Rhia brushes past it. ”There was a path, and at one point, we crossed a little stream.”

”I didn”t see a path anywhere,” Rhia comments from in front of me.

”It would be overgrown by now, given nobody has used it in well over a year,” Ade adds from behind.

”Good point,” I admit.

It makes me wonder, though, how Tiero maintained that path. Did he walk it a lot?

Perhaps he had maintenance done before each arrival to clear the way. That”s more likely. I can”t picture Tiero doing any mundane tasks himself. That just wasn”t him.

But he loved the waterfall and swimming in the basin. I also spotted a heated mud pool that looked inviting, and I wanted to soak in it when we were there.

Tiero said it was a memorable place to relax, but it needed to be done properly. And apparently, we didn”t have enough time for that. He wanted to ”initiate” me or something.

Lex suddenly stops, tilting his head to the right and listening intently.

”Do you hear that?” he asks.

”Yes,” Ade replies while Rhia and I both say, ”No” at the same time. We mimic Lex, but all I hear is the chirping of birds.

”You guys really do have extrasensory abilities,” I tease.

Though I”m not really joking. With their special forces training, they”re aware of everything. They might have left the military long ago, but situational awareness is engrained in them.

Lex veers right as he keeps hacking a path for us. Soon even Rhia and I can make out a rush of sound.

See? I was right. You cannot not find this waterfall, even when you have no idea where it is.

We follow the melody of the cascading water, excitement building with each step.

”You”ll love it. The waterfall isn”t big, but it”s stunning. It”s fed from a natural spring.”

”So it”s one of those rare cases where size isn”t important?” Rhia quips. ”Because I”m a firm believer that size always matters.”

I laugh. ”Its beauty makes up for any lack of…” I try to think of an appropriate word but only come up with, ”…length.”

Up ahead, Lex lets out a whistle.

”Will you look at that,” he exclaims, sounding impressed. ”You”re right, El. It”s stunning.”

We line up beside him. Ade encircles my shoulders with his arm, and I admire the tan he”s already acquired after only three days in the sun.

The waterfall cascades down the rock face, its waters shimmering in the filtered sunlight as they tumble into the pool below. Surrounded by vibrant foliage, the air is filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers. Seriously, this place feels like it has been plucked straight from a dream.

”Wow, this is incredible,” Rhia whispers, awestruck by the sight before us.

I nod in agreement, a grin spreading across my face.

It”s just how I remember it.

Tiero”s laughter when he jumped into the warm water echoes in my mind. He didn”t look like the serious, always-in-command Don then. Not that I knew he was a Mafia boss at the time. I had still assumed he was merely a powerful businessman. I treasured seeing him so carefree because I knew he wouldn”t show many people this side of him.

”Let”s take a dip,” Ade suggests, already kicking off his shoes, followed by his shirt and pants, leaving him in only the swim trunks he wore underneath.

The beauty of my surroundings is totally forgotten as I stare at the chiseled physique of my fiancé.

It never gets old.

I”m intimately acquainted with every peak and valley of his washboard abdomen, but those muscles never fail to please.

It”s shallow, I know, to drool over a set of abs. No, I”m being too hard on myself. Those abs are on a man who is the full package—his body, mind and soul are all beautiful.

Told you, I”m a lucky bitch.

I pull off my clothes too and, with a playful grin, launch myself into the air, feeling weightless for a fleeting moment before plunging into the cool water.

The others jump in after me, our laughter mingling with the white noise of the cascading falls.

”Hey, how about a race to see who can swim to the waterfall first?” I suggest.

Ade grins, catching on to my enthusiasm. ”You”re on!” he replies, already getting into position.

”Wait, wait, wait.” Rhia holds up a finger.

Pointing at our men, she says, ”You two are super fit, and you have longer arms and legs than El and I. We deserve a head start. Count to ten… slowly. Then go.”

All of us are competitive, the other three more than I, but that doesn”t mean I won”t try to win.

”To five,” Lex counters. ”This is only a small pool.”

”Fine,” Rhia huffs, as if granting an enormous concession.

Lex is right, though. By the time they counted to ten, we”d nearly have reached the waterfall.

”Ready, set, go,” Ade calls out.

Giggling, Rhia and I launch forward, swimming as fast as we can. She takes the lead and I double my efforts. Not only do I want to catch her, but I can hear the splashing of water from behind us, and I know for sure the guys are catching up on us.

I sense Ade next to me. Daring a glance to my side, I see his limbs gliding effortlessly through the water. He”s nearly got me, but the waterfall is only a few strokes away. I can do this!

We reach the base simultaneously, laughter bubbling up between us. My breath comes in ragged gasps while Ade shows no signs of exertion—bastard. Reading my thoughts like usual, he grins widely at me.

”I need to take up running again,” I mumble in between puffs. ”Though I really hate running.”

Ade nuzzles closer. ”I can think of more fun cardio activities.”

Without another word, he takes my hand and pulls me closer against his body. The coolness of his skin is a stark contrast to the heat in his eyes. Any competitive edge left from earlier fades away. The falling water creates a curtain of mist around us that shrouds us in a veil of intimacy.

Ade reaches out, his hand gently cupping my cheek. His touch sends shivers down my spine. I meet his gaze, the intensity of his eyes mirroring my own feelings.

I lean in, closing the distance between us. Our lips meet in a tender kiss. Everything else disappears; all I feel is his mouth on mine and our hearts beating in perfect harmony.

Then something wet and heavy hits my back, tearing me from this timeless moment. My head whips around, searching for the culprit. My eyes land on a grinning Rhia.

”You two are sickeningly sweet. Kissing under the waterfall…”

”As if you and Lex didn”t do the same,” I counter.

I might not have seen them, too engrossed in my own happily-ever-after moment, but I know my best friend. Those two had their hands and lips all over each other. And they only stopped because Ade and I were close by.

Rhia winks at me and throws us each a towel as Ade and I wade out of the water.

”When did you get those?” I ask, spotting the backpacks by the rocks.

”When you two were smooching. It doesn”t take very long to walk around this pool. Now come on, Lex found the entrance to a cave. Did you know about it, El?”

”A cave? No. Where?”

”It”s a little hidden behind rocks and foliage on the far side of the waterfall. Let”s go explore it.”

Ade picks up the backpacks, and we follow Rhia as she leads us along the foot of the rock wall. Lex is waiting for us, a gleeful expression lighting up his face. He pushes the branches of a large bush aside and points to the opening in the rock.

”I threw a stone inside, and from what I can tell, it”s quite deep,” he tells us.

Ade drops the backpacks and crouches to unzip his, taking out the flashlights. Throwing one to Lex, he steps closer and shines the light inside the opening.

”You”re right. Shall we have a look?”

”Yes,” Rhia says enthusiastically, clapping her hands together.

”No,” I say at the same time. ”I”m not going in there. God knows what lurks in the dark.”

”Sunshine, I”ll protect you,” Ade coos.

As if he hadn”t spoken, I go on. ”There could be bats in there. And bat bites can be dangerous. We could end up with rabies.”

”And have you seen any bats at any time you”ve been here?” he asks, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

”No,” I retort. ”Because they”ve probably all been hanging upside down in this cave!”

”Come on, El. Let”s go.” Rhia nudges me.

”I don”t want to. It”s a dark, dry place… it will be home to something.”

”That”s why we brought flashlights,” Lex says, waving his like a wand you see aircraft marshals use at airports to guide planes.

Rhia takes my hand and pulls me closer to the cave.

”It”s three against one, El. Push your comfort zone. We”re going in.”