5. THE HIKE
THE HIKE
KARSON
Twisting and turning through corkscrew bends, the old car crept down the road toward the national park. We sang along to a song neither of us knew as it blasted through the speakers, which somehow still worked.
Dense green rainforest pressed in on both sides of the road, creating a tunnel that made it feel like we were entering another world. The music—and our off-key, laughter-filled attempt to sing the lyrics—finally came to an end.
“I want to show you a special spot of mine when the sun goes down, we can watch the fireflies from there, if they come out tonight.”
“That sounds incredible. Count me in,” I said with a smile, already looking forward to sunset… and whatever else she might have planned.
Focused on the winding road ahead, she steered through another sharp bend while I braced myself against the door. A new song flooded through the speakers, by the time the chorus hit, we were singing along badly, laughing as our voices collided.
I sang into my air mic, then passed it to Ivy, our hands brushing for a second too long, the last notes fading as she whistled and cheered.
“You’ve got quite the voice, Karson. I got lucky finding you in the crowd.” Her gaze lingered long enough to heat my skin.
“Thank you, thank you very much.” I dropped into a deep baritone and chuckled. “I’ll be performing again next Friday.”
“Where can I get a ticket?” Ivy giggled, taking another bend.
I grinned at her.
“Let’s grab breakfast at the café when we get there.” She flicked a glance my way as I nodded enthusiastically. “I love it here. Did you know this place was part of a volcano twenty-three million years ago? Not much action since then.” She smirked. “So we’re safe today.”
“I hope you’re right. And no, I did not know that. But I do know I’ve got a pretty awesome guide.”
“I’ll try not to disappoint.” She smiled, her emerald eyes flicking between the road and me.
“It can change in a heartbeat up here. Bright and sunny one minute, so cold and misty the next, you might never find your way out.” A look of quiet wonder crossed her face. “That’s part of its beauty. Always changing. It’s different every time.”
“It looks insane already,” I said, taking it in through the open window. “I’ve never hiked in a rainforest before.”
“You’ll love it. Just a heads-up, it’s a steep walk, but totally worth it.” She adjusted her grip on the wheel. “And if we’re lucky, we’ll see the fireflies if they’re out tonight. They only come out for a short time after sunset.”
“I wonder what makes them glow like that,” I murmured.
“It’s a chemical reaction inside their bodies. They glow when they fly. Helps them attract a mate.” A spark lit her expression in a way that had nothing to do with fireflies.
Her gaze smoldered as she caught mine for a lingering beat before turning back to the road again. “It’s kind of like a mating dance.”
Heat cascaded through my veins. That look she gave me completely undid me.
I turned toward the window, zeroing in on the endless green canopy beyond. We passed towering old-growth trees and an understory of tree ferns glistening with dewdrops.
As my pulse settled, we pulled into the parking bay in front of the café overlooking the lush expanse below.
I stepped out after Ivy and drew in a breath of cool mountain air. If I was going to spend the day exploring the rainforest Ivy loved so much, I needed fuel.
We settled at a bench on the veranda.
I couldn’t believe I’d overlooked places like this in Australia. Between ski trips, time at Dyson’s estate, and summers sailing the Mediterranean, I’d somehow missed it completely.
Ivy ordered an oat milk latte and a raspberry smoothie bowl, which looked incredible.
The waitress brought my stack of pancakes. I thanked her, drenched them in maple syrup, and devoured them, along with the side of hash browns, before refilling our glasses from the table water.
Ivy pushed away her empty bowl, still streaked pink from the raspberries. “Wow, that was so good.” She dabbed at her lips with a napkin.
“So good we should come back here.” I leaned back slightly. “I’ll grab a couple of bottles of water for the hike.” I stood and stretched, stealing one last glance in her direction before heading inside.
***
Not long later, we were winding our way down the steep rainforest track.
My grip tightened around Ivy’s warm hand as we navigated the steep, slippery track over the next couple of hours.
When we eventually reached the bottom of the waterfall, we could only stand back in awe.
I closed my eyes and let the cool mist settle over my face.
When I opened them again, I found her watching me.
She wandered over to an ancient tree, and I followed. We sat together in the shade, catching our breath as birds fluttered through the canopy above.
“Look!” she whispered as a tiny blue bird darted in front of us, “It’s a fairy wren.”
“Hey, I know that one. I did a project on it in junior school. Their scientific name is Marcus cayenne,” I said confidently.
“Close!” She doubled over laughing. “But it’s cyaneus. Not cayenne. It’s a bird, not a Porsche, City Boy.”
She nudged me, we both grinned as a plump bird that looked like a pigeon waddled past.
Ivy explained it was an emerald dove, and we took in the misty wilderness.
I’ve got a lot to learn about ornithology, I thought, leaning back against the tree.
Ivy settled beside me and asked more about my life.
I answered carefully, filtering what I shared, but still… I felt myself connecting with her more than I ever had with anyone before.
As we peeled back the outer layers of our lives, she told me about some of the wild adventures she’d had with her roommates, and I told her about some of mine with Dyson.
“We’ve been best friends since we started school together. I spent a lot of school vacations with his family. We’ve had some epic adventures over the years.” I tilted my head, remembering the time we ambushed our ski instructor with snowballs behind the chalet.
“Dyson sounds awesome. That’s what it’s like with Sass and me too. She lives with me, but she was passed out on the couch earlier, so I couldn’t introduce you.” She smiled. “So what else do you guys like doing?”
“We’re into watching F1 when we can get to a race.” I paused—suddenly aware I might be revealing too much. Ivy had me talking like we’d known each other for years.
“F1?” Her smile widened. “Just don’t mention that around Sass. She’ll go crazy. She’s totally obsessed.”
We laughed, and I promised that if I met her, I’d try to avoid the topic.
After a while, we got up and explored around the waterfall, getting damp in the process before heading back up the track. We talked easily the whole way about what we liked… and what we didn’t.
She hated peanut butter. I hated Vegemite.
I watched her climb ahead of me, steady and effortless.
“How do you stay so fit?” I called, trying to catch my breath as she powered up the steep track. “You some kind of gym junkie?”
“Ahh, someone needs more cardio, huh?” She raised a playful eyebrow as she cut me a glance over her shoulder. “Nah, no gym for me. I mostly just surf, run, and do yoga.”
“Nice. Maybe I’ll run with you sometime—it might help me keep up,” I said, still caught in her smile as we reached the top.
The last rays of sunshine were starting to disappear as Ivy guided us to her special spot. We stopped and waited, hoping the fireflies would appear.
Standing there together, a symphony of nocturnal forest sounds rose around us.
We didn’t speak.
As the last silvery light trickled through the trees, I felt like I was seeing the world through Ivy’s eyes.
She breathed something new into everything, and it made my own world feel smaller.
She’d only known me for a day, yet, somehow, she’d pulled me into a different world. I couldn’t stop smiling as we stood there beneath the moon, waiting for the fireflies to light up the night.
They didn’t appear. But my night was already lit up.
Nothing could top the day we’d shared. We promised we’d come back and see the fireflies together another time… even though we both knew I only had one day left.
We made our way back to the car. I slid across the seat, and Ivy jumped in beside me. The engine made its familiar choking sound as we pulled onto the main road toward Surfers Paradise.
“You know, I might actually be able to buy a new car now I have this contract,” she said. “It probably won’t be a Porsche Cayenne though.” She grinned.
We laughed. My face ached from smiling so much.
Sure, Ivy’s car was no Porsche, but I was having more fun in her beaten-up old classic than I ever had in any of my father’s supercars.
“So where are you staying?” she asked, glancing at me.
“Near the Sea World Resort,” I replied, trying to sound casual. Technically, it was true. But guilt flashed through me for leaving out the part about the boat.
The trip back passed far faster than I wanted.
We pulled up outside the resort near the marina and sat in silence for a few seconds before turning to each other.
“Karson, I’ve had an amazing time today. I mean, the walk was great… but being there with you? That was special.” Her expression softened. “I hope we can do it again. It’s too bad you don’t live closer.” The spark in her eyes dimmed.
“I still have one more day,” I said quietly. “I’d love to spend it with you, Ivy.”
The spark was back. “How’s ten? I’ll pick you up.”
“I’ll be right here waiting. Don’t stand me up,” I said lightly, my pulse quickening at the thought of sharing another day with this woman.
She flung open the door and stepped onto the sidewalk.
I followed.
After giving me a quick hug, she climbed back in. “See you in the morning!” she called through the open window.
The golden ring around the full moon glowed above me as I watched her taillights disappear into the warm Gold Coast night.
How can there be only one more day?
***
Humming our song, I strode back toward the marina. Ivy flooded my mind.
I punched in the gate code and headed back to the boat. Clearing the gap between the dock and the boat, I landed lightly on the deck.
“Bro, where the fuck have you been?” Dyson asked. “I was about to call the Coast Guard. Been entertaining yourself with that Aussie beauty queen, hey?” He grinned cheekily.
“Yeah, we’ve been together the whole time. Everything about today with her just felt right. I think it did for her too.”
I ran a hand through my hair as Dyson stared at me, surprise flashing across his face.
“I’m seeing her again tomorrow… I just wish we weren’t leaving so soon.”
“Shit.” His expression blanked. “I’ve never known you to even go on a second date before. Bro, you’re making me proud. I knew I’d have a positive influence on you eventually.” He slapped me on the shoulder.
“I’ve never met anyone I really wanted to see again. Until now.” I leaned back against the railing. “It was so good getting to know her as just me, without all the hype. You know what I mean?”
“Nice,” Dyson said, pulling out his phone. “But you look like you could do with a feed. I know I could. I’m ordering pizza. You in?”
“You know me too well.” I laughed. “I’m starving. Get me a margherita and throw in some garlic bread. You’re paying.”
He hurled his sneaker at me. I dodged it and ran toward the bow of the boat as we howled with laughter.
“I’ll grab some drinks while we wait for the pizzas.
You can tell me what you’ve been up to since you left the club with your new friend.
Keep it PG though.” I tossed the sneaker back at him.
It skimmed past his ear as I slid into the cabin.
He chuckled as I disappeared inside.
After I got back with the drinks, we settled into our seats, chatting until the pizzas arrived. Dyson filled me in on everything I’d missed as we tore through the pizzas.
When I got back to my cabin, I spread out across the bed and imagined Ivy receiving the delivery I’d secretly arranged earlier.
I hope she likes them…
I could already picture her smile.