Chapter 21 #2
A scream sits deep in my belly, trying to get out and demand that he stay with me. I don’t want anyone else. No one! I fucking hate that he told me that. Instead of answering, I rush off ahead of them so they don’t see that I’m upset.
I hear someone crunching as he rushes toward me. It’s probably Julien. Jinx would let me stew.
“Hey, wait up, Cupcake.”
Julien grabs my shoulder to stop me and spins me around. “Never tell me that again!” I yell before he can say a word. “Ever!”
I can’t see his eyes behind his sunglasses, but his thick brows shoot up underneath the bill of his hat. “I’m… sorry.”
I take off my sunglasses and rub my face.
“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled like that.
It’s… just that I’m not ready to end this trip.
Can’t we just not talk about our future for the next eight days?
I like hanging around you. Can we just… pretend that…
” I can’t finish my words. Shit, I shouldn’t have yelled. It’s not like me at all.
Instead of getting angry with me, Julien pulls me into a hug. “Yeah, we don’t have to talk about that shit. Not now. Not ever.”
I grip his shirt from his sweaty back and nod. “Thanks.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispers again. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have said that.”
When we separate, I find Jinx watching me closely and frowning, but I’m not sure about what exactly. He’ll probably give me an earful tonight.
We finally make it to the pools. Going down is tricky, but I managed to do it without breaking a leg or killing myself.
There are several other people soaking, but it’s not too crowded. We find a private spot to strip out of our clothes. This time, we’re wearing our swim trunks instead of shorts.
“We have to cross the creek to get to the springs,” Julien explains. “It’s deep in the middle, and that’s why there’s a rope going across. You can use that.”
“No, no, no…” I shake my head and take a step back. I can’t do that. We haven’t practiced deep water yet. Holding my breath in shallow water is one thing, but what happens if I let go of the rope by accident? Will I sink and drown?
“I’ve got you, baby. I’m not going to let you go. In fact, just cling to my back, and I’ll swim us across, okay?”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, don’t stress.” He looks at Jinx and asks, “Do you need help getting across?”
“Hmm, maybe. I think I can do the rope. I learned to do some swimming, but that was in a pool and wasn’t very deep.”
Once we’re halfway in the water, I wrap my arms around Julien’s neck, and he submerges, keeping our heads above the water. God, he’s so strong to carry me on his back. He’s such a good swimmer.
When we get across, he swims back to help Jinx, who’s slowly moving through the water using the rope. He clings to Julien when they meet, and they swim toward me.
“That water feels damn good after sweating our asses off,” Jinx says. “It’s cold, so I see why you all like the hot springs. Too bad it smells like shit.”
Julien chuckles. “It’s the hydrogen sulfide gas.”
“The what?”
“Sorry, it’s that rotten egg smell. It’s a gas. It’s dangerous to inhale large amounts, but around here, the levels are safe, so you’re fine.”
Jinx dips a hand into one of the hot pools. “You’re pretty smart, aren’t you?”
Julien shrugs. “I had to be. No one expected anything less. Excellence was demanded of me. Still, I never minded learning things.”
Jinx is the first to get into a pool. The water is so clear. He settles in and leans against the rock. “It’s like being in a hot tub, but without all the cool bubbles, and it smells like shit.”
After I get in and sit next to Jinx, Julien pulls his phone from his pocket and takes it out of the waterproof bag. He then takes a few pictures of us. We smile and give peace signs.
Julien climbs in and sits next to me with an arm around my shoulders. He leans forward, puts a finger under my chin to tilt my head, and kisses me. “I’m sorry again, beautiful.”
I smile shyly and shrug. “It’s okay.”
“You two are so fucking adorable,” Jinx says.
I couldn’t agree more. I definitely think Julien and I are beautiful together.
We head back toward the car. It’s time to go to the house that Julien rented. We didn’t soak for long. There’s only so much you can do at the hot springs, and Jinx and I are terrible swimmers.
The hike is worse on the way back since we spend most of it climbing uphill. My ankles are starting to hurt, and my skinny legs burn. We end up having to stop and rest a lot.
“God, why does my heart feel like it’s going to explode out of my chest?” I complain. Julien stops, takes off the backpack, and puts it on me. “Uhm, I can barely walk as it is.”
He smiles and says nothing as he turns around and squats. “Hop on.”
“No fair! I wanna ride!” Jinx whines.
“You can go next,” he says. Once I get on Julien’s back, he stands and walks. “Don’t get used to this. I’m strong, but I won’t be able to carry you all the way.”
The ground finally levels out, and he carries Jinx for a while. After that, we’re on our own. It took us an hour to get down to the pools and an hour and a half to get back up.
We’re out of breath by the time we reach the truck. Before we leave, I sit and drink an entire bottle of cold water the lady handed us as I pet Nutmeg. She rests her head on my lap and lazily wags her tail.
“You’re so sweet, little girl.” I’ve never been around animals in my life, but I adore her. Once I find a place of my own, I’m going to get a lot of animals.
“Has she been seen by a vet?” Julien asks.
“She has. She’s got all her shots, and she’s been spayed.”
“How much?”
“Just cover the cost of her medical care.”
“What are you doing?” I ask with a beating heart more than from exertion.
“She’s yours.”
My jaw drops to the ground. “What? Really?”
He smiles down at me. “Really. She likes you.”
He pulls out a wad of cash from his wallet, counts it, and hands it to the lady. “Will five hundred cover it? It’s all the cash I have on hand.”
She takes it and nods. “That’s more than enough.”
I don’t know why, but I suddenly start crying, but in a good way. I never believed I’d have a pet. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, baby.”
The lady hands us Nutmeg’s leash, her doggy bowls, and some food and treats, along with a file with her medical care.
The dog sits on my lap as we drive off while the tears keep falling. I’m so in love with her. Nutmeg has her head hanging out the window, her tongue lolling, and her tail wagging. She seems happy to have found a home again.
The house we’re staying in this time is huge and full of glass, surrounded by trees, and sitting on the cliffside. Looking down, you can see the lake.
“Holy shit, this place slays,” Jinx says.
“I wanted some place beautiful and close to the lake,” Julien says.
We step inside, and like last time, Jinx runs off exploring everything, while I walk the dog outside to make sure she potties.
Julien grabs me and kisses me before I walk off. “I’ll be back. I’ve got to grab us some food and more water from the store, and Nutmeg needs some things, too.”
“Okay.”
He leaves, and I watch him drive away, with Nutmeg sitting patiently next to me and my face pressed into the fur of the unicorn I’m still holding. I watch him until I can’t see his truck anymore. I don’t like being without him. What if he doesn’t come back?
“He’s going to leave you, Rome,” Jinx says, coming up behind me.
“You know that, right? I’m not trying to be an asshole, but they never stick around.
I can tell you’re falling for him. Bro, no one wants relationships with hookers.
They only want to dominate us. We’re cute little toys for them until we get too old. ”
I pick at the remaining nail polish on my fingers and shrug as my eyes water. “Julien’s different.”
“Yeah, he’s different. I can’t see him hurting you like that, but still. He’s a rich boy. He’s the type to marry a rich girl and have lots of rich babies. He seems to like you, too, but we all know this is only temporary.”
I try not to cry as I listen to the gravel crunch under Jinx’s hiking boots as he walks away. He’s probably right. I love and hate him for it.