Chapter 5 #2
I huff a laugh and glance at him. “You’re fine.
I’m more familiar with these roads, but I haven’t driven through water before.
All part of the experience.” I’m assuming.
Wouldn’t know considering you’d never usually catch me in a place like this.
I watch Hemi out of the corner of my eye and see the interest on his face as he scans the winding roads and the tall trees surrounding us.
When I finally cross the last river and spy the base camp, my hands relax on the steering wheel, and I indicate to turn into the car park.
The car vibrates over the cattle guard, and I find a place to park in the near-empty car park, which is really just a lot with a dusty ground.
I’ll have to clean my car after this. The horrors I’m going through to take Hemi’s mind off everything.
I open the door and step onto the dirt road. Dust plumes up my legs, and my nose scrunches. Definitely going to have a bath after this. Probably after I’ve showered all the dirt off me.
I shiver in the cool air and zip up my jacket. The heated car lulled me into a false sense of security. At least the sun’s warm on my skin and it isn’t raining.
“Here you go,” Hemi says, appearing at my side with my backpack clutched in his hand. His one is already slung over his shoulder, and he looks like he belongs here. Comfortable in sportswear, with the bag over his shoulder and his cap on. I scan him and smile my thanks as I take the bag.
“Shall we start?” I ask, glancing around the area. “I think we take the track on the left.”
Hemi starts walking towards the track and waits for me to follow. “Yep, let’s do it.”
“You don’t need the bathroom before we go?” We pass the toilet, and I frown at the smell.
Hemi’s lips twist down. “I’m good.”
“The only other one is at the end of the track.” According to the Tripadvisor research I did in bed last night.
“I’d rather hold it than use one of those.”
I climb over the stile to reach the beginning of the track. “What, you aren’t fond of long drops? How delicate of you.”
Hemi laughs, and my chest warms with the triumphant sensation of being the one causing it. “Can’t say I’m fond of them. Should we turn back so you can use it?”
I shudder. “Hard pass. I’d rather wet myself than use that.” I pause and frown when I realise what I said. Not sure I would prefer that actually, and now I’ve told Hemi I’d rather be covered in piss than use a long drop.
I send him a side-long look and thankfully he looks amused rather than disgusted.
“I’d force you into one before you did that,” he says faintly.
We follow the dirt pathway with scattered rocks that I’m already worried about tripping over, which leads us to the river.
Hemi inhales sharply. “Wow.”
The river rushes over large rocks taller than I am. The water is a soft turquoise colour, and something about how clear the water is makes me think it will be freezing.
“It’s worth it just seeing this,” he says and turns to me with the widest grin on his face.
I suck in a breath and choke slightly. His face lights up, and it’s so different from his smiles from the past two days. It makes me realise how upset he’s been. I clear my throat and nod. “Pretty spectacular. Wait until we get to the waterfalls.”
His eyes twinkle like a child who’s seen his favourite toy in a store.
The twinkling eyes paired with the grin makes my mouth dry, and I stifle the urge to convince him all we needed to see was the river and we should drive home and sit together in the warmth of a heated house.
But I can’t bring myself to. Not when he looks that happy seeing the river.
I want to watch what he looks like seeing all the waterfalls.
I’m not going to rob myself of that pleasure. Or him of his excitement.
“The bridge is down there.” I point to the suspension bridge over the river.
We reach the narrow bridge, and Hemi steps onto it first. The bridge shifts with his weight, and I blanch as I watch the bridge sway as he walks.
He reaches the middle and bounces slightly, turning to find me still on the ground. “Come on!”
“I’m not fucking getting on it if you’re gonna jump.” I take a step back and shake my head, which doesn’t help my dizziness.
Hemi stops immediately, looking contrite, and jogs back to me. “I’m sorry. I won’t move it. You can go first, and I won’t step on the bridge until you’re off it if you like.”
“No!” My hands fly out and slap his chest. “Don’t do that. I’ll go and then you follow behind me.” My fingers clench his shirt. “But I swear to God Almighty if you jump, I’ll kill you. Daisy will help me hide your body.”
Hemi’s hands cover mine, and he strokes my skin lightly. “I won’t. I promise. Especially considering Daisy will be on a plane right now, so if you do murder me, you’re screwed.” A small smile plays on his lips, and his fingers tighten on mine. “Okay?”
“Okay. Right.” I take my hands back reluctantly and shake my body out. “I can do this. It’s totally fine. The wire holding it in the ground is totally fine, and no one’s going to die.”
“Exactly.” Hemi steps off the bridge and gives my shoulder a gentle nudge until I take a few steps onto it. “Who will drive me around if you die? Besides, I haven’t annoyed you enough to tell me about your whiteboard.”
“It’s a secret,” I say, refusing to look down at the rushing water. Can’t say I thought the bridge would be an issue for me, but how was I supposed to know literal wire was holding it up? That just seems like bad judgement.
“That doesn’t mean I’m not going to get it out of you.
” His hands come to my shoulders and rest on the straps of my backpack, urging me forward gently when I freeze in the middle of the bridge.
He keeps his hands there as we walk slowly to the other side, and I focus on the gentle pressure.
“I have a sister, you know? Her name’s Charlotte, but if anyone in the family calls her that, she flips out.
She demanded we call her Charlie after her first day at school, anyway, I have experience getting people to reveal secrets. I learned everything I know from her.”
“Maybe I’ll tell you after I survive this ordeal. I can’t believe we have to come back this way.” I swallow and peek over the side at the water, and my stomach swoops. I definitely should not have done that.
“Don’t think about that.” Hemi squeezes my shoulders. “You just agreed to tell me about the whiteboard.”
“I did not.”
“You totally did.”
“I refuse to believe that.” I step off the bridge onto the pathway, and my shoulders sag, and my knees feel weak, as if I can’t take another step.
Hemi squeezes my shoulders again before dropping his hands away.
I wish he hadn’t. But I turn to face him and blow out a shaky breath and shoot him a wobbly smile.
“Thanks. I didn’t realise I have an aversion to bridges until now. ”
Hemi’s eyes crinkle with his slight smile, but his hazel eyes that look greener against the trees hold concern. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I nod firmly. “Yep. Let’s keep going.” I spin and follow the narrow track to begin the hike. “I won’t have Daisy find out I barely crossed a bridge and called it a day.” I glance over my shoulder to roll my eyes at Hemi. “She’d hold it over me until the day I do actually die.”
Hemi grins. “That I believe.”
He’s smiled more today than he has since I picked him up at the airport, and I want him to do it more. I want to be the one putting the smile on his face. “So you have a sister? What does she do?”
“She’s a personal assistant at a tech company.”
“Does she enjoy it?”
“Loves it. She needs a holiday, though,” Hemi says, which I can barely hear over the crunching of our sneakers and the roaring of the river to our left.
I think we’re supposed to follow the river up.
I glance to the left, grimacing at the sharp drop to the river and rocks, and back to the narrow path.
Better to watch ahead, even if I want to turn and talk to Hemi.
I do not want to fall. A rock presses sharply against the sole of my sneaker, and I shift my eyes to watch the rock-littered pathway to avoid standing on anything sharp.
I attempt to get my panting under control. The steep incline is not gentle, and I didn’t realise how bad it would be. Once I manage a few breaths, I say, “It’s good she enjoys it. Maybe she could take some time off over the holidays. Does her office close over Christmas?”
“Yeah. But that’s forced relaxation. I think she should book a trip or something. Do something she’s actually excited for.”
“You’ll convince her eventually.” I come to a stop at the top of the hill and wait for Hemi to reach me.
“Wow.”
“Pretty cool. And we haven’t even got to the lookouts yet.”
There’s a wooden bench facing two connecting rivers and the mountains beyond it.
We stay there for a few minutes before continuing. This time Hemi goes first, which is a fabulous view. Almost better than the river.
My eyes trace down to his flexing ass, and I watch as he walks.
His shorts highlight him in all the right places.
I stumble on a rock and fling my hand out to catch myself on a tree.
My heart pounds, and I clutch my chest. Jesus.
Really not the time to lose my concentration.
I gulp as my eyes dart to the sharp drop.
“Maybe you should go in front,” Hemi says.
“You might be right.” I avert my eyes from the drop.
“Usually I’d complain and say I’m not clumsy, but clearly I have nothing to stand on today.
” Of course Hemi’s ass was my undoing. And staring at it has caused me to lose the privilege of watching it in action because apparently I can’t watch where I’m going at the same time.
“I’ll feel like a hero if you trip and I catch you.”