Chapter 41
ELLIE (PRESENT)
Early morning sunlight filters through the narrow crevices of the stone walls. Dripping water echoes in the distance, stirring me awake from the best sleep I’ve gotten in years. The harmonious cadence is a sweet reminder of the events that transpired well into the morning hours.
I smile as my eyes flicker open, still blurry with sleep. I blink rapidly against the gentle light leaking in from the mouth of the cave and stretch my arms out in front of me. They collide with the broad chest of the man lying next to me.
Nate.
I trail my fingers down his chest and watch as goosebumps erupt on his flesh.
My heart swells as I take in his sleeping form.
His face is relaxed and peaceful, a small smile framing his lips as he sleeps.
I snuggle against him, craving the warmth of his body.
I smile to myself as I remember the feeling of his hands on my body, his lips pressed to mine, the way he moved against me.
Last night was the first time in eight years I gave freely. He didn’t take what wasn’t his because I’ve always been his. He washed away years of heartache, first with his possessive confidence and filthy mouth, and then with his gentle touch and sweet words.
I gave him my body, and he loved it with every part of his heart and soul.
We stayed up for hours talking, laughing, kissing…making love. When he told me he was going to use my body until I couldn’t take it any longer, he wasn’t lying.
My body knows who it belongs to now.
He did take pity on me when he heard my stomach growl.
Once the weather let up a bit, Nate went to gather the coconuts and bananas he saw while out searching for me.
He cut some fresh bamboo and brought back rainwater to fill our bellies.
He even surprised me with some yucca leaves so that we could wash our bodies in a small pool we found when we explored the deeper caverns.
Thankfully, the cave system was full of dried foliage that had been blown in with the wind over time.
Nate made us a small fire and continued to use my body until I couldn’t see straight.
I am deliciously sore this morning and still aching for his touch.
But…I’m also famished. We need something a little heartier than fruit today. We also need to set up a permanent shelter. The thought unsettles me. I turn over, lying flat on my back. The word permanent has my stomach aching. How long will we be here? Will we ever be rescued?
I’m ready to start my life with Nate, and I’d prefer to do that in a house with air conditioning.
“What are you thinking?” Nate’s finger trails up and down my arm, sending chills all over my body. His arm tickles were always my favorite, and I find myself pushing into his touch. I turn my head to face him and see that his eyes are filled with mischief.
“NO.” I giggle, knowing that look all too well.
He pouts, grabbing my hip and turning my body into his.
My leg automatically lifts over his thigh, twining our lower limbs and aligning our bodies perfectly.
He thrusts against me, awakening that spark that seems to always come to life for him.
I can’t help but push back against him despite my wonderfully sore center.
“Behave yourself!” I swat at his chest, and he captures my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it gently.
Our eyes connect as he kisses my wrist, my palm, my fingers.
“Good morning.” He grins, satisfaction from the night before is written all over his face.
“Morning,” I murmur. My chest flutters, and I feel lighter than I have in years.
“You know,” he raises an eyebrow, “I can feel how badly you want me when you’re pressed up against me without any clothes on,” he says, laughing when I immediately unhitch my leg from around his hip and scoot away.
He winks at me as he sits up, reaching for our discarded clothes.
Handing me my shirt, he leans into me and murmurs into my ear.
“That wasn’t a complaint.” He kisses the spot below my ear, down my neck and back up, nipping at my earlobe.
“Drench me, baby. I want to smell you on my cock all day.” His deep voice and hot breath make me shudder.
“Shit,” I hiss, immediately turned on. At this rate, we are never going to leave this cave. I scurry away from him like he’s on fire, and his smug laugh makes me want to make him beg for me.
Two can play this game.
My stomach has other ideas and decides to let out an ugly growl, demanding something other than coconuts. The obnoxious noise quells my teasing thoughts before I can see them to fruition. Nate’s face transforms from flirty to concerned, and he quickly puts on his jeans.
I could really get used to him missing his shirt.
“We need to get you fed and energized because I fully plan to deplete that energy again tonight.” He winks, grabbing my hands and pulling me to my feet.
I can’t help the blush that creeps up my cheeks.
Sex was a big part of our relationship as teenagers, but it never felt quite so…
sensual. Our bodies came together and communicated in a way that our words couldn’t do justice.
Love. Apologies. Forgiveness. I felt it all in his touch, his kiss. His complete and utter need for me.
“Come on.” He grabs my hand after I finish dressing. “Let’s go back to the beach and collect some sand. We are going to mix it with mud and use it for insulation.”
“Are we staying in the cave?” I ask, not at all opposed to the idea.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Pip. We can’t secure the entrance, and we don’t know what is coming through the other openings. This is a whole cave system. It looks like it might span most of the island. If we’re even on an island.”
“What do you mean?” I pull my hand back, halting our movement.
“Our plane was flying too low to the ground, so I couldn’t make out how big the land mass was. Being there is a whole cave network here, we may be somewhere in the jungle, rather than an adjacent island.
“Does that mean we are connected to a…a country? Like, if we keep walking, are we going to run into Secrets Resort?” I can feel the hope and excitement mounting with the thought. What I wouldn’t do for a spa day.
“We might be in a South American country, but the chances we are by a luxury resort are pretty slim, baby,” he says gently. “The pilot didn’t indicate that there was an airport nearby that he was trying to land at, and the rainforest goes on for thousands and thousands of miles.”
My hope deflates. Thousands of miles of coastline. How are they ever going to find us?
“Hey…” he grabs my chin, forcing me to look up at him, “it’s you and me, no matter what. If we are here for five days or ten years…I’m going to take care of you. For the rest of our lives.” There is nothing but honesty in his vow.
“Okay,” I murmur, knowing it’s the truth. “So if we aren’t staying in the cave, where are we setting up a shelter?”
“The overhang. I know it’s far from the beach, but it’s the best chance we have because I can close the entrance. It’s big enough to build a fire and still have room to move around, but small enough that I can insulate it pretty quickly.”
“How do we get rescued if they can’t even see us?” This feels like giving up.
“We keep a bonfire on the beach. We feed it each day and spend as much of the daytime there as we can. Maybe create a message out of rocks in case it’s spotted when we aren’t there, or the rain extinguishes the fire.
We. Are. Not. Giving. Up. But, we need to get to a point where we can live…
not just survive. I need you to trust me to take care of us. ”
“Okay…I trust you.” It’s the easiest phrase I’ve ever spoken.
There’s a reason I could never let go of him, of us.
Nate is meant to be my forever. Regardless of our history, the hurt, and the pain.
Everything he did was to try and protect me.
Part of me always knew we were never truly over, that he would always be mine.
He’s my epilogue, not my lesson in love.
He bends down and kisses me softly. The vow he made shines brightly in his eyes. They aren’t just pretty words meant to make me feel better. He means them with every fiber of his being.
“Let’s go.”
We leave the cave and walk back toward the beach so that we can work on our version of forever.
However that may look right now.
The island heat is more bearable today after the last two days of heavy rain. The muggy humidity still lingers though, and it’s fair to assume I will never have a good hair day while we are here.
There is a lot of destruction left behind from the strong hurricane winds, but they don’t lessen the beauty of the jungle. Now that we have some semblance of a plan, I’m starting to appreciate our own little paradise.
We make it back to the beachfront relatively easily despite all of the fallen trees and muddy terrain. The crystal white sand gleams in the distance, drawing my eyes to the scenic coastline.
My heart skips a beat.
Then another.
“Nate!” I squeal, pointing straight ahead. I grab his hand and pull him out of the jungle with me so that he can get a better look.
Luggage.
Luggage scattered all along the beachfront.
“Holy shit,” he exclaims, jogging up to the coastline. “The hurricane must have stirred everything up, and the tide carried it in!”
We both fall to our knees in the sand and begin wrenching open the soggy bags.
Clothing, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, manicure kits, and so much more spill out of the bags and I begin to cry.
It’s such a small thing. Such a little win.
It’s not going to feed us or shelter us, but it will give us some shred of normalcy.
Nate runs toward the ocean and begins pulling a large piece of metal toward the shore.
A piece of the plane.
“What are you doing?” I shout out to him.
“We can use this, Pip. We can use all of it. The metal from the plane to create a barrier to the overhang. We can use the long rods from the suitcase handles to help keep our structure upright. We can fashion sharper spears for fishing and hunting. We can cut the material from the fabric suitcases for baskets and netting.”
The excitement in his voice has me smiling. I finally believe that we are going to be okay. No matter what, we are going to get through this.
“Okay, Jack. What do I need to do?”
He goes completely still. If I didn’t know better, I would think he stopped breathing. He turns slowly until he faces me. His face, a blank mask…but I can see the hidden anger underneath.
“Who the fuck is Jack?”
Oh.
Ooh.
He’s jealous. He thinks I slipped up and called him another man’s name. I bite back my laugh and walk toward him, swaying my hips a little.
“Dr. Shephard…” I reply, tilting my head as if I’m assessing his reaction.
“Your doctor?” he asks, no longer hiding the possessive undertone in his voice.
“He’s…a doctor,” I tease, having way too much fun with this.
“Were you two together?” The sadness in his eyes is almost enough to stop my game. Almost. As far as I’m concerned, he’s forgiven, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve a little payback.
“God, I wish. But I was definitely more into his friend, Sawyer.”
Anger flashes in his eyes. “And you dated this Sawyer dickhead? The fuck kind of a name is that, Sawyer.”
I can’t help it anymore. I burst out laughing, tears streaming down my face as his anger for a fictional character continues to build. Eventually confusion replaces anger as Nate watches my hysterics.
“It’s a show, Nate.” I giggle, out of breath. “About a plane crash. I can’t believe you’ve never seen it!”
The tension leaves his body, but he still doesn’t smile.
“Well, why the hell did you call me Jack if you’re into that Sawyer dipshit.” He has zero embarrassment over that little alpha display.
“Because…” I say, sliding my hands up his bare chest. “Jack was the problem fixer. The hero. The guy in charge.”
He captures my hands and brings them around his neck. “I want to be the guy that gets the girl. I want to be Sawyer,” he nearly pouts.
“Sawyer was a career criminal who scammed women out of their lifesavings,” I deadpan. “And Jack does get the girl at the end.”
Nate lifts an eyebrow. “I should probably be concerned about the types of guys you’re attracted to.” His hands move toward my waist before settling low on my hips.
“You absolutely should,” I murmur, standing on my toes to bring my lips closer to his. The movement causes his hands to slide lower down my back. He slides them a little farther until he’s able to cup my ass. “Unsavory. The lot of them.”
“Cavemen,” he whispers against my lips.
I pull back and smile wide. “My current crush did indeed fuck me in a cave.”
“Current? Try last. There won’t be one that comes next.” He nips at my lips until I open for him. He bends down, keeping our mouths attached, and picks me up wedding style. “I’m going to show you just how unsavory I can be.”
“Nate,” I giggle, “wait! Wait! The lizards…”