Chapter Eighteen
Allie could barely feel the sting of the graze on her knee.
But that didn’t mean she’d forgotten the moment she’d clipped that ficus root mid-sprint yesterday.
Or that horrible stomach-drop sensation when she’d flown through the air only to land knee-first. Or that confession Barra had rained on her moments before.
On the contrary, Allie could remember every detail vividly.
She could remember the confusion she’d felt when Barra had mentioned Dominique.
And she could remember the exact moment her insides had become all twisty when Barra had admitted she had feelings for her.
Then how that lovely warmth had turned ice cold when Barra had said she was worried those feelings weren’t real.
Weren’t real?
But if Barra had any more reservations about what she felt, she didn’t show it.
Not in the way she’d scooped Allie off the forest floor after her fall and kissed her while mouthing “I told you so.” And especially not in the way she’d looked at Allie at last night’s Sending when their plan had actually worked.
Hazel had gone home with a stiff smile, a lawyer’s handshake, and one last pointed look at Barra that said she knew exactly who had sharpened the knife.
By the time Vivian reassigned Allie to Barra, the whole beach had gone quiet in that deliciously awkward way people got when strategy worked a little too well.
Allie’s skin prickled at the memory.
She wanted to lean in closer to Barra, who was standing next to her, and say, “I can’t believe we’re standing here as a pair and we didn’t even have to play our advantages.
” Instead, she dragged her hands down her arms as a gust of wind ripped through the clearing.
The rain had stopped, and the sky was a crisp, cloudless blue, but in its place was a howling wind that sent the edges of the challenge banner flapping so aggressively it looked seconds away from tearing off clean and making a run for the jungle.
“Welcome, contestants,” Vivian said, taking her spot in front of them. The sun overhead was sharp enough to make her squint. “It seems you all are being treated to an entirely new kind of weather today. Thankfully, it’s not raining.”
There were a couple of chuckles. At least everyone’s sense of humor hadn’t been completely washed out by the last three days. Although Tilly’s was close. She seemed one inconvenience away from a breakdown.
Then, without warning, a thick, wet cough cut through the laughter.
Everyone turned toward Elodie. She had her fist pressed to her mouth.
Her shoulders were shaking just as another cough rattled its way out of her chest. She blinked rapidly and looked sheepishly around her.
“Sorry, I’ve woken up with a bit of a cold,” she said, dragging the back of her hand under her nose.
Vivian blinked. “Do you want the medics to check you out?” she asked, nodding toward a tent that was currently fighting for its life against the wind. Inside, Maureen—the doctor Allie had only briefly met before the game started—sat on a three-legged chair, holding a cup of coffee.
Earlier the smell had wafted over to them, and Allie had groaned out loud.
Elodie waved a hand like it was nothing. “I’m fine,” she said, her voice hoarse. “It sounds worse than it is. Really, I’m fine.”
Anna, beside her, pressed her lips thin with worry. Allie understood why; she didn’t need a medical degree to know that it absolutely did not sound fine. Even Vivian didn’t look entirely convinced, but she let it go and shifted her attention smoothly back to the group. Then she turned to Allie.
“Allie, after three days of relentless rain and no reward challenges, you were suddenly sent to The Sending last night. How did that feel?” Vivian asked.
Allie snatched her attention from Elodie’s gurgling cough and focused on Vivian.
“I think my feelings toward The Sending were a bit more positive than everyone else’s,” she said.
Since Sutton had been voted out, Allie would’ve been obliged to sit out at every reward challenge until she was paired up again.
Since there hadn’t been any challenges, she hadn’t missed out on anything.
“I’m just relieved to be back in the game. ”
“With Barra as your other half?”
Allie nodded. She liked the sound of that a little too much. Barra as her other half like they were—nope. She wasn’t about to get ahead of herself. Too dangerous.
“Yes,” she nodded. “Which is why I’m quite nervous for today’s challenge.
” Allie had spotted the blobs of color drifting on the water’s choppy surface the moment she’d stepped into the clearing.
“Barra is more athletic than I am,” she admitted.
“So I only hope I can make her proud... and hopefully we won’t end up dead last.”
Vivian chuckled. Barra did too. If they didn’t have an audience, Allie was fairly certain Barra would’ve kissed her on the temple and told her not to worry. Allie, however, would still be worried. A swimming challenge was the worst kind of challenge.
“Well, let’s hope you and Barra can find your rhythm today,” Vivian said lightly.
Then she turned and swept an arm toward the ocean.
“Today’s challenge will test your endurance and your wit.
Each pair will be assigned a color. You will find your matching colored buoys out in the ocean.
” Behind her, the sea was so choppy that Allie already felt queasy.
Three years ago Allie and her book club girlfriends had taken a fast boat from Padang Bai to Gili Air.
The boat had slammed into wave after wave, and Allie’s breakfast had gone straight into a bucket.
This felt like it might be heading in the exact same direction.
“At each buoy, you will find two puzzle pieces tied to it with a knot,” Vivian continued.
“There are twenty pieces in total. You must swim out, untie the pieces, and return them to your team’s station on the beach.
First pair to complete their puzzle...” She paused, and Allie found herself crossing her fingers and her toes for an overnight getaway.
Her body craved the softness of a mattress, the decadence of thousand-thread-count sheets, and really, she wouldn’t be upset if she could devour a four-course meal.
But then Vivian said, “Unfortunately, there will be no reward today.”
What the actual fuck?
“Instead, the last two teams to complete their puzzle will be at risk of being voted out at The Sending tonight,” Vivian added, though Allie’s ears were still ringing with disappointment so loud she could barely hear the words.
Silence.
Allie’s stomach dropped somewhere near her ankles. Beside her, Barra let out a strangled sound. “We should’ve expected it,” Toph muttered under her breath.
“Why?” Tilly whispered right back.
“Because production has a schedule,” Toph replied matter-of-factly. “And the weather delay is obviously pushing everything forward.”
Allie hadn’t even considered that. Nor did she have time now, because Vivian was already calling out names. “Elodie and Anna, please step forward and choose your color.”
THE FIRST HIT OF WATER stole Allie’s breath clean out of her chest. After the heavy rain, the ocean was colder than expected. But she pushed forward anyway. Her arms cut through the breakers and her legs kicked hard against the water until the sand dropped beneath her.
Ahead, the purple buoys bobbed, half hidden when waves lifted, only to reappear again when they dropped.
Allie watched them with hatred in her eyes.
But only for a second before Barra swam into her field of vision.
She reached one buoy, looking completely effortless in her strokes.
Then, as if she could feel Allie’s eyes on her, she snapped her head toward her and smiled.
A smile that got a fire going deep into Allie’s bones.
Allie kicked harder than before. A few seconds later, she reached a purple buoy and grabbed the rope.
The knot was so tight her nails ached, but that didn’t stop her.
Neither did the wave that crashed into the side of her face.
Finally, the knot gave way. Allie pulled the puzzle piece free and turned to swim back to shore.
But just as she did, she swallowed a mouthful of saltwater.
“Are you okay?” Barra called as Allie spluttered and coughed and did everything she could not to drown, including abandoning the puzzle piece and flailing her arms like she was signaling for help. And maybe she was. Because in the next second, Barra was at her side.
“Just breathe,” Barra said, grabbing the puzzle piece, which she handed back to Allie once she’d stopped choking on saltwater. “And take your time. I’ll get most of the pieces. You just do what you can.”
“I’m not an invalid.” Allie coughed. Although she felt quite like an invalid. Why were her lungs burning like this? Surely by this stage of the game, she should be a seal in the water.
Barra laughed just as a wave rose up behind her and broke hard against her shoulder, shoving her sideways. She looked entirely unperturbed. “You’re right. You’re just really bad at water challenges.” She winked and swam off.
Allie felt a dip in her stomach that had nothing to do with the waves and everything to do with Barra.
She embraced the sensation, turned, and pushed after Barra toward the shore.
The sand wasn’t much better, but only because her legs were stiff from the fall the other day.
Or so her excuse would go if asked later.
She dropped the puzzle piece on the purple strip of canvas and wanted nothing more than to lie down.
Instead, she reluctantly went back to the ocean.
“GREEN TEAM IS IN THE LEAD,” Vivian’s voice carried over the surf. “TOPH AND TILLY ALREADY HAVE SIX PIECES ON THEIR MAT!”
What the hell?
“MARGARET AND VALERIE ARE HOT ON THEIR HEELS.”
“Just keep moving!” Barra said, calling back behind her.
Which was exactly what Allie was going to do. Except by the third trip, Allie’s shoulders started to burn as hot as a furnace. Her strokes were so slow that on more than one occasion she wondered if she was moving at all. Then there was also the wind pushing against her on the way out.
“PURPLE TEAM IS STILL BEHIND!” Vivian shouted. Then her tone shifted as she called, “ELODIE, ARE YOU OKAY?”
Allie glanced over despite being moments from hitting the surf.
Elodie was back on the shore, bent forward, coughing again.
Except it sounded worse this time. Way worse.
Her shoulders hitched as she braced her knees with her hands.
The sounds dragging out of her chest could make a dog bark.
Vivian stood just a few feet away from her with a terribly worried expression on her face.
She looked like a person about to call the challenge.
She even gestured toward the production, but then Elodie jumped into a jog.
“I’M FINE!” she yelled. “SERIOUSLY, I’M FINE! !”
That seemed to be the end of it. Not that Allie waited around to find out. She dove into the breakers, ignoring her exhaustion. At least the last purple piece was easy to get, and when she finally staggered onto the mat, she dropped the piece and doubled over to catch her breath.
“PURPLE TEAM CAN START ON THEIR PUZZLE!” Vivian called. “GREEN TEAM IS ALREADY HALFWAY THROUGH THEIRS! BLUE TEAM IS CLOSE BEHIND.”
Allie and Barra were somehow last. Even Elodie and Anna had already started on their puzzle. Although with Elodie still having a coughing fit, it became clear Anna was the only one actually doing anything.
“Don’t think about the other teams,” Barra said, stepping in beside Allie at the table. Her voice was like a breath of fresh air. Allie felt just a touch less exhausted. “The puzzle is the equalizer. We can still catch up.”
And cows could fly and chickens could quack.
But still, Allie flipped a piece over, then another, and another.
Barra gathered all the pieces with edges and lined them along the border.
The puzzle was always an inspirational slogan relating to that season.
Allie could already see palm fronds and half of an E that could possibly be the start of the word ENDURE.
She found a corner piece and slotted it in.
Barra snapped two edges together and then slid a piece to Allie.
“I think that says ADAPT,” Allie said, spotting half the word printed on a piece.
“And that says OUTLAST,” Barra said, sliding a piece toward her.
The middle started filling in: patches of green, then the sky, then the sharp streak of what she thought was a macaw’s wing.
For a second, Allie experienced a bloom of hope so bright that she was even smiling.
She reached for another piece, already angling it in her hand.
“GREEN AND BLUE TEAMS HAVE FINISHED THEIR PUZZLES!” Vivian shouted, her voice cracking across the beach.
But Allie was barely listening. She shoved the piece into place. It was a macaw! She was just about to reach for another when Barra’s fingers closed around her wrist. “It’s over. We’re in the bottom two,” she said.