Page 61 of Burn for You

I blush as I take the rod from his hands. “Thanks.”

“Come on, then.”

I always thoughtfishing would be boring. I’ve seen people do it, and it always seemed to me that they just sat there waiting. Dave used to watch those fish wrangling shows. The ones where they’d shove their hands in a cave looking for some massive fish that they’d pull out. That looked a tad more adventurous.

Now that I’m out here, doing it for myself…I can confirm it’s just as boring as I had anticipated. If not worse. This sucks. I’ve got no fish. Not one singular munch on the bait I spent way too long figuring out how to put on the hook.

Rafael has got a few, but it’s not much fun watching someone else catch fish and having none for myself.

I sigh as I slump back in my camping chair that’s set up on the edge of the river. I close my eyes as I tilt my head up to the sky.

I was wrong earlier when I said the car doors were the only sound. When you really listen, you can hear a whole world around you.

The water moves down the river with a calm pace, but I can almost hear it passing over the rocks jutting out in its path. Can nearly hear it sweep along the grass that hangs over the edge of the bank.

I can hear wings rapidly beating above me until a branch rustles as weight falls upon it. Can hear the chitter chatter of the sparrows, telling each other about their days before they move on. Can hear the leaves shuffling against one another when the breeze passes through them.

“If you think this is beautiful,” Rafael starts, breaking me out of my haze, “then you’re going to love the waterfall.”

“There’s a waterfall?”

He nods. “It’s a fair hike away. You up for it?”

chapter twenty-three

MAY

Shit,Rafael wasn’t lying when he said it was a hike away. Actually, that might have even been an understatement. I feel like we’ve been walking for hours. Sweat has settled into my hairline the further upstream we’ve walked.

“Are we nearly there?”

“Wow, I’m actually surprised it took you this long to ask. I was expecting that at least half an hour ago,” he says as he ducks under a low branch.

“We’ve only been walking for just over half an hour.”

He chuffs a laugh. “Exactly.”

I stop in my tracks, resting my hands on my hips. “Do you think I’m that unfit?”

He turns around to face me. “Oh no, I’m fully aware of yourfitness.” He looks me up and down, and if it wasn’t so hot, I’m sure goosebumps would follow in his wake. “It’s about your resilience.”

“My resilience?”

“That might’ve been the wrong word. Your dedication maybe.”

“My dedication?!” I’m nearly squealing with disdain. “I’ll have you know I’m very dedicated in allaspects of my life.”

“Whatever you say, March.” He turns around and continues leading the way. I scoff and roll my eyes. The audacity of this man.

“To answer your question.” He looks at me before gesturing ahead of himself, and my breath is immediately stolen away.

The most beautiful scene I’ve ever looked at is lying just a few steps away. I mindlessly wander past where Rafael is standing, watching my every move.

A huge waterfall cascades off a cliff so high I can barely see the edge. The water here is even clearer than it was down at our fishing spot. It’s like something from a fairytale. I’m half expecting a mermaid to be sitting on a rock jutting out of the water.

Lush green surrounds us, and the sounds of the nature are amplified here, but get drowned out the closer I get to the falls.

The water rushes down, crashing into the pool below, before it tapers down and creates the river we followed to get here. But just there in between, there’s a moment of calm. A moment of quiet serenity between the force of the currents.

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