Page 34 of Fear of Intimacy

The thought of doing something spontaneous with Trevor made butterflies erupt in my stomach. Before I could overthink, I said, “Let’s go explore.”

“Look how stunning,”I breathed. The sight before me was absolutely beautiful. One of Whitsunday Island’ssecret waterfalls was directly in front of us, looking everything like the locals told us about.

The waterfall cascaded down into a crystal-clear lake, rocks and moss growing all the rocks surrounding the pool beneath. The sound of the waterfall hitting the rocks a gentle roar. The sun filtered through the tall trees, highlighting the water. The scene felt like a hidden paradise.

When Trevor and I set out on our solo adventure, we explored the little town, visiting a few more shops and some historic buildings. It was surprisingly fun walking around with Trevor. He really was the type that went with the flow and made anything enjoyable. We were the typical tourists as we took picture after picture of the beautiful town. There was so much to see.

We had stopped to grab something to drink when we overheard locals talking about a waterfall. Being the nosey person that Trevor was, he interrupted them and asked them about it. Of course he charmed the pair, especially the wife,and they gladly told us about a secret path that most tourists didn’t know about.

“The hike was worth it, wasn’t it?” I didn’t miss the mocking tone Trevor had.

One thing the couple didn’t tell us was how rigorous the way up would be. It was all uphill with some rocky terrain. Thankfully, I wore tennis shoes, but I wasn’t prepared for the walk to be that hard. Or for how out of shape I was.

The whole time, Trevor just casually strolled ahead as if the incline didn’t bother him at all. He barely broke a sweat while I followed behind panting so hard my ribs hurt.

“Think the complaining was necessary?” he continued. Without looking away from the waterfall, I gave him the middle finger. Trevor laughed, the sound echoing around us.

I may have complained a little bit—okay, more like a lot. About halfway, I started getting tired, sweaty, and hungry. It was Trevor’s bright idea to come, so it was only fair I gave him my wrath. But seeing the waterfall did make it worth it.

“Want to sit down for a minute?”

I barely let Trevor finish his sentence before brushing past him toward a big rock near the water. My legs were tired and definitely needed a break before heading back.

“When we get back you are so buying me some food,” I grunted as I heaved myself up and sat down. The rock was a little slick from the water raining from the waterfall. Thank God I decided to wear a tank top and shorts, or else I would have died. There was no way I’d be hiking in a dress, either.

“I’ll get you the biggest pizza we can find,” Trevor promised, taking a seat beside me. At the mention of such food, I almost moaned. That would be so good right now.

The two of us sat on the rock, looking at the waterfall in comfortable silence. Trevor’s big frame took up most of it, so our legs were touching. We were the only ones nearby, and we didn’t pass a soul on the way up. It was so peaceful here.The sound of the waterfall and birds overhead was like our own little nirvana.

“I can admit the hike was worth it,” I said after a moment. From the corner of my eye, I saw Trevor open his mouth to say something. “Don’t even say it,” I interrupted him before he could.

“Say what?”

“I just know you’re dying to say it but don’t you dare.” He knew exactly what I was talking about.

“I wasn’t going to,” Trevor said with a shit-eating grin.

“Uh-huh.”

We lapsed into silence, but Trevor let out a giant sigh next to me. I ignored it at first but then he did it again, this time bumping his knee with mine. On the third sigh, I threw my head back and groaned.

“Fine, just say it.” He waited for me to look over at him.

“Told you so.”There it was.

“You just had to, didn’t you?”

“Only cause I was right.” I swore Trevor’s grin grew wider.

“It was your bright idea to go on a five-mile hike. ONE WAY! We weren’t even prepared.” I exclaimed, throwing my hands up.

“Five miles isn’t even that long,” he had the nerve to say.

“Says the guy who works out every day. Us normal people don’t do that.”

“I don’t workout every day. I take Sundays off.”

“Oh, cause that’s so much better.” I rolled my eyes. I knew being a hockey player, they had insane workout schedules and meal plans. You couldn’t play at the top of your game if you weren’t healthy.

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