Page 78 of Chasing Paradise

“Oh, wow, those are far up there, huh?”

“Yeah, this is a really mature one.” I’d lucked out that the other few I’d come across were on the shorter side with some low-lying bananas that were reachable with just a few jumps.

If we wanted some of the ripe bananas on this plant, I was going to need to climb.

We were low on food. And I hadn’t come across more guava or anything else on our walk.

If we wanted to keep morale up, we needed more food.

“Alright. I am going to see if I can find some rocks to stand on.”

“Rocks?” Violet asked, brows pinched.

“Seems like we’re in an area of old lava flow. I’ve seen more rocks around. If I can get one under the tree, that might give me a couple of feet, so I only have to climb maybe five or so feet.”

“Shouldn’t I come with you?”

“I’d rather you stay here, so we don’t lose the tree. You can whistle me back.”

“I can’t whistle.”

“You can’t whistle? Really?”

“I know. Believe me, I’ve tried. But I canMarco Poloyou back.”

“That’ll work. I won’t go far. If I can’t find a good rock, I’ll circle back and just use the climbing strap I have.”

I was only opting to find a rock or two out of sheer laziness. I was uncharacteristically worn out and didn’t want to tax my upper body as much as my lower body felt.

But I would do what I needed to do to keep us fed, one way or another.

“Okay. But if some giant beetle attacks me while you’re gone, I’ll never forgive you.”

My smile was immediate as I closed the space between us grabbing Vi by the back of her neck and hauling her against me as my lips claimed hers.

It was supposed to be a quick kiss, but it wasn’t long before we were getting a little carried away.

It was the hoot of a monkey somewhere overhead that had us breaking apart.

“Go get your rock. Then we get our food. And get into the hammock together.”

I was looking forward to it.

Both of us on our sides, her facing away from me, my hand between her thighs for a while before I was sliding into her from behind…

“I won’t be long. Keep an ear out for me.”

As it would turn out, she wouldn’t have to listen hard.

Because as I knelt down on the ground beside a particularly large rock, trying to roll it, something crawled up my leg.

Before I could even see what it was, the bite started.

The debilitating, indescribable pain told me what it was.

A bullet ant.

Fuck.

---