Page 77 of Explorer's Revenge
“There was a temple on our way in with drawings of people being tossed into a hole. We didn’t make the connection before, but I’m betting they were human sacrifices,” Aiy explains.
“Guess it didn’t work,” she whispers.
“Or they left.” I shrug. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. We need to make sure no one else comes here and gets hurt. Ten more minutes, then we are moving. We need to be at the beach when they arrive.”
“I don’t know about you,” Rick says, “but I’m dying for a bath and pizza.”
Way grins. “Burger.”
“Small thinking, my friend. I want a five-course meal with all the alcohol I can drink and Maeve in a sexy, little dress,” Logan teases.
“Wild?” Rick asks.
“I want our home. I want all of you bickering and chasing each other. I want our normal,” I admit.
“I want my dad,” Maeve murmurs, “sitting on his porch drinking tea. I want to sleep without worrying I will be eaten, but most of all, I want to shower.”
We all laugh, since we feel the same way. We must stink, and after a long expedition, there is nothing better than that first shower. It’s something only people like us understand.
“How mad do you think Ajax will be?” Aiy asks.
“At you guys? Not very. At me? Extremely, but then again, he’s always mad at me,” she says, and when Aiy looks scared, she adds, “Don’t worry. I can handle Ajax. Besides, it doesn’t matter as long as you guys are okay.”
“I still can’t believe you came back,” Rick whispers. “You must really love me, Carter. I’m flattered. When should we set the wedding date?”
Her grin is infectious, and I turn away as they start flirting and arguing. Their laughter is a balm for my troubled heart, one that will only calm once we are away from this fucking island. Like Carter, I’ll probably sleep for a week straight when I know we are all safe.
“What happens when we go home?” Aiyaret asks softly. I glance back to see Maeve looking at him tenderly.
“What do you mean?” Whenever she speaks to him, her tone always softens. With Rick and Logan, she’s loud and boisterous, and with me, she’s brave and strong, but with Aiyaret, she’s soft and kind. She caters to us all, I realize, giving us what we need.
“With you.” He looks around then back at her. “We just go our separate ways after this?”
“I—” She swallows. “I’m not part of your team, Aiy.”
“Oh . . .” He looks so forlorn that Way pulls him into his side, and my heart aches for him. “I thought since we . . . Never mind.”
It’s uncharted territory for us, so we become quiet, none of us knowing what to say. I rejected Maeve as part of our team for Aiy, as well as some selfish reasons, but while we’ve been here, we have all grown close, and it’s clear even Aiy doesn’t want to let that go.
Worry tightens my chest at his question. Will she just leave us when we go back?
Moving closer to Aiy, she takes his hand and squeezes it softly until he looks at her. “Let’s get off this island first, okay? When we are safe, we can talk about it, but I promise I’m not just going to disappear on you. We fought and survived a crocodile together, sweetie, and that bonds us,” she teases. “No matter what, I’ll be in your life if that’s what you want.”
“You promise?” he asks softly. She’s the only woman he has ever trusted, ever let touch him, and as I watch them, something in me unwinds. She’s healing him, or at least helping him, and despite the twinge of jealousy I feel, I couldn’t be happier. Aiyaret has suffered for a long time, and the person who could fix him was right there.
I was just too blind to see it, thinking I knew best.
If we get out of here and she asks to be one of us, I’ll let her in a heartbeat.
It’s clear Maeve Carter belongs with us, but I will not tie her down if it isn’t something she wants. I will never try to clip her wings. I love her wildness, and I will never take it from her.
“I promise.” She presses her forehead to his. “Whatever happens, Aiyaret, you’re not getting rid of me, okay?”
“Even if I’m dating Way?” he asks quietly, and I know that’s one of his fears. He thought loving Way would mean losing her, but he doesn’t know her very well.
“What does that have to do with anything?” she whispers. “I love that you both finally stopped being dumb and got together. Would you abandon me just because I like Wilder? Or Rick? Or Logan? Or even Way?”
“No,” he answers without hesitation. “I’d be happy that someone I love likes the other person I love.”
