Page 36 of My Kind of Trouble
His voice held a command, like he was trying to break through her panic.
‘We are fine. This is one of those adventures you were looking for right? I have been walking mountains far scarier than this at home for many years. Trust me, okay?’
Did she even have to question him?
Looking at his face, overgrown stubble coating his jaw, warm eyes showing no signs that she shouldn’t trust him, she knew that she could.
Her lip wobbled with uncertainty, but then she let his presence calm her like it had yesterday. And like it had many times before when they were younger.
Alex had been the one who patiently helped teach her to drive, a skill that hadn’t come easily to her and, when her brother had grown frustrated and made her feel more worked up than relaxed, Alex had stepped in.
This was the same. With him she would be okay. She would be safe.
And, maybe, this could be another example of the beauty that can be found in the messy moments in life. Sending out a silent prayer that would be the case, she strode forward, ready to step into the unknown.
Once they got to the viewpoint, an entirely different one than originally planned, Noa’s shoulders sagged in relief.
Noa one, bears zero.
She let the fact they had made it to the top safe and sound sink in, then looked up to really take it in.
Yet again, Noa felt like all the air had left her lungs. It was utterly breathtaking. The almost snow-white sand bar a striking contrast to the turquoise ocean rippling around it. Vibrant green plants and shrubs blanketed the rocky moundacross the water, and the people below looked small and insignificant compared to the endless beauty that surrounded them. A humid breeze whipped at their bare shoulders, whispering in their ears and through their hair, carrying the smell of salty skin and sun cream. Noa let it fill her lungs. She wanted to bask in the moment and take it in with every sense possible so she would never forget it.
‘Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?’ she thought out loud.
‘No,’ was his only response.
She stood in silence for a long while, soaking it all in.
‘It’s… it’s just so breathtaking,’ she sighed, and Alex agreed.
But when she looked over her shoulder at him, he was no longer looking at the view, but right at her.
Chapter 21
Alex
Krabi Old Town was somewhere Alex could lose himself in for days, given the opportunity.
It was so vastly different from Freymoor, the dusty streets lined with busy market stalls, the blues, pinks and greens of the shop fronts making it feel like they’d stepped into a rainbow, the sun painting the bricks in a warm glow that only enhanced that feeling. Yet, being there made his mind still in a similar way that it did when he was home. Maybe it was the change in pace from the rest of their trip. Being in a small market town again, despite its differences, felt familiar. Like he knewthe locals who scurried through the streets, stopping to talk to their neighbours, and could understand the collective belonging they all felt for a place like this.
It was special. Just like Freymoor was special.
Noa’s hair fanned over her shoulders and down her back, wisps getting caught in the gentle breeze. Her waves mimicked the sway of her hips, snaking from side to side as she walked. She smiled brightly at the vendors who occupied the street, radiating sunshine to everyone she passed.
She was an image worthy of a postcard in itself, but with the town as her backdrop. He seriously debated pulling his phone out and capturing the moment.
It felt like they’d made progress in Koh Tao, and Alex was relieved that Noa hadn’t tried to fight him when he not-so-subtly started to help her work through some of the activities on her list.
They’d remained at the viewpoint until the sun started to set, and the whole experience had felt more intimate than it should have. He’d been entranced by her and the way her face illuminated at the view, her nose wrinkling in concentration as she took it in, drawing her freckles together until they almost became one. She’d come alive, and he’d noticed that her eyes had regained a sparkle in them that he hadn’t seen since she’d come home. The same sparkle he saw now directed at everyone who came into her orbit. A warm glow. An aura she just seemed to wrap people in without even knowing it.
He loved seeing her like that and wasn’t sure he would ever tire of seeing this version of her. Friends like to see their friends happy, right? That was the reason he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her like she was the best view in Thailand. Because he was nothing if not a good pal, and he wanted to make sure she was having a good time.
After their hike, he’d almost managed to get the words she’d directed at Marcus days earlier out of his head… almost.
‘It’s a date.’
It’s a fucking date!
