Page 15 of Happily Ever After
"Hey, I heard that." I stick out my tongue at my best friend, though she has a point.
I might be the world's worst navigator, but this island is small enough that not evenIcould get lost.
And if, by any misfortune, we do, I'll fake it. We have to come across the waterfall eventually, right?
The next morning, Aiden and Lex fill two backpacks with water and snacks for our hike through the island. Lex also throws Ade a couple of flashlights, rope, and Swiss Army knives.
"This is overkill," I tell them. "It won't take us more than an hour to walk from one end to the other. It's not like we can get lost."
"You might, El," Rhia teases.
"Oh, you're so funny," I grumble.
"It's best to be prepared for anything," Ade replies.
"Plus, you girls will be hungry after swimming in the waterfall. We're looking out for you," Lex adds, dropping a kiss on Rhia's nose.
Smiling up at him, she says, "It's always good to be ready for anything."
I roll my eyes at all of them.
Half an hour later, we're fighting our way through the forest in the middle of Lion Island. Thick undergrowth makes progress slow, and I'm glad Ade insisted I wear sneakers. Right now, I wish I had brought hiking boots.
Lex leads the way, hacking a path for us with the machete he retrieved from the helicopter as we set off.
I'm internally cheering. With him guiding us, I'm absolved from any responsibility for finding the waterfall. It's a win-win for all.
"It wasn't this hard when Tiero and I went to the waterfall," I say as a branch flicks back and nearly hits me in the face after Rhia brushes past it. "There was a path, and at one point, we crossed a little stream."
"I didn't see a path anywhere," Rhia comments from in front of me.
"It would be overgrown by now, given nobody has used it in well over a year," Ade adds from behind.
"Good point," I admit.
It makes me wonder, though, how Tiero maintained that path. Did he walk it a lot?
Perhaps he had maintenance done before each arrival to clear the way. That's more likely. I can't picture Tiero doing any mundane tasks himself. That just wasn't him.
But he loved the waterfall and swimming in the basin. I also spotted a heated mud pool that looked inviting, and I wanted to soak in it when we were there.
Tiero said it was a memorable place to relax, but it needed to be done properly. And apparently, we didn't have enough time for that. He wanted to 'initiate' me or something.
Lex suddenly stops, tilting his head to the right and listening intently.
"Do you hear that?" he asks.
"Yes," Ade replies while Rhia and I both say, "No" at the same time. We mimic Lex, but all I hear is the chirping of birds.
"You guys really do have extrasensory abilities," I tease.
Though I'm not really joking. With their special forces training, they're aware of everything. They might have left the military long ago, but situational awareness is engrained in them.
Lex veers right as he keeps hacking a path for us. Soon even Rhia and I can make out a rush of sound.
See? I was right. You cannot not find this waterfall, even when you have no idea where it is.
We follow the melody of the cascading water, excitement building with each step.
