Page 61 of Wrecked
“Working up a much bigger sweat,” I mumble as we start walking toward the tree line. As daunting as our situation is, I can’t help but take in the breathtaking landscape. Sunlight filters through the leafy canopies, creating a speckled radiance that highlights the scenic forestry. The sounds of the jungle create a peaceful symphony of wildlife as we walk through the hostile terrain. The distant calls of howler monkeys harmonize with the chirping birds flying above the canopies. The enchanting melody produces a serene cadence, making our hike pleasant regardless of our dire circumstances.
Ellie and I walk side-by-side, despite the thick vegetation. My need to have her close outweighs any other rationale. If she is in front, she will be first in line for any dangerous encounter. If she were behind me, I would not be able to ensure her safety. Hell, at this point, I’d glue her to my side if I could.
“Look!” Ellie exclaims, pointing at the low-hanging coconuts above our heads.
Protein.
Thank fuck.
I use one of the spears we made last night to help knock them down and drop them into our weaved basket.
“Good eye, Pip.” She beams under my praise, right before stopping dead in her tracks. She stares off in the direction of a large rock overhang. “Do you think any big animals live inside there?” she says as fear coats her voice.
I squint into the distance to try and get a better look. “Probably not. It doesn’t look like a cave, just a cliff overhang with a deeper alcove.” I note the location so we can check it out later once we’ve gathered food and dry wood.
We keep walking, collecting dry branches along the way. Theair is thick with humidity, indicating a storm is likely on the horizon. We need to find food and head back to the beach before it’s too late to insulate our shelter. I’m not sure we can survive another freezing night, especially if we don’t replenish all the nutrients we’ve lost.
I look over at Ellie as she tugs a brightly colored flower out of the ground. She looks at me with a small smile. “Hibiscus. To help with our blood sugar. It’s not much, but it’s something,” she says almost shyly, as though she’s afraid I’m going to be disappointed with her discovery.
“Great find, baby. How did you know what that was?”
She shrugs. “I applied to join Doctors Without Borders. I had to learn about edible plant life and nutrient-rich foods that can be foraged from the forest. I even took a course on the medicinal properties of jungle vegetation. I’m supposed to…I was supposed to leave right after your wedding.” She looks down, but I don’t miss her grimace.
“Why?”
“Why, what?”
I hang our basket of food on a tree branch and take a step closer to her, our bodies nearly flush.
“Why were you leaving after the wedding, Pip.” I won’t call it mine. The only wedding I’d consider “mine” is the one where Ellie is the bride.
“Because…” she whispers, so quiet I can barely make out the word. “Because I couldn’t pretend to be happy for Katie. Not when…” She stops, her eyes darting between mine.
“Not when what?” She shrugs her shoulders, looking down at the ground. “Not when you still loved me? Not when you never stopped?” I finish for her.
“Yes.” It’s barely audible, but it’s enough for me. I lean down and capture her lips, slipping my tongue inside when she gasps at the sudden attack. I cup her cheek, and tangle my other hand in her hair, eliciting a moan when I tug her closer. She grabsonto the neckline of my shirt as she lifts up on her toes. I wrap my arms around her waist before sliding my hands down her ass to the back of her thighs. I bend slightly before lifting her up. She wraps her legs around my waist, her hands coming up around my neck.
I take my time kissing her, letting her feel what her mouth is doing to my body. We’re sweaty. We haven’t had a proper shower, or proper grooming, in over twenty-four hours. But it’s the most amazing kiss I’ve ever had.
God, I’ve missed this. Being able to touch her, put my lips on her, whenever I want. The last six months having her back in my life, yet so out of reach, have been miserable.
I hate that she was hurting the whole time. That she had to see Katie and I together and think it’s what I wanted.WhoI wanted. I can’t imagine having to live that hell. If there had been a man in Ellie’s life, I don’t know what I would have done.He’d probably be six feet under right now.I’d selfishly throw away the whole plan, and everyone’s safety, if some other man ever thought he could claim Ellie as his.
A sudden blanket of darkness envelopes our path, causing us to break apart from our kiss. A sprinkle of raindrops falls from above, kissing the tip of Ellie’s nose. A faint, ominous rumble reverberates in the distance, as a low growl echoes through the trees above our heads. An unsettling feeling develops deep in my gut.
The wind picks up and scatters the loose vegetation around us, creating a cyclone of leaves. The trees begin to sway as dark clouds cloak the sky, quickly replacing the bright sun. An eerie twilight settles over the jungle, even though it’s still early in the morning.
“Shit.” I scan our surroundings, looking for a safe place to ride out this storm but find nothing nearby. The wind howls and thunder rolls as the rain picks up, pelting us with a torrential downpour. “Fuck. Pip, we need to get somewheresafe.” I lower her back to the ground and take her hand. I grab our basket and practically drag her in the direction of our shelter. It’s too far, though. We won’t make it all the way back to the beach, and our shelter likely won’t survive this storm anyway.
Ellie’s eyes are filled with fear, but she manages to keep up as I drag her along the wet terrain. We run toward the edge of the jungle, hoping to diminish the risk of a lightning strike by positioning ourselves on the outskirts of the trees. The ground is slippery beneath our feet, the thick moss causing us to trip over the roots and vines jutting out of the forest floor. I yank us to a sudden stop when we come along the river’s edge. The calm water from yesterday begins to swell instantly, I can see the rapids raging in the distance.
“Oh my God, Nate. It’s going to flood,” Ellie yells over the continuous thunder.
“We need to get deeper into the jungle and find some sort of shelter. We need to be as far away from the riverbank as we can,” I yell back, my voice barely audible over the roar of the storm. I pray the river water stays within its confines long enough for us to get somewhere safely, but the river is rising rapidly.
“The rock, Nate! Where was the rock?”
The overhang. I’ll kiss the fuck out of this girl for her brilliance later. Right now, I have to get her to safety. I abandon our basket, hanging it on a tree, and grab her hand. We take off in the direction of the rock-wall we saw earlier. The body of water to our left begins to extend beyond the eroded banks. I can hear the rush of water getting closer, even as we continue to run deeper into the jungle.
