My stomach roiled. “Is it safe?”
“I’ll be okay.” Andrew began taking a series of deep breaths, filling his blood with oxygen. His eyes held mine before he took the last one and pushed off, diving deep into the water.
“If you aren’t back in one minute, I’m coming after you,” I yelled but doubted he heard me.
My fingers fumbled with my Apple watch as I started the timer. Andrew swam into the opening, and soon the light he carried vanished. I checked the time. Thirty-three seconds. How long can people hold their breath? One minute? Two minutes? Andrew was in great shape and obviously worked out, so he probably could stay without taking another breath for at least three minutes. I rechecked the time. One minute and four seconds.What should I do if he didn’t come up soon? Do I go after him?I had no flashlight so I couldn’t see there. Shoot. I should have thought about it and brought another one with me. I bit my nail, noticing my hands were shaking. Two minutes and forty-two seconds. I couldn’t take it anymore. I dropped the leather bag and plunged into the cold water. I sank and peered in the direction Andrew had disappeared in, hoping to see a glimpse of light. I could barely make out the rock path, but it quickly turned into pitch-black, intimidating darkness. Pushing off the rocky bottom I went up and gulped in the air.
A frustrated groan left my mouth. I took another deep breath and submerged. I repeated it several times until my head felt dizzy, and I had to climb out before I went to Davy Jones’s locker. I fell flat on my back near the pool, falling drops misting my skin, bringing waves of shivers. My chest rose and fell fast, and then it began to quiver, hot tears running down the sides of my face. I sucked in some more air and told myself that Andrew had found a different open cave and was now exploring it. Maybe he found the treasure and was rolling around in it, laughing like a mad person. If that were the case, I’d smack him when he returned for scaring the shit out of me.
I checked my watch. Seven minutes. Ice-cold fear coursed through my veins, and my lungs felt like they were collapsing under the weight of anxiety and horror. Andrew was either dead, or lost but alive, or alive and busy exploring.
After what felt like forever, the water in the pool gurgled and rippled, and I jumped to a sitting position. Relief washed over me when I saw Andrew emerging. He gasped for air when his head broke the surface.
“You are a fucking asshole!” I yelled at him.
Andrew wiped the water off his face and held onto the edge. “That’s one way to say hello.” His shoulders heaved as he panted.
“Goddammit. I thought you were dead.” I squeezed my fists, holding myself back from smacking him hard. Tears swelled in my eyes. “What took you so long?” I croaked.
Andrew’s face crumbled with remorse. “Adriana, I’m so sorry I scared you.” He pushed out of the water and collapsed next to me, taking my hand. “I’m an idiot. I should have come back right away. Please forgive me.”
I pulled my hand out and wiped my eyes. “You are an idiot, but it’s okay.” I sniffed. “Just don’t do it again. Don’t make me think I’ve lost you.”
His heartfelt gaze searched mine. “You’ll never lose me.”
I took a shaky breath. “Did you find anything?”
Defeat took over Andrew’s usual composed and confident posture. He sat with his head sagged, his elbows pressing into his knees, his hands clasped together. “There are two smaller caves. Both empty.” He scoffed. “This was a colossal waste of time.”
I wanted to sayI told you sobut my red anger subsided and I said, “I’m sorry.”
“Fucking bollocks.” He shook his head.
A deep sadness sank into my stomach. I scooted closer to him until our thighs touched, the heat of my body radiating against his cold one. I leaned in so I could catch his eyes.
He glanced at me. “I’m sorry I dragged you here.”
My eyes searched his face, fighting the swell of ache in my chest.
“I’m not.” I bumped into him with my shoulder. “I almost did a cheerleading stand.” He huffed a silent laugh. “Do you think it was ever here?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“What should we do next?”
“The question of the hour.” Andrew blew out another breath. He rubbed his forehead, his eyes closed. “Back to my notes and their letters. Back to figuring out the location of the palace.” He scoffed. “If that even exists.”
Andrew turned his face to mine, and the corners of his lips curved ever-so-slightly, but then his mouth relaxed, erasing laughing lines around it. “I’m tired of this.”
“Of this trip?”
“No.” He groaned. “Of this constant chase. It’s always like this. You think you’re getting closer, and in the end, it’s an empty shell or another clue leading you somewhere else that leads you to another clue. My whole life is chasing clues.”
“I thought you enjoyed discovering things. You and your team found parts of King John’s treasure. That’s pretty cool.”
“Yes. But how many years have we wasted on that? I spend half of a year in constant motion. I’m turning thirty-five this year,” he said. “I want what Charlotte has. A family. And what’s worse, in two months, she’s moving to Wales to live with her boyfriend. When I come home, it’ll be empty.”
He shifted forward and pressed his elbow hard into his knees again, burying his fingers in his hair. When a man was broken down and feeling weak, it wasn’t a proper time to notice beautiful muscles rippling all over his body. But I did anyway. I had eyes after all.
