I straightened my back. “I’ve had enough rest. Are we near the bathroom?”
“You can almost see it.” Hunter reached his arms out to help me off the stone.
“It’s okay,” I said, ignoring his offered hand and stood (slowly) up. “I feel much stronger,” I lied.
The walk from the hut to the rickety shack in front of us wasn’t far, but because of my condition, it took a good five minutes, including time for me to rest.
“Oh, crap,” I groused.
“Literally.”
The use of a porta-john, no matter how fancy, was one of my biggest nightmares. Yet, I stood before a small wooden box with a half-moon carved into a door and a plank above it with the word “outhouse” burned into the wood as if someone would confuse it with a day spa. The hope was that Hunter wasn’t a teenager who would think it was hilarious to block the door.
“Are there any snakes inside?”
“No. They don’t like the smell.” He snorted, rubbing the nape of his neck.
“I think I can take it from here.” I made a step closer and reached for the handle.
“I’ll wait for you.”
Not in a million years. I didn’t want him to stand here and listen.
“Um, do you think you could go back to your camp? I’ll call you when I’m out. Or I’ll find my way back.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I opened the door. Its hinges squeaked and the stink was enough to turn my stomach. I understood the snakes’ decision.
“You might want this.” Hunter took a two-foot stick next to the door and handed it to me.
“What for?” I was puzzled by his suggestion but took it anyway.
“Hit the seat a few times. Spiders like to hide under there.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. I’d only been on the island for a day and I already hated it.
Scrunching up my face, I tapped the wooden ring with the stick twice and sure enough, four giant brown spiders ran out and disappeared through a crack in the wall.This is the tenth circle of hell.I peeked my head inside: cobwebs decorated each corner, a buzzing sound of flies, and one valuable item absent. I turned to Hunter.
“There’s no toilet paper.”
“Oh, yes. Sorry.” He reached out to a tree, tore off two big leaves, and handed them over. “Here you go.”
Oh. My. God.
I stared at Hunter. “You must be kidding.”
Hunter shrugged and turned on his heels. “You’ll get used to it,” he called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the jungle.
Uh, fuck.
ChapterFour
Basically, I had been thrown into the bizarre showHungry and Naked. Or maybe it was calledLost and Naked. Whatever the heck it was called, it had a troublesome combination of two words. I flung the door open and limped out of the hot box as quickly as possible, waiting to inhale until I was clear of the area.
I drew in moist air and evaluated my situation. If Hunter was right and a boat wouldn’t pass by for months, I had to share a hut with a man I’d met only hours ago, stuck in a jungle without contact with the outside world, with a literal shithole as my toilet. All while praying for a passing boat to notice us.
Sweat ran down my face, down my neck, and between my breasts. I peeled the shirt away from my chest and puffed it a few times, creating a little breeze. Lowering myself to the ground, I leaned against a tall tree. I had to return to camp, but my body didn’t respond to my brain’s command.
