I glance up, confused. Surely, he doesn’t need to halt our momentum just to search his own backpack. Suddenly, he pulls the oars in, grabs his backpack from my hands, and crouches forward to trade places with me.
I’m curious as all get out, but I waste no time switching places and rowing like my life depends on it, because it does.
Colton looks through his bag, shifting his items around and keeping whatever is inside private. Is he really that embarrassed I’d find more hand sanitizer in there?
“Nothing. Looks like that crowbar is all the help we’re getting for this challenge,” he says, a little breathless. He’s already winded from rowing, and quite frankly, so am I. I can already feel my biceps burning from the constant push and pull against the waves.
“Here. I can take them.” Colton motions to the oars, just as he and I are met with a splash to the face by none other than Tearjerker from Team Ruby.
“You’re going down Team Teal,” Tearjerker calls as their boat inches into the leading position. Both Tearjerker’s and Heartbreaker’s dress shirts are wet and clingy, leaving meclear on the fact that, out of our two teams, they have the physical advantage. I mean, we’ve got Colton, which, objectively speaking, is a plus muscle-wise, but we also have me. I do like yoga, and I lift some dumbbells now and again, but Heartbreaker and Tearjerker … they must be lifting dairy cows if their bulging arms have anything to say about it.
Sending us a farewell grin, Tearjerker continues digging his oars deep into the water, thrusting his team farther until they pull an entire boat length ahead of us.
“Switch me?” Colton says, already crouching forward.
“Gladly.” Without question, I direct the oars into Colton’s hands and stretch out the ache in my palms as we, once again, awkwardly dance around each other, keeping our centers of gravity as low to the middle of the boat as possible before resuming our previous seating arrangements. To anyone watching us from the drone’s vantage point, we likely look like a pair of dancing pheasants during mating season. I hope Niall is watching because that’s as close to a showmance as Colton and I will ever get on this show.
Once Colton has a good grip on the oars, he goes double time on the rowing just to keep pace with Tearjerker and Heartbreaker. Team Ruby may be jacked, but they’ve never met a Downing with toxic perfectionism before. Go, perfectionism, go!
By the time Colton and I reach one of many crates bobbing in the ocean, Team Ruby is just behind us, busy opening a different crate with their crowbar. Just behind them, several other teams trudge forward, gaining on our boat. We need to make our stop at the upcoming crate as quick as possible if we want to beat the other teams to Sabotage Island.
I clutch the crowbar and ready myself to open our first crate, when I find that Colton is not slowing down. In fact, he’s nearly leaning off his seat, heaving as his arm muscles strainagainst the confines of his white dress shirt. I watch as his eyes nervously glance over my shoulder, and I turn to see a fuchsia boat pulling up beside us.
Legend paddles with fervor, and the fuchsia team blazes past the crate closest to them, their eyes trained solely on Sabotage Island. It’s clear they don’t plan on stopping for any supplies, but rather, being first to the island. Risky. I’ve seen this show long enough to know that the food and survival items obtained in the first challenge go a long way in helping contestants survive the season.
“Colton,” I shout as he continues to propel our boat farther past the crate. “What are you doing? We need to stop and get supplies.”
“We need to make it to the island before everyone else.” Colton keeps rowing; all the while, his gaze darts around us, keeping constant tabs on the other teams.
“No. We need to stop at a crate first,” I say, my voice rising with irritation.
“We can scavenge for food when we’re on the island. Right now, we need to be focused on coming in first place and getting that reward.”
We are just approaching another lit-up crate when I realize that, with or without my input, Colton’s planning on rowing past it.
“Colton, stop!” I yell, gripping the oars in his hands and slowing our movement.
Colton finally looks up at me, his brows scrunched in frustration. “What are you doing? We need to keep paddling.”
“How do you expect us to last the next couple of weeks on what we find on the island? I know this show, Colton, and it’s going to be a lot better for us if we take the time to gather supplies.”
“Staying safe from the upcoming elimination is priority right now. We need to get to that beach first. I promise that once weget there, I will find us food.” He looks at me like he’s a hunter and gatherer from 10,000 BC and not the guy who attended a $10,000 per plate benefit last month.
“Colton, you don’t even like coconut. What food do you plan on finding on that island?”
“I’ll eat the coconuts. I don’t care. Let’s just keep rowing.” He tugs on the oars we both hold onto, but I keep my ground, not willing to let our chance to get supplies slip by.
Suddenly, panic flashes in his eyes, and I look next to me to see that both Team Ruby’s and Team Lime’s boats are nearly level with us.
“Missy, we have to go. Now,” Colton grits out.
Fortunately, Team Ruby stops at a second crate just as Team Lime does the same. I throw an arm out in their direction. “Colton, they are stopping. Let Legend and Silver win this one. We can still get food and supplies, make it to the island, and avoid coming in last.”
Colton huffs impatiently, his blue gaze boring into me. “You have to trust me.”
“Trustyou?” The man who’s been a constant pain in my derriere since high school. The man who insulted me on live television a half hour ago.
“Missy, listen. I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye. And I know what I said tonight was …”
