The tension between us was suffocating. His very presence left me breathless and quivering, as if I had just survived a catastrophic disaster.
Caiden was my eternal darkness, bleeding out this heart of mine.
“Amelia.” He grabbed my arm. His touch was cold as ice, yet it ignited a fire within my veins. Fury surged onward.
“Let go of me.” I yanked my arm away, but he held fast, pulling me toward him. There was something in his expression, something intense and blazing.
“Dammit. I never meant for any of this to happen,” he shouted, his brown gaze burning into me, killing me slowly.
“What—” I began but was interrupted by Shane.
“Are you both alright over here?” Shane strolled over, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing between Caiden and me.
Caiden released me with a stiff nod, stepping aside. “Yeah. We’re fine. Amelia dropped something, and I was helping her find it.”
I nodded, drained from our exchange.
“Okay. Well, we’re close to the end of the trail now. Let’s eat and clean up before the next activity.” Shane told us before leading the way on the trail again.
There was more? Super.
The path ended, and we made our way back to thecabin. Before heading to my room, I glanced back at Caiden. He was already looking at me.
A few hours later, we gathered in the main public area near the front door. Next on our agenda was kayaking on the river.
I hesitated, voicing my concerns about the weather.
Shane waved it off dismissively. “I double-checked the weather. It’ll be okay; don’t worry.”
Above us, the clouds continued to form, shifting from light gray to dark gray, an ominous dance of hues. I resonated with the drifting clouds, watching them float somberly, devoid of color.
We boarded the resort bus, which took us to the nearby river. Once we arrived, I followed the group to collect the kayaks, one for each of us. The river tumbled gracefully, dancing over rocks that jutted out of the surface.
“Are you sure this will be safe?” I asked, my gaze darting between the rushing water and the sky, unease coiling in my stomach. It was an echo of the same bad feeling that had shadowed me before I agreed to this trip.
“This is perfectly safe. People do it all the time,” Sabrina reassured me, her comforting smile doing little to quell my anxiety.
We settled into our kayaks at the water’s edge, the paddler’s staff guiding each of us gently until our boats bobbed and floated free. Then, with a push off the muddy bank, we were off.
For a while the world was bright and easy. The river’s surface rippled in soft undulations, carrying me forward as Sabrina’s laughter tinkled like bells and Shane’s voice wove between the reeds. They paddled side by side in parallel strokes, shafts of sunlight flickering across their backs.
Caiden, as always, led the way and I trailed just behind, the warm spray of water blinking on my skin.
High above, the sun fought a losing battle with thick gray clouds. I squinted upward, spotting a flock of birds veering inland, wings slicing through the damp air.
The current rushed on. Urgent, unrelenting. Then a singledroplet splashed onto my forehead, followed by another. My stomach fluttered as the droplets quickened into a steady hiss.
“Let’s turn back! I must’ve been wrong about the weather.” Shane’s voice cut through the rising hiss.
I shifted my gaze and saw his kayak veering toward the bank, Sabrina weaving alongside him. Together they began retreating from the distant, inky storm wall.
Ahead, dark rivulets of rain carved themselves down from swollen clouds.
But for now, it remained a broad sheet on the horizon. Intimidating but distant enough that there was still time.
Caiden slipped past me, his paddle carving arcs in the water. He cast a quick glance over his shoulder towards me.
“Hurry,” he muttered, low-voiced urgency threading each syllable. “We’ve got to catch them.”
