“Thanks.”
“I’m not the only one on this trip who should be having fun.” I’m tempted to bump his shoulder with mine, but I resist the urge. Being physical with him feels so natural, but I don’t want to ruin a good thing. So, I hide it and follow him back to the gift shop.
“Apparently,the steps to this used to be decorated by human faces.”
I’m sweating from the hot sun and I can’t tell if Nate is joking. I turn to him with a bewildered expression and he shows me the guided map we got from the gift shop.
“It’s right here, berry. I’m not making it up.”
“Well, this temple is rumored to be to the goddess of fertility,” I say. I get out my phone and take a picture. I’m tempted to turn the camera around to me, but I know that I look like death warmed over.
Nate is simply glistening in the sun. It’s so fucking unfair. My eyes want to linger on him and I’m not sure why. I already know how he looks.
With us adventuring on our own, we’ve covered a lot of ground. We’ve also gotten lost a few times. The sun is high in the sky and I’ve not seen the main group for a while, but the peace and quiet is nice.
Even if I feel like I could melt.
“I bet the view up there is pretty.”
I wipe sweat from my brow. “Climbing ancient sites will get you arrested, Nate.”
“Hey, I’m just thinking about it. I would never do it.”
I level him with a glare before I go in search of shade. I find it under a tree and finally sit.
“Affected by the heat already? Or was it sleeping on that couch?”
“The air iswet. Wet and hot.”
“We’re from Nashville. We’re used to this.”
“Not without air conditioning to run to.” I sigh. “Is this why you don’t mind swimming? Because it cools you off? I think I’d be fine with drowning right now.”
“Want me to go find you some water?” he asks.
“No, just sit with me a minute. I need some time out of the sun.” I’m going to be a mess of dirt when I get up, but it’s worth it to be able to breathe for a second. Nate sits next to me and we’re enveloped in a nice silence.
The ship is a lot of moving parts, and while I’m used to that with living in a city, there’s something nice about being in a jungle near no one else for a while. Even though it’s hot, I’m surrounded with the sounds of nature that are unfamiliar to me, and I can’t help but take in every moment of it.
“Is this what the beach is like?” I ask.
“There’s usually the sound of the water too, but yeah. Basically.”
“It’s nice,” I reply. “Even though I might melt into the ground.”
“Looks like the heat wins.”
“It does. I’m a big baby.” My eyes shut as I lie back. The hair clip I’m using pokes me in the back of the head and I sigh and sit back up.
“Take your hair down.” Nate says it like it’s simple.
I immediately shake my head. “No way. It’ll be a mess if I do that.”
“We’re both sitting in dirt on a forest floor. Why are you worried about being messy?”
He has a point, and I bite my lip before slowly grabbing the clip to let my hair tumble down. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I wouldn’t do this for anyone else, but here in this moment, I’m safe with Nate.
My dark hair falls in waves around me, but I’m able to lie back. Nate chuckles before going quiet. I lift one eyelid, seeing him gazing at me.
