Page 98 of The Quit List
“Wanna go look?” Jax asks, nodding at a snakey little trail that forks off our route and leads down to the water—which, I imagine, is cool and fresh and would feel like a godsend on my sore feet.
I don’t need to be asked twice. “Yes!”
We ditch our backpacks and pick our way down the side trail, Jax holding my hand for balance when I need it.
Rick reaches the bottom first and goes straight to lap up some water. Jax and I reach the bottom shortly after, and I jump up on a rock at the edge of the pool and turn my face upwards, reveling in the delicate mist dotting my cheeks.
It feels like sweet relief, and all I want to do right now is plunge headfirst into the beckoning crystal clear waters. I’m sticky and hot, and my feet and muscles ache. A dip would be the best thing ever.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I ask as I gaze out at the pool the same way one might look upon an oasis in a desert.
Jax clearly has the same idea, because when I turn to him, he’s already stripping off his shorts and shirt. Clad only in his boxer briefs, he throws me a look that practically screams, “I dare you, Holly.”
Then, he starts to run. Dives into the pool in one, smooth motion.
The icy water splashes me as he plummets below the surface. When he pops up a couple of seconds later, he’s grinning. “Come on, Hollywood! Whatcha waiting for?”
Good freaking question.
I don’t have a bathing suit, but the sports bra I’m wearing under my tank top and my spandex shorts will have to do.
Without giving myself time to think, I take off my socks and boots, shed my tank top, and then take a running jump.
Splash!
I plunge into the freezing water and it feels like pure bliss—a shock to the system in the best way.
“Wooo!” I yell when I surface and the sound echoes around the area. We haven’t seen anyone else all day, and I’m surprisingly okay with it. I’m not thinking about being murdered in the wilderness anymore. It feels like we’re in our own little world—just the two of us and Rick.
Jax swims over to me and we make our way to the waterfall. I follow his lead ducking beneath the heavy spray and it’s like a very aggressive massage. I stay under the flow for a few minutes, head bent forward as the water pounds on my back.
Then, an arm circles around me and pulls me gently backward behind the waterfall.
And there we are… Jax and me, pressed against each other in a narrow gap between falling whitewater and a rockface.
“Hi.” Jax is looking down at me almost tenderly as he splays one hand on my lower back to keep me anchored to him. He uses his other hand to push my wet hair out of my face. “Having fun?”
“The most fun,” I tell him. “And you?”
“Definitely,” he replies decisively. His hair is all tousled and damp and there are droplets of water clinging to his dark eyelashes. “I’m about to be a full-time guide, but believe it or not, this is my first time going on this sort of a hike with anyone.”
“Really?” I blink at him. “I know you often go to the backcountry alone, but I figured you had some hiking buddies you would meet with sometimes.”
“There are people I hike with from time to time. And I’ve even taken Maddie camping before, though she hates it.” He laughs. “I’ll be hiking with many people soon because of my business, but when it comes to these big, multi-day trips for pleasure, I’ve always preferred to go alone.”
“You never wanted company?”
“No,” he says as his eyes fix on mine. “I didn’t know if I’d be into it.”
My breath hitches. “And?”
“And what?”
“Are you into it?”
“Oh, believe me, I’m into it.” His eyes darken as his hands tighten on my back.
The crash of the waterfall isn’t a match for how loud my heart is beating right now. We’re both half underwater, pressed against the smooth rocks under the waterfall. There’s only inches separating his lips from mine.