Eric P.O.V
Red.
That was all I could see.
Breath. In and out. Deep breaths.
That was all I could do.
"Eric, relax. Give her some time. Believe me, there must be a reason" Zack said, squeezing my shoulder to calm me down.
"A reason? I fucking don't care anymore." I snorted, shaking off his hand.
My gazes once again went towards Skylee. She was talking with that boy. My eyes narrow at his face, he had got looks but he looked familiar like I had seen him before. Somehow, his eyes were as same as hers. His raven black hair and even his nose looked like Skylee.
My brows shot up. I had seen him in the club a few weeks back. I bumped into him when we were leaving the club to went to Helen's house. That girl, Clara, was also there.
Something hit me by his looks. Could it be they were relative? I shook the thought away. Skylee would have told me if he was her relative. Why would she let me have these doubtful thoughts about her?
But that was the problem, wasn't it? She never told me anything. Did she even trust me? If she did then why would she never share anything with me? Did she think it wasn't worth it? Like I wasn't worth her? I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath.
She was driving me crazy! After our confession last night, I knew we wouldn't be cool but I never expected it to be like that. Like one moment she was confessing and the next moment she was giving me this cold shoulder like she never wanted to do anything with me ever again.
I was giving her time and space as much as she needed but with the response, I got every time, I didn't think I would be able to keep my outburst under control anymore. I love her. I would do anything to ease those all-time stiffen shoulders if she let me. If only she let me.
I knew she loved to be that tigress who didn't need a savior but I want her to at least share it with me. If she wanted to fight her battle alone, couldn't she just let me hold her at least whenever she need a shoulder? Didn't I deserve that much? I felt neglected the way she behaves. Why wouldn't she get that I was trying so hard to understand her? Couldn't she just at least gave me a simple explanation?
What was my fault in all this to be this hurt and heartbroken?
I couldn't do this anymore. Either she would have to tell me or we were done!
Mr. Ryan's voice caught my attention as he looked at us, "Where's Miss Skylee?"
Owen nodded towards her direction, where she nodded at that boy before she walked towards us. I tried to ignore the pang of hurt and anger as I watch her came back.
"Stick with your own team, Skylee." She just gave him a quick nod. Her face was void of any emotions and her shoulders were stiffen like she was on some high alert.
Why won't you tell me anything, Skylee? Why don't you let me help you? Why can't you trust me? I shook my head as I tried to focus on what Mr. Ryan was saying.
"Each team has to track The Big Tree trail to The La Mina falls which is 0.7 miles (1.2 km) long, descending from 2,132 feet (650 meters) to 1,640 feet (500 meters). Hiking time is approximately 30 to 45 minutes, one-way. This trail is rated as challenging in difficulty so be careful. Once you reach the La Mina fall, have fun. We will provide you with food, and sleeping bags since this place is rocky and you'll have to choose a place for you to rest the whole night anywhere near the falls, you have to choose the right place and try to stay close to each other with a bonfire in the middle. This is a jungle with various animals and insects, I don't want any problem so be cautious and extra careful." He paused and gestured with his hand towards the hiking backpacks set inline with numbers printed over them from 1 to 6, near our bus.
"Pick one bag each of you. Every bag has a different set of tools needed for hiking including food, water, and first aid. We'll spend the night near La Mina Falls and tomorrow morning. you'll know about the main challenge. That's just a warm-up. So, get there safely and have fun!"
Once he left us all on ourselves. Skylee went ahead and picked the number 4 backpack, adjusting the strap she pulled it over her shoulders. Ignoring her just like she was ignoring all of us, I picked number 2 while the others also got one.
In no time, our team was the first one ready to hike the trail. Zack stopped us, pulling his phone out, and looked at us.
"Scoot closer, I want a memory of this."
No matter how much I glared at him. He made us, including Skylee, stood closer to each other as he clicked a selfie. He frowned when he saw it.
"Come on, man, show me some smile. No one is dying here."
And somehow, we ended up with a photo in which Zack had a big grin plastered over his face, his one hand wrapped around Rosalyn's shoulder who was smiling wholeheartedly. Owen stood next to Rosalyn with Helen on his left, a light lip smile over his face with a scowl. Helen had a small genuine smile, showing a V sign with her left hand. I stood beside her with a blank face. Skylee stood next to me with a small smile gracing her lips.
Without further delay, our team was the first to start the trial. The walk itself was peaceful and it took off my mind from some certain things. There were so many giant trees mostly occupying the area, the path was rocky and slippery but with our waterproof hiking shoes, we managed it pretty well.
We saw many giant snails, spiders, cobwebs, curly fronds from palms, geckos, crossed a few stairs and bridges, and signage to educate you on what you were seeing and hearing. Rosalyn almost screamed so high when she found a gecko on a nearby plant. There were just plants and plants of so many types from left to right. I didn't even know the name of almost half of them. It felt like we would get lost in the jungle.
For the whole 45 minutes, no one spoke with each other. There was a weird tension in the air that the fresh smell of moist mud and even rain couldn't take away. We used the rain shelter once when it started to pour for few minutes. The track was beautiful but I just couldn't make myself enjoy it much.
It was more of the spirit to just reach the La Mina fall soon and found a way to let go of my emotional exhaustion. Maybe a dive in the water would help.
So when we heard the sound of the waterfall so strong, we practically ran towards it. Striking the stairs to the bridge, we stopped there, breathless. The view in front of us was breathtaking. The water falling from so high looked so alluring. The water falling up from the mountain rock to the pond, the musical sound it was creating and its light sea green-blue liked mixe color was mesmerizing. It held me captive for a moment. Mother nature was so beautiful and pure.
I wish people would be like water too, simple and see-through.
"Welcome, seems like your team is the first one. I'm the head faculty member of the contest, you can call me Jenny." A woman came towards us, and she looked so familiar. "You have got the whole time till morning. Enjoy the view, the waterfall, and make sure to choose a place before evening to rest. Come to me, I'll provide you with the sleeping bags and the night is all yours. The food will be given to you once all the teams are here."
"Asli. You're Asli." Rosalyn said, looking at her with narrow eyes.
Asli? I looked closely at her. Asli had brown hair while this woman had blonde hair with bright blue eyes under thick-rimmed glasses. Apart from hair, eyes, and glasses, she looked exactly like her.
"Sorry, who?" Jenny looked confused genuinely. Either we were being delusional or she really was a good actor.
We exchanged glances. While Skylee was looking at the waterfall. She had her eyes slightly wide with admiration with a small smile hovering on her lips. She liked it. I slightly smiled at her.
"Nevermind," Zack replied.
"But she..." Zack cut her off with a smile.
"It's okay, princess. There's an assumption that there are seven people of the same faces in this world. Maybe that's the case."
I rolled my eyes at that while Rosalyn just stared at Jenny.
Soon the rest of the team also came and they all scattered around the area. The whole place looked so crowded. Zack and Rosalyn went into the water to swim, throwing water at each other and laughing like maniacs. Helen decided to take a lot of pictures of the place with Owen trailing behind her and watching her closely. I was sitting near the lovebirds over a rock, debating within myself whether I should go for a swim or sat somewhere alone.
With a thought, I angled my head to look backward, there she was sitting alone at the other side of the water, her pants folded up to knees and her foots dripped in the water. She was looking around with a small smile over her lips. Her hair was up in a bun as a few drops of sweat cascaded down her temples. She was wearing black pants with a white full-sleeve top. The sleeves were also folded up to her elbows.
An angry huff escaped from my lips when that boy - Burak Kingston, came and tap over her right shoulder, when she looked at her right, he sat down beside her on the left side, blocking my view of her. Before I could react, cold water splashed over me, slightly drenching my face.
"Hey!" I glared at my sister who was laughing at me.
"What? I burst your bubble?" She winked.
Rolling my eyes, I was about to get up when Clara came and sat beside me.
"You remember me? We met at the club a little long ago." She said, looking at my face.
"What do you want?" I was annoyed. So I didn't bother being polite.
"Grumpy, huh? How come you are a playboy if you have this Gorilla-like personality?" She smirked.
"Go away. I'm not interested if you're here for a fun time. I'm not a playboy anymore." I said, my gaze dropping over the water. How funny was my situation? For the girl I had left everything, she wasn't with me right now. But I didn't regret it. I knew she would be with me soon. Maybe she really just needed time to settle whatever was wrong with her. But how much time? No one knew.
"You are in love." It was a statement. I looked back at Clara.
"I wonder who told you that?" I didn't know why I asked this, even when I knew the answer.
"Your eyes, they told me." She looked upward to the top from where the water was coming. "They have admiration in them, but also longing and hurt. The aggression is prominent too with the need to be able to hold her. Don't worry, have patience and you'll find your happy ending."
"You think I'll have a happy ending?"
"Why? Do you want a tragedy?" She looked back at me.
I didn't reply.
"I know her, I mean Skylee. You have fallen in love with trouble no doubt about that, but I'm sure in the end there has to be a happy ending." She said.
"How do you know her? She told me she never made friends before."
"Who said I'm her friend? I only said I know her." She glared at me but something told me she was wrong. I had met so many girls in my life, if she wasn't her friend then what? Normally girls talked so shit about girls they didn't like. She didn't say a single wrong word about her. It was more like she wanted to say something to me, indirectly.
"I know her that's because I'm her rival, enemy. And one should keep their friend close and enemy closer." She winked with a chuckle.
"Besides, you owe me." The smirked again appeared on her face.
"How come?" My brows rose up.
"When someone gave you a piece of information about something even your ancestor don't know. That's a big deal and you owe me for that."
"But didn't give me any." I was confused.
"It was a dare." She added, looking at her red-colored nails.
"What?!"
"You should thank me, you unthankful, Loverboy." She was still looking at her nails.
Loverboy? I tilted my head.
"The information should be clear you know if you want a favor back," I said in her own style.
At this, she smirked and looked at me. "Now we are talking. I'll let you know when the time comes about the favor you owe me." She said with a grin. And on another note, she was beautiful.
"I am the reason you met that Barbie Doll. She slapped you in LA, right? Well, it was because of a dare given by me. So thank me, Loverboy, that you have got her." She flipped her hair as she added, "If not because of the dare, you wouldn't have met her and would have never bother each other. Your story would have been so plain if not because of a slap."
I just looked at her surprised.
"It was a dare." I laughed. I used to have so many weird thoughts as to why did she slap me. But then it became the least of my headache as I started to develop feelings for her.
"You found it funny. Burak had the same reaction too. It shouldn't be funny to boys with pride." She almost whispered the last two lines to herself but I heard them anyway.
I didn't bother asking about Burak. Whatever relation she had with that boy, I shouldn't be doubting her.
I am trusting her and that's all I should be doing.
I looked towards my sister. And she was glaring at me as she pointed her angry eyes at Clara. She thought I was being flirty with her.
"Your sister has a deadly glare." She again chuckled as she waved at her, "Hello, Miss Fluent English, don't worry, I am not wooing your brother." Her British accent was amazing.
Rosalyn smiled at her before she splashed a handful of water at her.
"Hey!!!" She screamed as she laughed, taking off her jacket and jumping in the water. That was how a water fight started.
Shaking my head again, I stood up and walked towards the trees, a bit away from the fall spot. I walked a bit deeper into the forest, crunching dry leaves and rhizome under my shoes.
I walked a bit more before I sat under a tree, leaning my back with it. Around me were different wild bushes, a few ants and spiders were also in my sight. I just closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
"Wandering in wild alone?" I heard a melodic voice that made me groan. There was no way in hell she would talk with me let alone would come behind me all the way here.
But she was there. I sighed when I felt a familiar presence sitting beside me. I didn't respond to her and kept my eyes close.
"What are you thinking?" I heard her ask.
"What am I thinking?" I said, my voice had a glint of anger in it but my tone was dangerously low, "I'm thinking what the fuck is wrong with me? Or with you? Perhaps about the whole situation. I can't say anything for sure cuz' I can't think straight right now. You wanna say something? Perhaps may offer a slight explanation to calm my ass down and prevent all those doubtful hurting thoughts in my head?"
When I finished, she was looking down. I waited but she didn't respond.
I clenched my jaw tight and stood up to go. Before I could take a step, she held my wrist tightly and whispered in a voice that sounded too weak and vulnerable to my own ears.
"Stay."
My anger and all the logical thoughts flew away with the wind as my heart painfully tugged at her face. She was still looking down and had bit her lower lip to prevent quivering.
I sighed and again sat back beside her. She clenched my hand with same the hand that was holding my wrist and used the other hand to grasp my arm and put her head over my shoulder.
The simple act made my heart melt and a smile appeared over my lips.
We sat there in silence. It was peaceful, her being this close to me was peaceful. I held strongly into the moment.
"Why did you slap me?" I thought to start a conversation.
"Out of all the things you could say to start a conversation, you only found this." I heard her chuckle as she pulled her head away and looked at me.
"I was just wondering," I said looking at her face. We were sitting so close to each other. And I just loved it whenever she was this close to me, giving me her full attention.
"You were being a jerk in the club and I saw my soulmate in you. Long story short, I decided to give you a wake-up call." She looked back with a grin, her eyes glinting with mischievousness.
After so long, I had seen her smiling like this. I smiled back at her. She looked so adorable at that moment.
"Tell me didn't it worked? Didn't you stop messing around after that day?" She asked, looking at me.
"I did but the reason might be different in my opinion. I guess it wasn't that slap, it was the girl who slapped me take control over my mind that I couldn't found any girl after her that could attract me that much. That could give me the feeling of peace like I'm having right now." I said, holding her gaze.
We stared at each other for a while in silence, silently cherishing the moment in our hearts, before she dropped her gaze and closed her eyes, resting her head back over my shoulder. I looked towards the bushes in front of me with a smile.
"Why can't you trust me, Lizard?" I whispered to her after a while, my eyes following the pattern of some bushes ahead of me.
"Why can't you trust me, Cactus?" She whispered back. Her voice was low and sleepy.
"I do."
"I do too." Her voice was so low, making me look at her and smile at her relaxed features.
"You know I think you have bipolar disorder. One moment you're all lovey-dovey and the next moment you turned into a... Lizard." I chuckled to myself, again looking ahead of me.
"I know there's something wrong but I'm here and I want you to know I'm here. Let me help you. Whatever it is, we will fight through it. Share it with me if not now then whenever you are ready. I'll wait as long as you want me to. Just always remember, no matter what I'll always be here for you." I paused when I get no response from her.
"Are you listening?" I asked as I angled my head to look at her. And there she was fast asleep like a baby over my shoulder.
I smiled as I watched her sleep soundlessly. Her breaths were shallow, her lips were set in a cute pout, her thick lashes were softly rested against her delicate cheekbone. Suddenly she frowned in her sleep and stirred. I was immediately in action, I wrapped my hand around her, patting her back softly and slightly swung both of us like she really was a baby and that would help her go back to sleep.
I mentally slapped my forehead but it worked. She snuggled more with me, her face ending close to my neck as she again relaxed.
Grinning triumphantly like an idiot, I put my head against hers and closed my eyes, holding her protectively against me,
"You have made me crazy over you, my beautiful Lizard."
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