Finding Eden Part 11

"I said humor me," she grumbled and took the first step up the mountain. We'd have to make our own path of course, but it wouldn't be difficult. It wasn't steep or too rocky and climbing behind her had its perks. I could admire the curves and dips and I didn't mean those on the mountain tops.

It felt weird being attracted to a woman who wasn't Sarah. I still wasn't sure how I felt about it, but I couldn't help it-it was natural. That continued to be my excuse for keeping my eyes on her.

"Hurry up, Old Man. I know your arthritis must be killing you, but I want to make it to our destination before dawn."

"Oh, my aching back that is so riddled with arthritis that I can't bear to walk another inch on my own. I might fall and break my brittle old man bones. If only there was a youngster around here with a good heart to help me make it up this doggone mountain." I let out an overly dramatic, feeble groan.

Blondie laughed and made her way back down to me. She snaked her arm around my waist. "Come on now. I got you."

I let out one of those evil, mad scientist, mwah-hah-hah laughs, scooped her into my arms and started back up the mountain.

"Oh! Put me down, Gabriel. You'll break your back for real." She pinched my shoulder.

"You're bruising my poor manly ego." We were about half way up and I decided to put her down. "Your turn?" I grinned.

"Ha!" Her flashlight flickered and she hit it against her thigh.

"Humor me?"

"Come on. Stop stalling. We're almost there and I don't think I can be any more anxious than I already am." She grabbed my arm and pulled me the rest of the way up the mountain. I made it difficult for her just because I could. I really should have taken it more seriously though; the sun was soon going to rise and I didn't know the exact whereabouts of the entrance.

So I nodded to Blondie and put on a straight face. I made it down the mountain smoothly, but Blondie tripped a few times; I had to save her from a b.l.o.o.d.y knee or broken wrist. I held onto her upper arm to keep her balanced. We finally made it down, leaving us in a wash between the two mountains.

"The map said to head south from here." So I turned left to head south. "Keep your eye out for anything that looks like an entrance. It should be on our right."

Blondie's flashlight flickered again and she made an annoyed sound before hitting it against her thigh again. "Don't die on me yet; we're almost there."

"Excited?" I nudged her.

"I'm afraid I'll be disappointed," she said in a sad tone.

"We'll find out soon enough."

She ran ahead of me, her eyes on the mountainside to the right of us. "Okay," she admitted, "maybe I'm a little excited." The beam from her flashlight lit up our surroundings making the world shadowless. "I think I see something!" She squealed and I shook my head. She stopped fifty yards ahead of me and said, "This must be it. Hurry!"

I jogged over to her and found her at another cave entrance that looked just like every other one. I was expecting something grander, something different-something that screamed Eden. There wouldn't be a neon sign though. "The sun is about to come up, so whether this is it or not, we have to go in."

I took the initial step and the first thing I noticed was the humidity; humidity meant moisture and moisture meant water.

"This has to be it." There was an excitement in my voice I couldn't hide.

Chapter 18.

[ Elle ]

As I followed Gabriel into the cave entrance, I clenched the bottom of his shirt. The humidity reminded me of when I would first walk into a hotel's indoor pool area, minus the chlorine smell. I let my free hand slide against the stony wall and it came back damp. The cave seemed to be perspiring. We were walking through such a narrow tunnel that I was immediately thankful that I wasn't claustrophobic.

I wiped sweat from my forehead and said, "I hope this Eden isn't as humid as this tunnel."

"It shouldn't be." His voice sounded loud in the close confines.

The tunnel began to decrease in size, the ceilings and ground threatening to meet. We were soon on all fours, crawling. The craggy cave floor bit into my knees and shins, making me wince with every movement I made.

"How much longer until we can stand again?" I complained, letting out a curse when my knee fell onto a sharp rock.

"I think I see something up ahead."

The humidity was already starting to pa.s.s and the temperature was decreasing. I thought that that could only be good news. I could hear both of our flashlights click against the ground with every movement of our hands. Gabriel stood up finally; I inched forward and did the same.

"Okay, let me test this out," he said with an apprehensive tone.

"What do you mean?" I said as I looked around him. There was a single strip of land acting as a bridge from where we were to another entrance. I audibly gulped, feeling like a cartoon character. "You have to be kidding me." There were metal rods, two on each side, acting as the natural bridge's railing. "Well, the railing rea.s.sures me a bit."

"Not me. There have been earthquakes since they were put in." He wrapped one hand around the right metal pole and placed his left around the other.

"Oh, c.r.a.p," I muttered. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of that. My nerves were jumping out of my skin. "Please be careful." I put my hand against his lower back, not wanting us to separate.

He didn't say anything as he put one foot onto the strip, barely placing a little bit of weight on it. He let out a breath, sucked in another, and placed his other foot onto it, then stood there for a minute. My teeth were clenched so hard my jaw began to ache. My hands were bound into fists so tightly that my fingernails dug into my palms, creating indentations. Gabriel took one more step, then another.

"I think it's okay," he confirmed. After another step, he was halfway there. "Just don't come over until I get to the other side."

I felt like saying duh, but I kept my mouth shut. I moved closer to the earthen bridge and looked over the sides. I gulped again. I couldn't see where the fall ended and that was never a good thing. I shined my flashlight down and still couldn't see the bottom. "Oh." I choked. I was never afraid of heights, but I was afraid of falls and that would be a fall to rival all others. I imagined it ended at the center of the Earth-an ocean of magma and ravenous flames. "Oh," I said again. I looked at my hands and I couldn't quite steady them. I was shaking more than I ever had-more than the minutes before my SATs or my first job interview.

I didn't realize Gabriel had made it across until he said I could come on over. I just looked at him with wide eyes and shaking hands. He frowned. "You looked down, didn't you?"

I nodded.

"Well," he continued. "You're going to have to man up. I can't come back and help you across. That would be too much weight." He was silent for a second and then he pulled out his pack, digging in it until he found what he was looking for: his rope. He tossed it across the earthen bridge and said, "Tie it around yourself-if the bridge breaks, you won't fall-too far." He winked.

I grimaced as I wrapped the rope around my waist and between my thighs, over and over, until I thought I was good, and secured it tightly with several knots. I gave Gabriel the thumbs up and he answered back with a smile. I aimed my flashlight forward and watched the light wash over the ground before me.

"Now just take it one step at a time. I've got the other end of the rope, so you'll be just fine."

On my first step, I felt the ground shudder below me. I heard debris flake off the bottom of the bridge and fall against the rock walls of the abyss. The sound echoed and seemed to go on forever.

"You didn't say this thing was unstable!" I squeaked.

"Uh, yeah. It wasn't. You should probably hurry." I felt the rope tense up. Gabriel tightened his grip around it and that scared the c.r.a.p out of me. He trusted this about as much as I did-and boy, did I have some trust issues.

I took a deep breath, held it, took another step, and then another. More rock and dirt broke away from the bridge and fell. The sound was foreboding, promising a death I didn't want to ever experience. In my mind's eye, I saw molten rocks floating through a lake of fire.

"Hurry," Gabriel warned.

I felt the ground shudder below me once again, but this time it didn't stop. A little out of character, I said, "f.u.c.k it!" and ran the rest of the way until I fell into Gabriel's arms. Dirt and gravel crashed against the chasm walls until everything was silent. The strip of ground between the exit and entrance was motionless and everything seemed the same as when we'd first arrived.

Gabriel pulled me into his body until we were almost one. His heart pounded against his ribcage. He cupped the back of my head, digging his fingertips into my hair and resting his cheek against my forehead. "You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days, Kid." He murmured.

My arms hung limp at my side. I wasn't quite sure how to use them. Even though we should have continued on, just for a minute, I let myself enjoy that moment. I finally gained some control over my lungs. "Sorry," I said.

Gabriel grabbed my chin and examined my face thoroughly, as if he was trying to make sure I was still in one piece. I noticed his eyes lingered a little bit longer on my lips than what was needed. He turned away and we headed deeper into the cave.

The cave system was a series of turns that began to bring us deeper and deeper underneath the surface. After a while, we were back on our knees and I felt the rocks dig into my bare flesh. I hissed at the stinging sensation each movement created. Gabriel had a pair of jeans on that probably saved his knees and shins from what I was unfortunately experiencing.

"This is fun," Gabriel mentioned. "For an adrenaline junkie, that is." He added.

"And for someone who has jeans on," I growled.

He laughed. "Poor baby." And then he paused. "We'll fix you up when this expedition is finally over."

"I can't wait." I sighed and then b.u.mped my head into Gabriel's b.u.t.t. I hadn't realized he had stopped. "Oh, lovely." I rubbed my face.

"Whoa, Blondie! I'm not ready for that kind of commitment yet," he snickered.

I blew hair from my eyes. "Why'd you stop and is that water I hear?" It sounded like someone was taking a shower ahead of me. I could smell the fresh scent of water being sprayed into the air.

He hesitated then said, "I'm not sure you want to know and yes it is."

My heart kick started again and I felt a strong urge to turn back. But then I'd have to cross that weak bridge, not to mention that it was already daylight.

"Is it another bridge?" I asked.

"No."

Well, that's positive, I thought. "What about a deep, dark, never-ending pit?"

"Not exactly."

I grabbed his shirt and tugged on it. "What do you mean not exactly?"

I went to lean over his shoulder to have a look and he pushed me back. "Oh, no you don't." Before I could protest he asked, "Do you trust me?"

I said, "Yes," without a moment's hesitation, but I still felt a chill run up my spine.

"Good." Gabriel maneuvered his body, so he was sitting on his b.u.t.t. "Now wrap your legs around my waist and your arms around my chest."

"I'm not ready for that kind of commitment, Gabriel."

"Just do it, Kid."

It was true that I trusted him, but this whole thing seemed eerie. It reminded me of when I went to the water park with my best friend and we huddled together before taking off down the steep slope. And suddenly I knew what was about to happen-the running water, the hanging onto the back of Gabriel, and the not exactly a deep, dark pit.

"You have got to be kidding me!" I tightened my hold on Gabriel and leaned my cheek against his back. I laced my fingers together.

"This could be fun." Gabriel scooted forward; so did I. "As long as we don't drop off into the pit of h.e.l.l!" And with that last, horrible comment, we pushed off the edge and landed in a tubular tunnel with rushing water. It was smooth as porcelain thanks to the continuous flow of water and it pushed us along quickly. We turned every which way, dropping once or twice, and I knew I'd have a bruise on my b.u.t.t to show for it. Even though I was scared beyond words at what would be found when the water tunnel ended, I couldn't help but enjoy the current situation: I was surrounded by cool water. It felt better than Heaven against my bare skin, washing away the dirt and grime collected on it over the last five years. I purposely loosened my grip on Gabriel and dipped my head back into the rushing water, letting my hair soak through. Words couldn't even express how amazing I felt at that moment. Who would have thought that my first bath in almost five years would be in a nature-made water slide?

I lifted my head back up to find Gabriel looking back at me with a knowing smile. The adrenaline junkie had been excited the moment he saw the water pipeline carved into the rock. He let out a yell that bounced off the walls and surrounded me. I followed suit, screaming at the top of my lungs.

We both laughed and I squeezed Gabriel tighter. His hands rested on my thighs and he gave me a squeeze back. "Having fun?"

"You know it," I said. "Do you see the-"

"I see light up ahead!" He yelled through the noise of the rushing water. "Don't let go of me!"

"Well," I yelled. "At least I'll be sparkly clean before I die." And with that we were flying through the air. I saw everything perfectly and my heart did a flip in my chest.

The only word that could come to my mind was Eden. It was everything I had hoped: green, lush, and filled with water, so much water. I wanted to cry and I thought I was about to until we dropped into a pool of water that happened to be the most perfect temperature.

Once we resurfaced, Gabriel grabbed me in his arms, flattened his hands on my face, and looked into my eyes. He was breathing harshly; beads of water trailed down his face, like tiny tear drops. My breathing matched his and we had a sort of wordless conversation that went like this: Oh. My. G.o.d.

I laughed and he laughed as he pulled me into a hug that I wished would last forever. When we finally pulled away from each other, I let out another laugh and I got my first look at Gabriel. His t-shirt was stuck to him like a second skin. It outlined every muscle so perfectly that I wanted to just trace them with my fingers. His jeans were low on his hips and his boxers appeared from underneath the lip of his pants. It was the first moment I really wanted to just pounce on him and claim him as my own. I was high off of him, or the adrenaline, or just life. Maybe, I thought to myself, there was something in the water. It took all I had to not attack him right then in the most carnal sense of the word.

Instead, Gabriel was the one who took me by surprise when he lifted me up to his eye level and pressed his lips against my forehead. He pulled away about five hours too soon. I giggled. I hadn't giggled in forever. Even Gabriel had a surprised look on his face. He just put me down and shook his head. He wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me towards him.

"You're too cute sometimes."

I beamed. He called me cute. When I had purposely undressed behind him, I got nothing. Giggle and he gives me a compliment, I thought dryly. I shook my head.

"It comes natural," I shrugged as I examined our surroundings. I was in a small pool that the water tunnel had emptied out into. My eyes followed the flow of the water to a bigger pool that formed into a...

"Waterfall!?" I yelled over the noisy water. "Don't tell me we're supposed to jump down this thing? What if there are pointy rocks down there?" I nibbled on my bottom lip.

"You know that drives me crazy, right?" Gabriel eyed me curiously.

"What does?" I tilted my head to the side.

He smiled and shook his head. "Forget it. Let's see if there is a different way down."

I got as close to the edge as possible. Hundreds of feet below me was a huge, gla.s.sy pond where the water fall emptied itself. I looked further and it seemed to turn into a small lake. Streams like veins twisted and turned through the dense forest of trees and brush. There was so much green, so much blue. A bird flew in front of me before dive bombing back into the thick tree tops.

I sucked in a breath. "Did I really just see a bird?"

"Either that or we're both hallucinating and seeing the same thing."

"I hope you thanked whoever gave you that map, Gabriel." There was no joke in my tone.

He didn't say anything, but went back to walking the edge of the cliff. "Ah, here we go!" He waved me over.

There was a rope tied to a root. The rope was knotted every five feet.

"This won't be too difficult to climb down," Gabriel said. "You can go first this time."