“You don’t have to say that. If not for you, Matias would…” Her voice cracks, unable to finish that thought. I don’t want her to finish it either.
I can’t help but shake my head. Her words are truer than I’d like to admit.
She draws in her lower lip between her teeth again. It’s one of her tells; one that reminds me she’s equally capable of hiding her fear as she is foraging for a meal while I sleep away my exhaustion.
Once again, I stretch, noting any injuries that might slow us down. The muscle aches and pains mean nothing. The bruising over my sternum is an ever-present reminder of what Rosalie did for me, but it won’t slow me down. I worry about the ankle tweak the most. Hopefully, once I’m back in my boots, there’ll will be enough support so it doesn’t impact our ability to get out of here.
Mention of finding a necklace confirms we’re getting closer to civilization. I both love and hate that. I can’t help but feel grateful to be sharing this experience with Rosalie. I could stay here forever. Just the two of us; but she won’t be safe until she’s out of Nicaragua and beyond Matias’s reach.
This new phase of our journey, leaving the jungle, fills me with a sense of unease. We will trade the relative safety of the jungle for the unknown civilization brings. There’s no way to know if Matias has coerced the local villagers to turn in two strangers emerging from the jungle, but that’s exactly what I would do if I were him.
He and the man he works for, Maximus Angelo, are powerful men. I don’t know how far their reach extends, and I worry about what we might face as we make our way to the nearest town.
What I fear the most is letting my guard down. We’ve been on our own for so long that I relax around Rosalie, as if I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be a Guardian on high alert.
The fact is, I’m falling for Rosalie. I feel as though I’m plummeting over the edge of a cliff, waiting for the rush that’s sure to come when I hit the bottom of this free fall. That’s the emotion that can fuck with the best extraction plan.
Without another word, I take my things and head to the river. Although Rosie cleaned my wound and applied her salve, I need to check it out for myself. My head hurts like a motherfucker, but hopefully that pain will ease with time. There’s no obvious sign of a concussion, but I’ll keep my suspicion high—just in case.
After washing up and making a thorough inventory of my injuries, I get dressed and see how my ankle is going to affect me. After a few steps, I’m reassured. My boot stabilizes the joint. Which means we can continue and I won’t be a liability to Rosalie.
When I return to our small camp, Rosie pulls the iguana off the fire. She holds up the roasted meat with pride.
“Wanna bite?”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” I’ve eaten a lot of things along the way. Crickets, insects, mangy rabbits, and the occasional vole during SERE, but I try to stay away from lizards, snakes, and insects.
Not a fan.
“Go on. It’s good. Try it.” She continues to hold the stick with the roasted iguana on it.
I look at it for a moment and then shake my head. “I think I’ll pass.”
“Just try it.” She takes a bite, eyes closing as she moans with pleasure. Her lids flick open and she offers it to me. “You can’t say no until you’ve tried it. Those are the rules.”
“The rules?” Damn, but I can’t argue with that.
“That’s what I said.”
I snort, but take the slice of meat. I close my eyes as I chew, expecting leathery meat, gristle, and worse, but to my delight, it’s succulent and sweet.
Rosie looks at me expectantly.
I open my eyes and swallow.
“Okay,” I say hesitantly. “It’s not bad.”
“Not bad?” She takes a bite and closes her eyes. “It’s a local delicacy.”
“I don’t know about calling that a delicacy, but it’s definitely edible.” It’s more than edible. It’s fucking fantastic.
We laugh as I sit down beside her and take another bite. My eyes close as a riot of flavor coats my tongue. Truly a gustatory delight. It’s delicately sweet, savory, and there’s some kind of spice, or seasoning, on it I can’t place.
“I knew you’d like it,” she says with a self-satisfied grin. She laughs and I can’t help but join in.
I can’t explain it, but this feels right.
Rosie and me.
We just make sense together. Our laughter dies out and we finish the iguana. Next is a smattering of fruits, roots, shrooms, and other edibles she foraged while I slept. Silence descends between us, and I realize she’s staring at me.
“What?” I ask her.
She shrugs. “Nothing. I’m just happy. It’s kind of weird, but I haven’t felt this way in a long time.”
“I know what you mean.” I place my hand on her thigh. It’s an intimate gesture without being overtly sexual. I’ve found peace beside Rosalie.
We settle down to finish our meal in silence. After we’re done, we work together to police our campsite, dousing the fire and hiding the remains of our food high in the trees.
Although we’ve taken a pause, we’re both still exhausted.
“Instead of pushing through the night, let’s spend the night here and rest up. Tomorrow will be a challenging day.” Not to mention, I crave one more night in the jungle with my Rosalie.
I’m not ready to let this end.
Despite my lengthy nap, she’s clearly exhausted. Fatigue still pulls at me. We settle in for some shut-eye, and with no signs of any pursuit from Matias’s men, I’m comfortable not setting a watch.
Rosie falls asleep first. I follow a few hours later. When I wake, she’s curled in my arms, snuggled against me. I’ve never felt this close to anyone and don’t want this moment to end.
As the sun rises, speckled light filters down to the forest floor, turning darkness into an ethereal twilight. I could sleep for a few more hours—I’m so comfortable—but this is me not wanting this moment to end.
But as always, time stands still for no one.
We need to keep moving, so I gently nudge her awake. We’re packed and ready within minutes. After talking strategy last night, we follow the path where she found the necklace.
It’s my hope we wind up near the coast instead of Managua, but either locale, I’ll be able to contact my team.
As we make our way through the jungle, dodging snakes and other potential hazards, Rosalie sticks close to my side. She’s nervous, now that our jungle adventure is nearly over, and I do my best to keep her calm.
After a few hours, we come across an old, abandoned hut in the middle of the jungle. It’s barely more than a single room, with its roof caved in and vines growing up the walls. That’s the jungle. It devours anything man builds. The hut is the first actual sign we’re getting close. We walk along the path, following the same route Rosalie did when she found the necklace.
“We’re getting close.” I reach for Rosalie and love when she takes my hand in hers. Fingers intertwined, she grasps my bicep and leans against my arm.
“It’s like we’re at the end of an impossible dream.” She snuggles closer, laying her cheek against my arm.