Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 63068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
“A little,” I admitted, a lump welling in my throat. “And I’m so cold and exhausted. I don’t know how much more I can take.”
“Hey,” he said softly. “Come here.”
He laid down on his side and put his arms around me, gently pulling me against his chest. His warmth radiated into me, bringing immediate relief. When he put his elbow on my shoulder and rested his hand in my hair, he blocked the rainfall from my face.
“Better?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“This storm will pass,” he said. “And then you can sleep as long as you want.”
I tried to hold back my tears, but I couldn’t. “I just want to be dry and not so hungry. I feel sick and too weak to do anything. This is harder than I thought it would be.”
“I know.” He kissed my forehead. I was worn too thin to protest. “We’ll get through it, though. I promise.”
“Tell me something,” I said, squeezing my eyes shut in an effort to stop the tears.
His breath was warm on my face. “I know it’s too late for us, but when you say I dumped you and never looked back, you’re wrong.”
I wanted to ask him to elaborate, but my eyelids and lips felt too heavy. Day Fourteen on the island had tested me in every way. And while I was strong, I knew there was no way I could’ve gotten through it without Archer.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Day Sixteen—Eight teams remaining
Archer
I scrambled to pick up the fish that had just jumped out of my hands onto the raft, holding him by the mouth this time.
“Slippery little bastard,” I muttered, carefully adding it to the fishing net hanging from the back of the raft.
I could’ve thrown it back; it was my third solid catch of the day and we only needed two. But I liked being out on the turquoise water, hearing only the sounds of splashing fish or birds calling out to each other.
After storming for nearly forty hours, the skies had finally cleared late yesterday morning. Lauren had dozed a little in my arms, but after the storm had passed she’d climbed into the hammock and sacked out for seven hours straight.
She’d even slept through the noise I made while repairing the shelter, snoring softly. I’d snuck more looks at her than I’d ever admit. And last night, we’d gone back to our usual—her sleeping with her back to me.
It was Day Sixteen, which was crazy. Not because we’d lasted that many days in this competition, or because I’d gone that long without a full night of sleep. It was crazy because, since adolescence, I’d never gone that long without getting off. My sexual frustration was real, and it didn’t help that I had to see Lauren in a bikini every day.
“Good job,” Lauren said when I returned to camp with the fish. “I hope you can get a fire going.”
We were both ravenous. I’d worked my ass off fixing our shelter yesterday and hadn’t had much time to fish. All our firewood was too soaked to get a fire going, anyway.
“If I can’t, we’ll have to eat it raw,” I said.
Lauren’s expression fell with disappointment, but she nodded. I wasn’t looking forward to it either, but we had to eat. We needed fuel in our bodies for the next competition.
After half an hour of trying to start a fire, I shook my head. “Sorry, it’s not happening.”
“Well, it can’t taste worse than bull testicles, right?” she said with a weak smile.
“Just pretend it’s sushi,” I said as I started cleaning the fish. “Some people charge a mint for this stuff.”
It did not taste like sushi. Lauren managed a few bites anyway, and I choked down enough to stave off the hunger pangs. Then we set off for the site of today’s competition, and I immediately walked around Lauren to lead the way.
“Why do you always have to be first?” she grumbled.
“I have the map.”
“I can follow a map.”
I had to tread carefully to avoid pissing her off right before a competition.
“Did you learn in the past eight years?” I asked her.
She scoffed. “I was a teenager when you knew me, Archer. I’m completely different now.”
Not an answer to the question, but I didn’t want to poke the bear again.
“I guess I like to lead the way,” I admitted.
She let it drop for once. I’d told her the truth—I did like to be out in front, but the main reason I couldn’t stand following behind her was because just looking at her ass in her shorts, and watching the end of her ponytail swishing right above the clasp to her bikini top, drove me crazy.
It wasn’t a shock that she gave me the silent treatment the whole walk to the competition site. But when we walked up to where the other teams were gathering, Lauren gasped and put a hand on my arm when she saw the competition area.