Hayden rolled his neck. “I’ve got something better in mind than a shower,” he muttered.
I shot him a look. “Such as?”
He didn’t answer immediately—just shrugged, gaze flicking over me with that inscrutable air. “It’s a bit of a secret.”
I blew out. “Don’t be mysterious. I’ve had enough surprises for one day.”
He slipped his hands into his pockets, as if considering for a moment. “Well… it’s on the way back. I could show you, if you’re up for it.”
I found myself nodding, curiosity outweighing my fatigue. “Lead the way, then.”
The shuttle pulled in and we boarded. It rumbled out of the mountain and across the valley floor, evening light gilding the fields beyond the window. When we began to descend from the ridge and level out, Hayden stood and gestured for me to follow. A few moments later, the shuttle slowed and the doors slid open at a small, quiet station.
Hayden stepped out, and I trailed after him, blinking at the scene: a broad valley, endless orange groves glowing gold in the low sun.
“This is the main entrance to the agricultural estate,” Hayden said, nodding toward a row of ring scanners by the platform. “At least for the workers. But that’s not why we’re here.”
He set off at a brisk pace, his stride eating up the platform. I hurried after him, down a flight of stone steps that spilled onto a wide dirt path cutting straight through the orange orchard.
At the bottom, we paused. The world felt different here. Calmer, scented with heavy citrus and earth. The shuttle’s distant rumble faded, leaving only birdsong and the hush of wind moving through glossy leaves. Shafts of sunlight dappled the ground, flickering across our feet as we moved forward.
It felt almost sacred, this hush. I slid off my boots, needing to ground myself in something real. Grit and cool soil pressed against my skin. I let out a soft, involuntary sigh.
Hayden glanced over, one eyebrow raised. “Didn’t take much to impress you.”
I laughed, running my hand through the leaves of a low branch. “It’s been too long since I’ve felt anything like this.”
He just nodded, gaze drifting toward the sunlit trees. “Same reason I come out here. When I can.”
We walked on, no hurry for once. When the main path forked, Hayden led left through rows of lemon trees, then across a couple more orchards, the air turning sharper with each step. Eventually, the trees gave way to a rocky clearing pressed up against the mountain wall.
There, half-hidden in shadow, was a blue pool: small, perfect, catching the last of the sunlight. Hayden’s mouth twitched in a rare smile.
“This your secret?” I asked.
He nodded, dropping his pack on the stony bank. The moment was quiet, charged with something gentle. I started to follow, only to pause as reality caught up: I didn’t have a change of clothes, or even a towel.
That second worry vanished fast when Hayden rummaged in his bag and tossed me a towel. “Figured we’d end up here,” he said. “I always pack extra. Those cheap things barely dry your hands, let alone a person.”
I caught the towel, trying not to look too relieved. But my other hesitation lingered—until Hayden turned away, undisturbed, and stripped down to the white undershirt and black boxers I’d glimpsed earlier. He pulled off his shirt in one slow sweep, baring a back carved with lean muscle, skin still flushed from the heat of the day. The sight made my thoughts scatter. Then he dove, all quiet power, slicing into the water as if it belonged to him.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.Guess we’re really doing this.
I moved to the water’s edge, set my backpack beside his, and stared into the clear blue. Now that it was my turn, the prospect of stripping down to my underwear suddenly made me self-conscious… even though it was no skimpier than a bikini. Hayden surfaced, running a hand through his hair, then noticed me standing there like an idiot.
He grinned, a little crooked. “You coming in, or just here to supervise?”
I felt my cheeks flush. “Only if you turn around.”
His smirk lingered as he turned to face the rocks, then slipped beneath the surface with an easy push, leaving nothing but ripples in his wake. That gave me the opening I needed. I shimmied out of my uniform, perched on the edge, and slipped in, the cold biting and delicious. Goosebumps chased up my arms, but it felt good—clean, fresh, like renewal. Like something I’d been missing for months even though I’d been here weeks.
The world shrank to water, stone, and the hush of leaves. For the first time in ages, I let myself just float.
“You can turn around now,” I called when I noticed Hayden had surfaced across the pond.
He turned, treading water, eyebrows lifting ever so slightly as he glanced my way.
“What?” I asked, trying not to sound as self-conscious as I felt.
