After nearly fifteen minutes of walking down the steps, we boarded a small open-air boat. It had a few rows of seats, two that lined the sides, and one that came down the middle. I let Lila choose our spot. No surprise, she picked front-and-center where we’d have the best view of everything.
Lila stood to record a video of the boat, rotating to capture everything. The middle-aged man sitting next to us glowered up at her.
“Can you sit down?” he asked, scowling.
“Oh—” Lila flushed, but I shot up to stand by her side.
“She’ll sit when she's finished recording.” I glared at the rude man, daring him to speak to Lila like that again. As soon as he took in my expression and my size, he paled. His wife elbowed him and offered me an apologetic smile.
“Sorry,” he muttered.
Lila chuckled before finishing her video, and only then did we both take our seats.
“What?” I demanded.
“Nothing. It’s just—” She bit back a smile. “That would have been you, a few days ago.”
I winced. “Well, I’m lucky I found someone to set me straight.”
A perky tour operator walked to the front of the boat and greeted us over her microphone. She gave us some safety instructions and then we were on our way.
I held my breath as soon as the boat started moving. But even as we started rocking slowly, Lila appeared fine. Not a trace of green dotted her rosy cheeks. She nestled into my side and my chest swelled with some unfamiliar feeling. Pride? Possessiveness? Whatever it was it felt good.
When the boat pulled into the small dock at the volcano, I stood up first, holding out my hand to help steady her.
“This is perfect for our last day.” Lila beamed at me, letting me help her up.
The volcano seemed more like an island to me.
A trail wound its way from the boat all the way up the side of the volcano, through a landscape that was rugged, almost otherworldly. The tour guide led the way for our small group. As we hiked up the trail, she pointed out the different layers of volcanic rock we could see underneath our feet.
Lila slipped her hand in mine, listening intently to the guide. I found it hard to focus on anything other than the way her thumb occasionally brushed across my knuckles, or the coolness of her silver ring pressed into my palm.
“Wow, not since 1950,” Lila said, looking up at me expectantly.
I blinked a few times. “What?”
She rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. “Since the last eruption. Are you even paying attention?”
“Of course,” I said, my eyes studying her face.
“Not to me. To the tour.” Lila laughed.
The tour guide could have been spouting out the secret to eternal life and I still don’t think it could have pulled myattention away from the girl at my side. The one I couldn't believe I was lucky enough to be here with.
The tour continued and I tried my best to pay attention to all of the rapid-fire factoids the perky guide shouted at us. Mostly just so I’d be prepared in case Lila quizzed me again. But even as I attempted to listen, my brain just couldn't compute. Instead, it was stuck on one very singular track.
“You look cute when you're interested,” I whispered. I snaked my arm around her waist while the guide told us all about the volcano’s biggest eruption, the one that had formed the caldera thousands of years ago.
“Pay attention.” Her stern voice held little weight when she smiled like that. I brushed her hair from her shoulder and traced her bare skin lightly.
“I can't help it, you’re very distracting.”
Lila shook her head against my chest. I was already convinced that I’d never get sick of holding her.
The guide finished her spiel and instructed us to feel free to explore, but to be back at the boat in thirty minutes or it would take off without us. That got some polite chuckles from the group.
“Take a picture of me,” Lila said, scrambling up onto a rock on the path. She spread her arms out wide and smiled.
