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CHAPTERSIXTEEN
Damon
“Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?”
From beside me on the tour bus, Shaylea’s blue eyes sparkle in her front-facing camera.
“I know it’s hard to believe, but before God made lip filler, I was wayyy less pretty.” She giggles. “Hashtag, blessed.”
What’s hard to believe is what a man like Vedant sees in a woman like Shaylea. How does he ever understand what she’s talking about?
“Say cheese!” When she crams her full jiggling breasts into my arm, what he sees becomes a little clearer. “Oh my gosh. I can’t wait to post that one!” Shaylea gasps. “I’m a social media influencer.”
My smile appears forced in the picture she shows me.
“I’ve heard,” I say, still not fully understanding what that means. “Congratulations.”
When Kate stopped to use the restroom before we left, Shaylea all but jumped into the empty spot beside me. Even worse, the AC went out five minutes into our trip, and we still have another thirty-five to go until we reach Tiger Falls.
I glance over my shoulder about five rows back, searching for Kate. Chuck sits behind her and Brandi as she excitedly tells a story using her hands and wearing an infectious smile. Brandi tips her head back, laughing at whatever it was she said, and despite myself, I smile too.
“Do you think this skirt is too revealing?” Shaylea asks.
The deep purple covering opens to reveal the expanse of her long, slender leg. A strip of fabric, too thin to be traditional bikini bottoms crosses over her hip.
I clear my throat, shifting in our shared seat.
“Where’d you say Vedant was again?”
Shaylea’s an attractive woman. She’s tall, with wavy blonde hair and a thin torso. There’s not a dimple or stretch mark marring her body anywhere. But nothing about her gets my blood pumping like the woman behind me.
“Patrick called him for some meeting this morning, so he wasn’t able to make it.”
She pops her gum in her mouth, smacking it around a wide smile.
“Looks like it’s just you and me.” Patting my knee, she turns to face the guide who’s setting up a mic at the front.
Joy.
Once she gets a headset settled over a mop of black curls, the guide sweeps her tan arms in a wide motion. “Welcome, everyone, to the Tiger Falls tour. I am Halona, one of your guides for the morning.”
The vast green forest surrounding us flits by behind her, and Shaylea sighs impatiently once she dives into the history of the island.
“Topica Bay isn’t just one of the most beautiful islands in the Atlantic. It’s also home to some of the oldest, ancient magics known to man. And just like the formation of nearly all islands, this one was birthed from an eruption of a great underwater volcano.”
She gestures toward the open window beside her. “This island is unique, not only for its miles of lush forests and white sand beaches but for an enchanting waterfall known for its healing properties.”
Shaylea whips out a nail file from her beach bag. “You know she’s just saying these things because she’s paid to. There’s nothing more unique about Topica Bay than any other island.”
The guide carries on as we turn the bend of a heavily canopied area. When the inside of the bus turns dark the deeper we go into the forest, Shaylea wraps her arm around my bicep and gives a full body shiver.
I roll my eyes.
“Legend says, one dip in the waters of Tiger Falls can cure various cancers, rid the joints of arthritis, and even mend a broken heart.”
Vedant’s girlfriend snorts.
“Will we get to see the falls today?” someone asks from the front.
