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The tanned, toned arms of Marcus propel him through the water as he swims out into the deepest part of Ebony Falls, and I rush into the water, swimming out to catch him. The water here looks darker and kind of scary. What if there’s some creepy river monster living at the bottom of the falls? What if there are dead bodies down there? The bones of the monsters' meals. I get a sudden fear of not knowing what the fuck is down under the water. Shit, do I have Thalassophobia? I’m learning so much about myself lately. I’m not a fan of Australia’s cute and cuddlies in the dead of night, and I’m scared of fucking water. Ok, maybe not just water, but deep water. Shit, are there crocs in here?
“Marcus!” I call, panic setting in as I swim in desperation towards him.
He stops swimming, treading water as he turns back to see me, his face contorting with confusion before his eyes widen, and he starts back towards me.
“Marcus! I don’t like this!” I’m practically splashing about like a fucking beetle on its back, probably scaring away any creatures lurking below. Or maybe I’m waking them up. Disturbing their peace. Aggravating them. “Marcus!” I squeal irrationally.
“Hey, it’s ok, Rhee. I got you.” Marcus’ soothing tone wraps around me as his hands find my waist under the water and pulls me close. I hope he’s a good swimmer because I’m not letting go. “It’s ok. I have her!” Marcus calls over my shoulder, and I turn back to see the concerned faces of Shaun, Garrett and Simon waist-deep in the water.
Were they coming to rescue me?
“Marcus,” I whisper, and his eyes return to mine, his body still moving with the motion of keeping us afloat.
“What are you doing out here, Rhee?” He asks, his dark eyes soft and concerned.
“Coming after you. Duh!” I roll my eyes, and he grins.
“Coming after me, huh? Without your entourage of lovers?”
I roll my eyes again. “You’re part of my entourage… aren’t you?”
Marcus’ face falls, and my heart sinks.
“We should talk, I guess.” He rasps.
He’s changed his mind.
“Famous last words. They never mean anything good.” I pout, and he grins briefly.
“Let’s find somewhere to sit before we both drown.” He doesn’t disagree with my comment, which must mean one thing. He’s already done with me.
“I don’t know. I think drowning sounds like a good idea right now.” For once, I let him see the fear in my eyes. I let him see the sadness building. This is the guy I told over and over that I didn’t want and couldn’t have a relationship, but now, it’s all I want. And now, it’s too late.
“Don’t say that. Come on, let's swim to the bank.”
“I think I’ll take my chances with the wildebeest.” I start pulling away from Marcus, but he grips me tighter, not letting me escape.
“The wilde-what? Isn’t that an antelope or something?” Marcus chuckles.
“I don’t know, but there’s probably some sort of human eating creature lurking below us right now.”
“All the more reason for you to come with me.” Marcus grins. “Come on, let’s go check out the waterfall.”
Before I can protest, Marcus is swimming us towards the towering falls. The closer we get, the wetter we get as the mist coats us. I’m about to suggest we turn back when Marcus glances to the edge of the falls and moves in that direction. The pelt of the cascading water is less brutal here, and as we get closer, we can see a break in the screen of water, revealing a small rocky cavern behind it.
I don’t get a chance to think any more of it before Marcus darts us under the falls, past the shower of h2o, and into the cavern. Weirdly, it’s quite bright in here, the white rush of water letting through some of the daylight beyond. I’m surprised when Marcus suddenly stands up, showing me we are now on a shallow ledge that runs the length of the falls. It’s like a little hideaway.
“How sick is this?” Marcus grins, turning to check the place out.
“It is pretty sick.” I agree, letting its natural beauty fascinate me. Damn, I wish I had my camera. The way the light flickers over the rock wall would make a great shot.
Marcus turns back to me, smiling for a moment before it falters, and his shoulders drop as he sighs.
“You’ve changed your mind,” I state, and his eyes drop to the water filling the mere feet between us.
“I thought I could do it. I thought I could share you. Even yesterday, I didn’t feel the need to kill my mates just for touching or kissing you. Well, not as severely as before.” He shakes his head.
“But?” I urge, because we may as well get this heart-breaking shit over with. I can’t stand not knowing. I can’t stand the sense of dread filling me.
