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She just looks so lost, sitting there, sorting through her things. There’s a faraway expression in her eyes, and a dismal pout to her lips. She’s alone in the world. I can feel that loneliness emanating as night falls, something I feel in my gut. Aslin is pretty, in a girl-next-door sort of way. She has those big, deep, soulful eyes, and that oak-toned hair that falls into her eyes every time she lowers her head. I can tell she likes to look after herself. Her fingernails are very well manicured for an expert fisherwoman. She’s a little bit of a mystery, and I like that. I notice that there’s a thin line of pale skin on her left ring finger. She was wearing a ring there until recently. Interesting. A divorcee, then, or perhaps a broken engagement. That would explain the attitude and latent hostility.
“Can I help you with something?” She gives me a stare.
“Just thought you might like someone to talk to. I know it’s an adjustment coming out here, especially if you’ve had a lot of changes and stress in your life recently.”
“Okay, Psychic Dan,” she says, rolling her eyes at me. There’s a part of me that needs to whip the attitude out of her. But there’s a bigger part that feels her pain. As hard as Jason and I come across, we do this because we want to help people. In a remote location. Away from society as a whole. “You can stop trying to make friends with me. I’m not interested. I didn’t come to talk to anyone, especially a man. I wanted to be left alone. Can you do that for me? Can you leave me to myself?”
Aslin
Well, now I feel bad. He goes away when I ask, without giving me any of the attitude I gave him in return. He seems like a really nice guy. He’s gorgeous too, and charming, and he has that earnestness about him that only good people have, not to mention he pays attention. So many men don’t pay any kind of attention at all.
This is too much. I don’t have enough energy to deal with an emotionally interested and possibly sexually available hot guy. Jason, on the other hand, he gives me jungle fuck boy vibes. He might be good for a vacation fling.
It’s better for Soren to learn now that I’m not someone he should get involved with. I want to be a red flag factory where he is concerned. And really, the sooner I can get out of here, the better. It’s not what I thought it was going to be, and with just the three of us out here all I can think about is how obvious my emotional baggage is going to be. I need to go somewhere else.
“Do you really not have a boat?” I call the question out to Jason. “I’d like to get out of here tonight.”
“Not happening,” he calls back. “Got your MRE if you want it and your bed when you’re ready.”
“We all just sleep out in the open like animals?”
“We sleep by the fire. Smoke keeps the bugs away and keeps us warm through the night. It’s nice.”
Soren has gone off into the jungle. I wonder if I hurt his feelings. I was pretty short with him. Then again, it doesn’t matter. I’m getting out of here as soon as possible. Maybe I’m getting out of here before it’s possible. All I have to do is get back to the village I came from. Now yes, I technically came upriver because it’s the only way to get here, but there’s no reason I can’t walk along the riverbank.
“I’m heading out,” I say. It’s going to be annoying with two suitcases, but I’d rather be annoyed and get out of this dead end than stay here and let these two force me into their wholesome military mindfulness cult with a side of spanking.
“Aslin, come sit by the fire.” Soren emerges from the forest with wood under his arm. Jason doesn’t say anything. He just looks at me balefully.
“I’m leaving,” I tell him. “Thanks for everything, and yeah, nothing.”
“Come and sit. You signed yourself into our care when you signed up for this trip, and we’re going to keep you here until we can get you safely back on an approved transport.”
“You mean that rickety piece of shit boat? I’ll be fine.”
“Aslin,” Soren says my name again. Every time he does, I feel a bolt of sensation rushing down my spine. “If you don’t do as I’m telling you, I am going to punish you.”
“Oh, fuck off you are. If you so much as put a finger on me, I’ll make you eat it. I’m done with this bullshit.”
“You paid a lot of money to not have that option. Now. Come here.”
