AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s like men can smell how much I want a relationship and it keeps them a mile away.”
“What about church? Wanna get dressed up with me on Sunday and go hunt for nice men with good intentions?”
She snorted. “I will go, but I doubt we’ll meet many men.”
The swimming hole was rocky, as Layla had described, but also lush with green vegetation, sparkling blue water, calling birds, buzzing dragonflies, and a pretty waterfall that dropped into a deep pool. I’d worn my sporty bikini under a simple tank cover-up dress, brought a beach towel, and had the water shoes on my feet. Amber changed into a one-piece suit and cut off jean shorts.
I’d never been someone who voluntarily camped or hiked, but as we waded out into brisk river water I wondered why. My heart was pumping from my feet sliding over wet rocks. I watched dense thickets of bushes and trees where a wild animal could pop out and roar at us, while bugs shaped like tiny pontoon planes hopped over the river. Shadows moved under the water. All the tangled thoughts I’d been struggling with fell away.
Amber squawked and I turned around to see her sidling away from a gecko, its little lizard face watching us as we waded past its rock.
“Stop laughing at me,” Amber said, breathlessly. “What are we even doing here?”
“I don’t know but I’m a little hooked. New Sally might be a nature nerd.”
“I get worried when you talk about yourself in the third person.”
“You know what, I’m going to start collecting rocks.”
“Thrilling news.” Amber sucked in a breath as we stepped into deeper water.
“There’s Layla and everyone.”
“Wait, how do we get there?” she asked.
“People are using that rope over there to climb down the cliff.”
“What? No—Sally, wait.”
I followed a narrow trail to the edge of a small cliff and hopped down onto a lower ledge before Amber puffed up behind me. “Don’t worry, shug,” I called up. “This is a piece of cake.”
That was a lie, but it wasn’t horrible or anything. I was glad I’d been working out though because a few times I had to hold on tight. Amber took a little longer than me.
“Bugs, thorns,” she said, her face tight. “Stop grinning. Now what? Everyone’s on the other side so I guess we have to swim in this freezing cold water to get over there. Oh my God, Sally, I am never going to forgive you for this.”
I waved at Layla, who stood across the deep pool, closer to the waterfall. Forest wasn’t over there, but Naomi and Gemma and one guy I didn’t know were. I pulled my dress off. Then I waded in, holding my towel and dress up over my head.
“Freakin’ a,” Amber moaned. “This water is cold.” She took off her shorts and followed me in.
We gasped, and I giggled. “I bet this is super good for our skin,” I said.
Amber muttered to herself.
“Hey y’all,” I said, stepping out of the water shivering. I put my towel and dress bundle on a dry rock.
“Hey,” Layla said. “I can’t believe you went in that freezing water.”
“My body kind of went numb after a minute and it wasn’t too bad.”
“It’s hellishly cold,” said Amber.
“Forest and Clint are the only ones that have gone in there so far,” said Gemma. “Before they took off to go fishing.”
“We came via the scenic route,” I said. “I bet people jump off that rock, huh?”
“Oh, yeah,” said Naomi. “A bunch of locals were here earlier.”
“I’m gonna do it,” I said.
