It was a short hour drive from Cancún to Akumal, a small coastal town close to many Mayan archaeological sites, where we would set up base. Savannah had yet to even ask where we were going. She truly didn’t seem to care.
The jungle blurred past us as we drove, Journey’s greatest hits blaring through the stereo. From time to time, small brightly painted Mexican villages or low-lying swampy lakes would appear as we flew down the not-too-often paved road. We reached our destination in the dying sunlight, a gathering of bleach-white bungalows that opened onto a beach lined with fishing boats rolling in the gentle water. Peaceful, quiet. Such a change from the busy streets of Jerusalem.
The girls decided to share a room, as did the brothers, which left me to myself—a welcome development. I’d shared rooms with Claire too many times before and could always count on about three hours less sleep because of her incessant chattiness.
Finally alone, I took full advantage of the chance to get a good shower. It took me a while to shave, since it had been weeks since I had done so.
The thick clouds had trapped the heat and moisture in the air, so I unpacked with the door open, letting in the weak ocean breeze and the sound of crashing waves. I looked up from my suitcase at the sound of a light knock.
Savannah was leaning casually against my open door, a vision in a tank top, khaki shorts, and hiking boots—my kind of girl.
“Hi,” was my novel response. It still felt taboo to actually be speaking to her.
“Hi. Hardly recognized you without the beard. I thought I had the wrong room. You clean up well,” she said with a laugh. The sound of it thrilled me. But I, as usual, couldn’t think of anything witty to say.
“So … I just wanted to thank you again for letting me come. I have a little bit of money, so let me know where I can chip in.” As she spoke, a small bead of sweat ran down her neck and fell into the soft indentation of her collarbone. It distracted me completely. I wanted to catch it, trace its trail back up her neck, to feel her skin again …
Oh yeah, she was waiting for a response.
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” I managed, a little late. “Our employers have budgeted for a helper. In fact, I am supposed to be paying you.” She had no idea how much money we each had stuffed away in various accounts under various names all over the world. Come to think of it, neither did I.
“In fact, would you rather have your own room? Sharing a room with Claire is a bit of an occupational hazard. She has been known to talk people to death.” I winked at her slyly like I had seen Mateo do.
“No, it’s really nice to have someone around to talk to, actually.” She looked at my luggage open on my bed.
“I’m keeping you from getting settled. I just wanted to say thanks. Again,” she said awkwardly, backing out of the room. I dropped the clothes I was taking to the dresser and followed her, my feet acting on their own accord. I had to think of a reason why I was walking out my door with her when I was so obviously in the middle of unpacking.
“Are you turning in for the night?” I asked. Maybe I was going for a walk … yeah, that’s it.
“No, it’s a little too hot still. I was thinking about going for a walk,” she said.
Damn. I wished I’d said it first so it looked like she was following me and not the other way around.
“Could you use some company?” I asked, masking my nerves under a cool tone.
“That would be nice,” she said, her face breaking into a genuine smile. It was completely different from the forced ones she so easily handed out to her would-be suitors.
We slid into the new night, walking along the white sand leading away from our rooms. I caught a glimpse of Claire peeking out of her window, giving me the thumbs-up.
The nearly full moon was just starting to rise, magnified on the horizon. The breeze that came off the water was refreshing and clean. For a long while, there was no sound except for the ebb and flow of the water and the skittering of sand under our feet.
She finally came to a stop, turning toward the water to face the heightening breeze. She kicked off her sandals and sank down, crossing her legs under her. I sat quickly beside her. She seemed to get nervous as she stared out into the ocean, arms circled around her knees.
“I want to tell you something,” she said abruptly.
“What?” Curiosity burned away at my insides.
“I wanted to explain why I decided to come with you. You must think I’m either completely careless about my safety or just crazy.”
“I had considered both of those options,” I said. She smiled faintly, but it didn’t dispel her nervous energy.
“I sort of … watched for you in Jerusalem … well, followed you would be a more honest description. I never dreamed of interrupting your work, but I just felt safer with you nearby. I had planned, if I ever really got into trouble, to find you and ask you for help,” she said slowly.
“What? Why? Why me?” I blurted in outright shock.
“You had such kind eyes,” she said defensively, though she wouldn’t look at me. “You would glance my way sometimes, and it made me feel … protected.”
Well, yes, she was right. My incessant sideways glances were for her protection, but that wasn’t the point. She had gotten extremely lucky putting her trust in me. What would have happened if she’d chosen to trust someone that would have hurt her?
“You should be more careful with yourself, Savannah. I could have been a murderer for all you knew,” I said grimly.
“Are you a murderer, Ryen?” she challenged, raising one eyebrow.
“No,” was my lame response. She started talking before I thought of a better one.
“I’ve been by myself for a while, and it felt nice to imagine you as a friend. That’s what made it so easy for me to come. I had no business staying in Israel as long as I did. I just kept staying because it felt …” she hesitated. “I don’t know how to explain it. But then I finally forced myself to get on an airplane, and there you were again.”
I turned over the words in my head, contemplating the friendship she had constructed between us. She bent her head toward her knees, her truth lying bare before me. I wanted to reciprocate, to tell her even a small part of my truth, as well. But before I could, she started talking again, filling the silence that I didn’t.
“You must have noticed me following you like a stalker. Then I show up on your plane like I’d followed you there too. Believe me, I understand perfectly why you didn’t want me to come with you,” she explained.
Well, that was stupid. And completely backwards. But I couldn’t fault her for trying to explain my lack of enthusiasm about her joining us.
“It seems that I have a confession to make too …” Now it was my turn to be nervous. “I was watching out for you. I couldn’t imagine what you were doing there alone. And I never, ever thought you were a stalker. I was kind of thinking you had applied that title to me, actually.” The words poured out, the dam in my mouth breaking open again and spilling more honesty than I had planned.
We both laughed hesitantly, feeling completely exposed, as only speaking the absolute truth can do.
“I’m actually very surprised you never needed saving. How did you stay out of trouble?”
“I had a few close calls, but I know how to take care of myself.”
I wanted to tease her about the unending line of men that had followed her around the Holy Land, but I never got the chance. In the darkness, two voices screamed out an ear-piercing war cry. Stupidly, I jumped up, only giving the brothers a bigger target to hit. Mateo and Chase smashed into me with such force that I was thrown backwards ten feet into the roaring surf. I could hear Claire’s arriving giggle over the crashing waves. So much for my shower.
Before I stood up amidst the waves, I collected two fistfuls of wet sand, which I expertly chucked at the boys, hitting Chase on the side of the head and Mateo right in the face.
That did it.
“Aw, you’re a dead man!” Mateo yelled as he ran into the water after me. Chase followed behind.
The water felt so good, Mateo yelled at the girls to join in. Claire tested the water with her toes before committing, but Savannah dove recklessly straight in under the waves, surfacing at my side.
“So what’s on the schedule tomorrow, fearless leader?” Mateo asked, grinning as we floated in the warm water.
“I called the museum curator at Chichen Itza. She lined up an interview for me out there tomorrow. I didn’t want to leave so quickly, but it was all I could get. We can stay out there close to the site for a few nights. Leave most of your stuff here—no need to take everything with us. Claire—”
“I’m not leaving my things here. You never know what you’ll need out there!”
“One bag,” I insisted.
“Three,” she countered.
“Two small bags,” I negotiated back.
“Two suitcases and my Chanel tote. Final offer.”
I rolled my eyes. “Deal.”