Chapter Eight
Ella
It's the first time since my surgery that Rhia pulled out her 'push-your-comfort-zone card', and I pucker my mouth in displeasure.
"And don't pout," she says without looking at me. I suppress a smile, happy that she knows me so well.
Lex has already disappeared into the cave, the light of his flashlight moving around inside. Rhia is about to set foot through the opening, but suddenly stops, her foot half suspended in air.
"Wait, wait, wait," she says in the same tone as earlier, her finger shooting up again.
Yay. She changed her mind and has realized what a stupid idea it is to go into an unknown, dark cave.
But no such luck.
"What is it, Trouble?" Lex asks, appearing by her side immediately.
"I need to pee before we go anywhere."
"Good idea. We don't know how long we'll be in there for," he says, before leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her eyelids, first the left, then the right.
She beams up at him, stealing a kiss from his lips.
"And you complain about Ade and me being sickeningly sweet," I mutter as Rhia turns toward me, grinning from ear to ear.
"Come on. Let's find a bush," she says, taking hold of my hand in passing and dragging me along.
I look pointedly around us. "There are bushes everywhere. Does madame need a particular one?" I tease.
Rhia doesn't reply as she lets go of my hand and walks ahead, but I hear her chuckle. I tail her, noticing the men slipping away behind a nearby tree. Rhia keeps walking until we're truly out of sight.
"Have you gone shy?" I ask. "You know, Lex has seen, touched and thoroughly enjoyed all your bits."
"That he has. But he doesn't need to see me pee. Some things are better left a mystery."
"But it's okay for me to see it?"
"Of course, you're my best friend. I hide nothing from you."
"I'm sure that's a compliment. But trust me, some things are better left a mystery between friends too," I say, repeating her words back to her.
I choose a different bush, and we do what we have to do… separately.
Rhia is waiting for me when I emerge again, her eyes shining with excitement.
"El, I found something," she says, pointing wildly behind herself. "It looks like one of those geothermal pools, you know where the mud is really good for your skin."
"Oh, it's there, is it?" My navigational sense really is off. "I knew it had to be here somewhere."
"What? You knew about it? Why didn't you tell me?"
Squinting, I try to see through the drooping vegetation.
"I only remembered when we were hiking through the forest," I tell her as we make our way to the partially hidden rock pool to have a closer look.
"Did you have a hot and steamy mud bath when you were here the first time?" she asks, raising her brows suggestively.
"I wish. Tiero said we'd come back when we had more time… that it needed to be done properly, or something. Just that we never did. Turns out he had other plans for us that day."
