The Island
Chapter Eight
Sookie...
Day 245…
Ever since Eric's leg debacle, our relationship had shifted.
We spoke to each other differently now, we were no longer strangers getting by while waiting for a rescue. We've become something more than friends, with feelings that went deeper than friendship. Nothing seemed private anymore, if we felt it, we shared it. The only thing I kept to myself was my feelings for Eric, the ever growing emotions that swirled around my heart when he'd turn those powerful baby blues on me, how could I express what I didn't fully understand, I was a complicated mess inside and I worried about him.
I knew he never slept well here, always afraid he'd miss that plane that would find us. He knew that I still checked on him in the middle of the night, checking his pulse and his breathing. The only comfort the night brought us was the warmth of each other arms. I absolutely loved sleeping in his arms, we have made a habit of curling up together at night, I would wind my legs through his, rest my head on his chest and as soon as I am settled he entwines his long arms around me.
"How are you feeling?" He whispers tonight. A flash of worry replacing his normally calm expression, I knew instantly what he was asking, and we don't talk about my past illness often. We had been here so long that I knew I had missed at least two follow up appointments. Neither of us likes thinking of the fact that my cancer could have returned, or that I could actually be laying here dying.
"I feel fine," I answer back giving him my best reassuring smile.
"Tell me about it," Eric whispered.
I took a shaky breath, my heart racing as I opened my mouth, "I had everything going for me. I was turning sixteen and I would finally have my full driver license and not that crappy farm permit. I was beautiful, popular, outsmarting my classmates, volleyball captain. Jason had moved out, it was one less mouth to feed or tidy up after and Bill he was sweet and he had finally asked me to be his girlfriend." I paused, pulling myself back to the past remembering. "Then I…just started getting fatigued. I couldn't keep up, not with school or the house or anything really. I just thought it was the stress ya know." I said looking up at Eric and I let out a bitter snort. "I mean what teenage girl tries to take care of her father by doing all the laundry, cooking, and cleaning, while maintaining a 4.0 and the demands of a popular social circle."
Eric pulled me tighter against him, "I noticed the bruises but I excused them since I was fairly active and in volleyball, normal right? One morning I woke feeling real nasty so I ditched school and took myself to the doctor, he gave me some antibiotics and a pass from school and I went home and slept for three days. It took forever to get back on my feet, it hurt to breathe and my appetite vanished. I lost like fifteen pounds. So I took myself to the doctor again. This time he sent me to the hospital over in Shreveport with my dad."
Eric squeezed me, "After just a couple days I ended up with a team of doctors. I remember the doctor calmly telling me I had Leukemia, my entire body went numb, and my dad just blinked, he didn't even know it was a type of cancer. I cried silently as they explained everything that was going to happen. I started chemo almost immediately, along with a billion other drugs. It was horrible I received spinal tap injections and radiation therapy to treat the leukemia in my brain. Those days were some of the most painful days of my life. I was in the hospital for about six weeks before I finally got in remission. I thought it was finally coming to an end. I was so wrong." I chuckled tearing up as I pictured Jason, my hero, my doofus horndog big brother. "My brother saved my life, he didn't have to, there was another match but he was almost perfect. He insisted, tossed a fit in my hospital room, called me a silly retard. I quote he said 'I might be shit of a big brother but your my baby sister, even if you're being a silly retard. I ain't going to let some whoknowwho put there feeble match marrow in you when goddamn it mine is damn near prefect. One of the best matches these fancy doctors of yours have seen in years."
"Sounds like a pretty good brother to me," Eric offered with a chuckle.
"He can be a shit but he's still my hero. I was admitted to the hospital so the chemo and radiation could obliterate my immune system so my body wouldn't reject the transplant. The hardest part was the isolation. A part of it was forced by the hospital and it was horrible but my Dad he couldn't stand to be there long. Gran the trips exhausted her so I always had to put a smile on ya know. I received the transplant through my central line" I paused and pulled my worn shirt. "See that dot, that's where my line went in."
I paused and took a breath, "that sounds horrible." Eric shuddered, so I lifted my head off his chest and grinned at him in agreement. "It was, I still have night sweats about it. Everything was going good the cancer didn't come close to killing me. It was the pneumonia that I caught, and ending up in ICU under a ventilator, that's what almost did me in. I spent a couple of long months in the hospital, so when I finally was coming home cancer free and the doctors cleared me to travel, well my dad wanted to make up for all that time he wasn't around, so Jamaica." I said with a little snort. Eric chuckled. I squeezed him laying my head back down.
"I worry about it," Eric confessed.
"Please don't, I'll tell you, I promise if I ever feel that way again." I murmured.
"I'll still worry," Eric whispered.
"Me too," I shot back quietly.
Days 326…
I was sweaty.
My breathing was heavy from exhaustion.
We were exploring, deeper into the jungle, marking our way as we went. We must have spent most of the morning and afternoon learning more about our island. Well Eric was, I on the other hand was more focused maybe even a tad distracted by the way his back muscle moved, the sweat shining off his tan skin, the way it was running down his spine.
"Sookie," Eric exclaimed turning towards me, his eyes alight with excitement. "That isn't our path." He pointed to a path that leads into the trees before us. "Come on," he urged marking a tree, so we'd be able to find our way back to the campsite.
We walked, briskly, Eric tugging on my hand squeezing it in his excitement. "Holy fuck, no way, no god damn way," Eric yelled as we stumbled upon it, a three feet maybe two feet deep moving stream of water.
I squealed and embraced him causing us to stumble and fall into the refreshing cool water. We laughed, and he never let me out of the embrace as we slipped and messed around in the spring. I blinked up at him, his eyes had taken on that intense clarity, bright and heavy at the same time as he stared down at me, his eyes bouncing from my soaked see through tee shirt to my eyes. I smiled widely, silently expressing my love for him.
Just like that he pulled us from the water. I couldn't help having the feeling that something should have transpired there, if I would have just risked everything and leaned forward and kissed him, instead of smiling at him like a crazy person. I trailed after him, we were headed down stream it didn't take long, fifteen maybe twenty minutes later the stream flowed into a large pond at the edge of a large clearing. It took a second for my mind to catch up, a large man made clearing. I stood there gobsmacked, staring at a house, a very long huge white cement expensive looking house.
"Sookie," Eric whispered lowly shoving me behind him seconds before he was banging on the front door. I stepped back and inspected the house and my stomach sunk, heart cracked open. The white cement was covered in different layers of moss.
"Eric just kick it in, no one lives here," I said exasperated, disenchanted. He raised his legs and with little effort kicked the door in. He strolled in, each of us covering our noses, mold covered portions of the walls. It didn't take Eric long to start coughing. Every room was empty, only trash remained, littering the floor.
None of the lights held a light bulb, the kitchen held nothing but old newspapers, old pots and skillets that were tossed in a rubbish bin, under the sink were unused scrub pads. Every room remotely empty.
"Hey I found something," I called out to Eric. "A deck of playing cards, a book 'A Forbidden Affair' and a six pack of Irish Spring soap. What did you find?"
"A busted phone, in the attic there was one of those packaged bedding sets, a tote of moth eaten clothes, in the bathroom under the sink there was bottles of cleaning supplies and in the laundry room there was an unopened bottle of bleach." Eric said motioning to our loot pile.
"Eric we can't live here," I said firmly, his eyes twinkling but his cough had remained strong. "Mold is everywhere, I can't be breathing it and you… you're on the verge of an asthma attack."
"But we could move our 'home' here," he said practically. "That out there is a well house," he said jabbing his finger at the window. He grabbed my hand and pulled me out back to the little shack that sat about twenty feet from the house. Lady luck must have been on our side because the door was unlocked. It was the jackpot of all jackpots the shed slash water well was full of seeds, tools and water hoses. Eric pressed his fingers to his lips; he cupped his ear it was hardly noticeable the almost silent hum the room was admitting.
There were multiple valves on the wall marked tank, garden, house and creek. The only one that was turned on was the one marked creek. Eric twirled the garden valve on and stepped outside and pumped the faucet handle.
We stood side by side holding our breath until water rushed out spilling at our feed, a murky brown color for the longest time until it gradually grew lighter and lighter then finally it started to run clear.
"See Sookie, running water, how fan-fucking-tasic is that." He asked excitedly already sticking his dirty face under the stream of cold water.
"It's awesome Eric, but," I had a sinkingly bad feeling about this place. "I just… what if whoever owns this place comes back?" I asked hesitantly.
"Then we'll have a way home," Eric said as if it was obvious. I shook my head this dwelling didn't make any sense. I crossed my arms, ready to butt heads.
"No," I said confidently, my voicing pleading with Eric as I continued on. "Eric look around here, why build this awesome house here and not on the beach? Why hidden away in the trees? Who needs a watch tower?" I rambled off my questions shakily. This place had an uncomfortable vibe about it.
"Whoever lived here is long gone Sookie, the moss, the mold it's all signs. The goats, rabbits and chickens that roam this island are all proof that someone has come and gone. It took almost a year to discover this place and fuck me if it isn't heaven sent. It's a blessing, Sookie, running water, the seeds, everything. We can really live here, be a family here." He said urgently, passionately, his eyes that intense blue. My heart fluttered at his words. "If they come back, we'll flee, we know this island better than anyone."
It was too late in the day to risk trying to find our way back to our little shack, so we curled up next to each other on the hard concrete of the well house floor. I slept little that night, sure that spiders and bugs were crawling all over me.
That next coming weeks were spent moving across the island. I ended up winning the major battle and we rebuilt our shack near the tree line but on the beach were we had the potential to be spotted. We both knew it was a long shot, neither of us had any stock in getting rescued at this point; we were going to live and die here. The talks of returning home now were just wistful dreams. We were only yards away from the house, and running water.
We we're trapped inside, listening to the rain splatter across the roof and the roar of thunder.
"What are you thinking about?" Eric asked wrapping his long body around mine as we lay on the cot I had made for us.
"About how we'll die here," I admitted. "If you go first I probably won't be far behind you maybe a year or two, I can't imagine living… no surviving here without you, I can only handle being stranded here because your here."
"You're tougher than that," Eric said certainly, flipping over and laying on top of me.
"I guess," I murmured looking into his eyes. "I'm not saying I'm going to go off myself. It's all the little things like getting hurt, or sick."
"You're being very morbid tonight." Eric growled lowly, running a hand over my arm ticking me.
"I know," I giggled. "I'm sorry."
"Don't," I laughed as he tickled me. "I'm very, very ticklish… stop," I squirmed against him, trapped under his delightful weight. My stomach exploded with butterflies, warmth spreading over me. "Stop," I laughed.
"Make me pretty girl," he teased taping my nose his breath hitching when my warm blue eyes got lost in his. I didn't let myself over think I just reached up and kissed him squarely on the lips, full of brass I let myself enjoy the moment of pure bliss. I sighed as his large rough hands roamed over my body pulling me closer, kissing me deeper, breathless. "Fucking Hell," Eric moaned worked up. "Sookie..," he breathed pushing himself backwards. "We're not doing this," he said coldly.
"Eric," I felt like crying.
"No," his shoulders tense, tight everything about his body language screamed angry.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I shouldn't of…" I said not able to finish the sentence as I turned away from him facing the wall. I pretended to sleep, as I lay there unnaturally still as my heart tried choking me, my mind wouldn't stop. Mixed signals were what I decided upon as morning crept up on us, we were so intimate with each other, the way we held each other, talked to each other.
"Sookie," Eric said softly flipping over.
I remained in my statue like state.
"I know you're not sleeping," He chuckled so I rolled over facing him. His face pinched for a moment as he looked me over, I knew I had puffiness under my eyes from where I had been crying. I remained still as he caressed my cheek.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Don't be," I scuffed softly trying to smother down the bitterness eating at me.
"Sookie, if we would have continued, I wouldn't have stopped." Eric explained.
I dared to smirk at him, "I didn't want you to stop."
He smiled that damn grin that melts my heart. "I know jailbait," he laughed at his own joke.
"You're an ass," I snapped not ready to joke about my moment of stupidity.
"Sookie," Eric huffed climbing out of the tent after me.
"Leave me alone," I said defensively needing a moment to collect myself. "I'm not jailbait, I never was. In the state of Louisiana the age of consent is seventeen and F.Y.I you were never my teacher… you might be a teacher but not in my school or even in my district so really you were never in a position of authority, just a hired summer tutor. It might have been wrong a year ago but it wouldn't have been scandalous even then." I said defending my actions blasting him with pent up honesty.
"Sook," he said lowly, his eyes that swirling sinful blue.
"No, I'm sorry. I let my emotions get the best of me. I know I'm not a pretty woman but damn your eyes pulled me in and the tickling and I love you coupled with the fact that I am hornier than hell from watching you walk around our island half naked and I'm sorry for using you like that because I know there is no way you can lov- want me like I do you." I ended lowly, heart heavy.
"You are so fucking wrong woman," he hissed hotly against my mouth whatever control was holding him back snapped as he pressed up against me, my back connecting with our 'new' counting tree. He kissed me hard, held me tightly, everything about him was hard. I was accustomed to feeling his morning wood, having woken up pressed against it most mornings since we washed ashore here.
He tasted like coconut milk.
"Lose the shirt," Eric ordered and I obeyed tugging up on it and I lifted my arms as he flung it away from us. "Fuckin' sin," he murmured rough hands running over my exposed stomach and breasts. "You've done this before, lover?" he asked urgently voice stern.
"Yes," I groaned out, sparks flying throughout my body.
"You're going to have to forgive me Lover, but this is going to be quick and rough." Eric said his voice tight, strained. I nodded against his neck, ready, my body burning wanting more as he lifted me up against the tree, I wrapped my legs around him as he moved us back to our tent. We scrambled inside.
Have mercy, on my soul. I made a noise somewhere between a moan and sigh as he began teasing me, spinning me up with his long callused fingers. He trailed kisses on my jaw line, biting, nibbling along my collarbone… I was lost to the sensations as he leaned over me.
I gasped loudly.
"Fuck!" he cried, stilling inside me. "You're tight, Jailbait."
I was incoherent, unable to speak, or focus on anything but him inside me, I scratched and clawed his back needing more and I held on tight as he moved, hard and fast as I moaned under him shamelessly. His thumb remained on my clit rubbing, both of us panting, and it was everything I've dreamed about… It was primal and raw, full of need and it felt so damn good.
I was close, so close I was trembling as I clenched around him.
"Yeah, come for me," he groaned throatily, hitting my sweet spot.
I fell apart, and screamed his name as my orgasm over took me.
"Fucking yes lover," he panted, rolling off me but still pulling me close, long arms wrapped around me, spooning me against him.
We both felt it this time our relationship had shifted, again. I knew if we ever did get off this island what had just transpired would have to be kept a secret. The media would go crazy over a sensational story, it was no ones business what we did here, if anyone deserved each other it was us, we deserved any peace we could find.
"Sookie," Eric mumbled tiredly pulling me from my inner musings. "You're beautiful. Never say that you're not again."
"Okay," I croaked stunned, heart fluttering from his words. I tucked myself into him, smiling into his chest as he placed a chaste kiss on the top of my head. I fell asleep just as the rain started again.
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