Chapter Seven
Zach POV
"Josh."
x~x~x~x
I think I need to get my ears checked.
"What?"
"Josh." She said his name again, even more softly than before.
I tried to look unconcerned. "What about him?"
A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "Relax, Zach. It's not like I had sex with him or anything."
Ouch. "Is it obvious?" Obvious that I'm jealous? I finished mentally.
"Yep." She grinned, popping the P.
"Thanks a lot."I vented my feelings on the water, spraying a few drops on her.
"Stop that."
"So, if you didn't have sex with him, what were you planning to tell me?"
"I had a dream last night."
"Okay..." I said, unsure where this was going.
She looked like she was unsure too. Unsure of how to start. I looked at her imploringly.
She took a deep breath."Well, he was chasing me..."
She told me the whole story. When she got to the part where Jimmy stabbed her however, she faltered, as if she didn't think it was possible.
I didn't know what to think. Sure, I thought she was over him, but the disbelief in her voice removed all that useless babble in my head.
Not to mention, the unwilling affection in her eyes when she said his name.
Stop kidding yourself, Zach.
Someone clearing her throat caught my attention, and I realized she was waiting for me to say something.
"I don't think you need to worry, Gallagher Girl."
She looked away, and directed her eyes towards the pale sun."You don't think it will happen? In real life?"
I forced myself to sound convincing. Time for that poker face I was so famous for."Don't worry; it won't. It was just a dream, correct? Dreams mostly don't come true."
"Mostly?"
This time, I didn't need to sound truthful, because I was."Yeah, mostly. I've always dreamed of a day alone with you."
She laughed, and twirled her hair around her fingers. Guess my dead-on honest confession went well. "Oh, fine. I guess I wasn't used to this part of Zachary Goode."
"What part?"
"The unsmirking part. You haven't smirked the past fifteen minutes. It's a miracle."
I smirked. "Well, you better enjoy this moment. Because I can't guarantee this would happen again."
"Okay."
A few drops of moisture hit my sleeves, but it wasn't from the river. I looked up to see thunderclouds rolling.
"Let's go."
The rain poured harder now."We'll be drowned before we could reach the Cave!"
I smirked at her through the rain and took her hand."Don't be so negative; I know a shortcut."
x~x~x~x
C POV
"This is more of a longcut than a shortcut." I grumbled after approximately seventy three minutes and thirty nine seconds. Actually, forty now.
"I don't know why you're complaining." He replied.
And as I glanced at the green canopy that kept the rain form pouring over my head ( For the eight time ) and the blue-and-turquoise pebbles under the rippling water, I couldn't help but agree; I had absolutely nothing to complain about.
"Okay. You win. This is actually kind of peaceful," I said, trying to brush off my earlier comment.
(Naturally) he smirked. His muscles flexed as he pulled on the oars. I transferred my eyes to his face. It did not help my speeding heart rate.
"Are we there yet?" I asked impatiently, and squinted into the endless leafy ceiling of the lagoon. I couldn't see any sign of an entrance or something.
So it surprised me when he suddenly stopped by a four-feet-tall mangrove and tied the boat on the stem of a bamboo before saying,"Tug on that branch."
I did as he told, lightly exerting some pressure on the tiny mangrove's branch. It shrank, and the shadowy emptiness of a tunnel stood before it's place.
Well color me all impressed and shit."You made this yourself?"
"Yeah." Then doing a little half-bow like a proper gentleman, he pushed me to the endless abyss.
R&R!