“A guy from the plane.”
As Megan told her about Frank, Crystal’s chest tightened. If only her flight hadn’t been delayed. How often was she going to fail to be there when Megan needed her?
Two things were clear. One, it was better to travel in numbers. And two, her sister needed her after all. “It’s a good thing I’m here.”
Megan stiffened and kept staring at the comforter.
Crystal cringed. “That’s not what I meant.” Great, now she’d implied Megan couldn’t do this alone. This trip was off to such a lovely start. An apology clogged her throat, but it wouldn’t come out. Better to say nothing than risk making things worse. Crystal marched to the window and threw open the curtains. A courtyard garden lay below. A tall tree stood planted in the very center, flowers blooming around it in precise rows. Though a breeze shook the branches, leaves didn’t fall to the ground. Every thirty feet, an arch of stone rose and fell around each guest room doorway, creating pillared entryways that made each door feel like the entrance to a grand and important suite.
“Maybe I made a mistake.”
Crystal turned at Megan’s quiet declaration. She longed to pull her into another hug. But her hands remained at her sides. “Look, it’s not your fault. There are just some jerks out there who want to take advantage of innocent women like you.” Oy, if that didn’t sound patronizing.
“I mean maybe I made a mistake in coming here. Was I foolish to think I could really do this?” Overwhelming defeat shone in Megan’s eyes.
Crystal could relate to the feeling.
She turned toward the window again and bit her lip. How could she reassure her sister when her own insides shook with doubt? But it wasn’t all about her. Megan needed her to be strong.
Her eyes roamed the courtyard again and rose higher. Mountains surrounded the hotel, and the Peruvian sun shone bright today. The grandeur swept over her, and she allowed it to settle into her bones.
“No.” The word on her lips surprised her. She swung her gaze back to Megan, whose eyebrows had lifted. “You weren’t foolish. And we’re not going to let delayed flights or creepy guys stop us from doing what we came here to do.”
Nothing was going to keep them from the adventure ahead—or chase them back to the lives they’d been living.
Chapter 10
June 23
Blog Post Title: A Journey Begins: Machu Picchu
Post Content:
My name is Megan, and I’m attempting to do something crazy. And since I’m a writer, I thought the best way to share about my experience is to blog about it. Of course, I’m guessing no one will ever read this. But even if it’s just for me, I want to preserve the memory of this journey.
Today I marked off my first item from Amanda’s list. Still, I can’t help but feel I failed her . . .
Megan sat in a leather bus seat, smashed between the window and Crystal’s legs. She gazed out to see treetops and mountain faces greeting her as they climbed up the hill to the Incan city of Machu Picchu. Crystal’s eyes were closed and her head bobbed as she slept. A little boy on the other side of the aisle had devoured some strong-smelling Peruvian food in the first five minutes of the ride and the scent still lingered. All around them, people twittered, their jarring laughter ripping through her consciousness as Megan tried to still her nerves and relax.
She was about to complete the first item on Amanda’s list. Thanks to Crystal’s pep talk yesterday morning—if she could actually call it that—Megan had let herself get excited again. Her sister had been right. There was no place to go but forward. After all, Megan had already told the Abbotts she was doing this and had started to receive donations via GoFundMe. She couldn’t back out now.
But maybe a little extra motivation was in order. She unzipped the backpack on her lap and pulled out Amanda’s journal, which she’d read through a few times already. The words oozed strength—and Megan would take all she could get.
4. Visit the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu.
There’s something comforting about old things, things that have been standing for years. Things you can count on even when nothing else makes sense.
I want to see things like that with my own eyes. Feel them with my own hands, listen to them with my own ears. And Machu Picchu seems like a good place to start. They’re called ruins, but I think there’s more to them than that.
Just because something is in “ruins” doesn’t meant it’s ruined. It’s just . . . different from before. It’s weathered storms, but it’s still standing.
Yes, the past can be damaging, and we don’t always want to focus on it, like Amy has told me over and over again. But it can lend strength to us too. I look back at who I was before and who I am now. And even though I see a lot of faults in myself I do see some strength I might not have had if “sexual abuse” had never become part of my vocabulary.
I may not be the same girl that I was, but I. Am. Not. Ruined.
The bus ground to a halt. Megan stuffed the journal back into the backpack. All around them, people popped to their feet, grabbing their bags and assembling in the bus aisle. Crystal’s eyes remained closed.
Megan tapped her sister on the shoulder. “Time to go.”
“Huh?” Crystal seemed to shake herself from a stupor. “Oh.” She stretched, rubbing the back of her neck.
Not for the first time, Megan wondered why Crystal had come. Did she simply want to take advantage of the opportunity to travel? That could be it, but then why come with Megan when things between them were so . . . awkward? Perhaps she was just being the duty-bound sister since Mom still wasn’t totally comfortable with Megan taking this trip alone. Or maybe there was a deeper reason.
Megan couldn’t figure it out—and she was too scared to ask.
As Megan and Crystal neared the front of the bus, she could almost taste the high-top mountain air. She descended the bus steps, said thank you to the driver, and gulped in her freedom. “Isn’t it amazing?”
Crystal grunted as she stepped onto the caked dirt at their feet. Her designer hiking boots looked brand new, especially next to Megan’s old ones, which she wore all the time in the woods at home. Crystal probably didn’t have much occasion to hike in New York City. Not that Megan would know since she’d never been invited out to visit.
They headed toward the entrance gate, where fellow tourists were going through a turnstile one by one.
“Do you have the tickets?” Gone was the sister whose face had flashed panic and concern at Megan’s frazzled state yesterday. Now Crystal was all professional, just as she’d been when they’d taken the afternoon yesterday to sightsee around Cusco.
Still, a current of tension buzzed in the air, so thin that most people wouldn’t notice it. But for Megan and Crystal, it was strung between them like a tightrope, one they had to walk if they were going to get through this journey together in one piece.
“Yes.” Megan maneuvered her free arm into her bag and came up with two prepaid tickets.
Trees towered all around them, and the green was luscious enough to rival the beauty in Minnesota. Finally they reached the front of the line, handed their tickets to the gate attendant, and pushed through. They walked around the bend, a long wooden handrail following the dirt pathway as it curved. She could glimpse a few stone ruins below, and there, in front of them, rose a high mountain peak—Huayna Picchu, if her research was correct. Low clouds hugged the top, probably the source of all the moisture that cloistered the air. She caught a glimpse below of the entire Incan city, a series of stone ruins built into the mountainside.
“Can you imagine living here? What a view you’d have every morning.” Megan hurried on, maneuvering around tourists who were lingering and taking selfies.
“Hold up, Meg.” Crystal lithely avoided everyone in her path. Her hair glinted in the sunlight. “Slow down.”
“Sorry.” Megan pulled out her map and studied it. “Let’s go that direction. We’ll start with number one on the map and work our wa
y down.”
“Fine by me.” Her sister hiked her backpack higher on her shoulders.
They headed to the ruin labeled Nusta’s Bedroom. Who was Nusta? What stories, what secrets did his or her house hold captive? Maybe Megan could tease them out. She and Crystal bypassed an older couple who used walking sticks to keep themselves steady on the rocky stone path.
A memory lodged in Megan’s mind. She and Mom had been at the mall shopping for Christmas gifts. A pair of older women had power-walked past them. Megan had felt a challenge arise then. She should have been able to walk just as quickly as they were. But after thirty seconds of picking up the pace, she felt ready to faint with the effort.
Mom had made her sit in a wheelchair for the rest of their outing. The embarrassing plop, plop, plop of the rubber wheels was so loud she feared the entire mall could hear her coming.
But now her heart barely picked up speed as she whizzed past the older couple. Crystal protested, murmuring something about how she had to answer to Mom, but Megan didn’t care. She kept moving forward until they reached Nusta’s Bedroom. From there, they visited the Temple of the Sun, the Tomb, the Palace, the Prisoners’ Area, and every square inch of the ruins they could. Finally, they headed toward Huayna Picchu about twenty minutes before their assigned hiking time.
As the sun rose higher in the sky, it grew a little more difficult for Megan to breathe. She stopped frequently and took her pulse, but nothing seemed unusual about her numbers. Her lungs contracted and expanded, at times feeling like a band was wrapped tight around them. She sucked in a breath and stuttered.
Crystal’s attention whipped from her map to Megan and her eyes narrowed like a hawk. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Just a little trouble breathing. The air is thinner up here.” Megan’s head grew light, and she zeroed in on a nearby bench. She managed to make it there without fainting and sank down onto the seat. “I think I’ll rest for a minute.”
Crystal sat down next to her. “Do you need me to get help?”
“I think it’s just altitude sickness. They warned us about that on the way up. We’re almost at eight thousand feet.”
Her sister peered at her from beneath her blonde bangs. “Let’s just rest here for a minute then.”
“Good idea.” Megan focused on her breathing, and after about ten minutes, the dizziness faded. “I think I’m okay now. Let’s head up.”
Crystal reared her head back. “If you think I’m letting you go up there”—she pointed to the peak of Huayna Picchu—“you’re crazy. No way.”
“I’m better, Crystal.” She was, right?
“It’s a long hike to the top and it’s got steel cables, so I’m betting it’s a difficult climb. Plus, it’s really high up there. That would not be good if you’re experiencing altitude sickness already.”
“It’s only another thousand feet.”
“No.” The answer came swift and firm, and determination flashed in her sister’s eyes.
“We already paid to go up. We’re here. Let’s just try it. I really want pictures from the top for the blog I’m going to start.”
Crystal held out her hand. “I’ll go up, then. Give me your camera.”
“You hate hiking.”
“Yeah, well. The only way you’re getting pictures is if I go by myself. We can’t risk your health.” The grit in Crystal’s voice surprised Megan. As the years had gone by, her sister had grown more and more aloof—and seemingly less and less concerned about Megan’s health. Maybe she’d just accepted it for what it was.
Reluctantly, Megan relinquished the camera and tickets. “I’ll wait here, I guess.”
“You’ll be okay without me?” Crystal’s wary gaze told Megan she doubted it was true.
“Absolutely.” If she fainted or had heart trouble, there wasn’t much anyone could do unless a doctor happened to be vacationing here. And for the first time today, the vulnerability of where she was and what she was doing struck her.
Crystal stood and dusted off her pants. She placed the camera in her pack and walked off toward the peak. Megan settled in for the wait. Maybe she’d go back and explore the ruins some more.
“Mind if I sit for a spell?” An older woman indicated the empty bench seat beside Megan.
“Go right ahead.”
“Thank you, my dear.” The lady, who was bundled in a gray jacket and wore an explorer’s cap atop her white head, huffed as she lowered herself. “My son told me to meet him here. He went off to hike that peak early this morning.” Her wrinkled finger pointed to Huayna Picchu.
“My sister just left to hike it, so I’m stuck here waiting as well.” Megan threw the woman a sympathetic smile. “At least it’s a gorgeous day out.” Surrounded by such natural beauty, she could almost squelch the hint of regret threatening to worm its way into her heart. Maybe she should have insisted on going with Crystal. But her sister probably had a better perspective on things. Megan didn’t want to be stubborn for no reason and get herself in serious trouble because of it.
The older woman leaned in. “If I was as young and spry as you look, I wouldn’t let anything stop me from seeing the views from up there. I saw them twenty years ago and wish I didn’t have this annoying joint problem so I could see them again.” She tapped her hip. “After all, what’s the point of visiting Machu Picchu if you don’t see the view from the top?”
“I . . .” Megan didn’t have an answer. Technically, she’d visited Machu Picchu, so she could cross it off the list. But had she really complied with the spirit of the dream? Amanda had longed for adventure. She probably wouldn’t have let a little altitude sickness stop her from going the distance.
Why was Megan still sitting here? She could head up now and probably catch up with the group.
But wait. That’s right. Only four hundred people were allowed on the peak each day, and tickets had to be purchased in advance for a preassigned hiking time. The hike had already started. And Crystal had Megan’s ticket.
She’d missed her opportunity.
Long after the woman met back up with her son and left the bench, Megan sat there and pondered the rest of the list. And when Crystal came back down—her cheeks ruddy, her spirit seemingly refreshed—and showed her a slew of amazing photos, regret kicked her full force in the ribs.
Yes, she’d done what Amanda asked. But she hadn’t taken full advantage of the journey. She’d used her health as an excuse.
And she wouldn’t let it happen again.
Chapter 11
Today Crystal had two goals.
Get to the Egyptian pyramids.
And talk to Brian.
After a quick hotel check-in and a catnap, she and her sister were in a cab arranged by the concierge. With a strict schedule to keep, their time in Cairo would be short. Her body ached from sleeping in a crunched position on the plane. Somehow Megan had tons of energy. A fire had seemed to light in her after visiting the ruins at Machu Picchu.
Right now, she sat next to Crystal in the back of the old cab, fingers tapping the window as she stared out at the city in the desert. “I’m actually surprised at how much green there is.”
“Mmm hmm.” Crystal tried dialing Brian’s number for the fifth time, but the phone wouldn’t connect.
“Probably because of the Nile.”
Crystal gritted her teeth as the car hit a pothole and the stitch in her side momentarily caught flame. “Probably.” She lowered the phone from her ear.
She hadn’t talked to Brian in three days, since she’d landed in Cusco—and it had been a quick call to let him know she’d arrived safely. She missed him more than she thought she would, but what if he wasn’t missing her?
“This should be a fun day.” Megan was trying so hard to be cheery, but Crystal knew her sister had to be just as tired and worn out as she was. A full day of travel would do that to anyone, and on top of that, Megan had been frustrated with Crystal’s protectiveness in Peru. Crystal had read the blog post Megan had writ
ten the next day. Her sister felt like she’d failed by not risking her health to go up that mountain. But she refused to feel guilty for keeping Megan safe.
That thought calmed her a bit. If Crystal hadn’t been there, Megan might have charged up that mountain and collapsed—or worse.
The cab swerved, and Crystal snatched the grab handle above her window. She caught the cabbie’s eyes in the rearview mirror. The man pulled to the side of the road. It was supposed to be a thirty-minute drive to the pyramids, but it had only been ten.
“Where are we?” Megan craned her neck upward to gaze out the window.
The cabbie turned to them. “Papyrus store. You like very much.” He grinned at his broken English and gestured for them to get out of the car.
Megan leaned in close to Crystal. “I’ve read about this. Some cabbies try to double or triple their fare by dropping tourists at undesired locations.”
Perfect.
Crystal cleared her throat. “We don’t want to go here. Take us to the pyramids, please.”
“You will like. Go.” The cabbie faced forward again and pulled the keys from the ignition.
Crystal did not like being bullied. “Fine. We’ll get out here. But then we are calling another cab to take us there and we will not pay you.”
Megan’s mouth fell open, and her eyes darted between Crystal and the cabbie. The cabbie frowned and stuck the keys back in the ignition. Without another word, he eased back onto the street and took off, hopefully toward the pyramids. Crystal nodded to Megan, a small smile tucked across her lips.
She dialed Brian’s number again, but still no signal. With a groan, she tossed the phone back into her purse. They rode in silence the rest of the way to the pyramids.
As they approached the magnificent structures, Crystal’s purse vibrated. She dug her phone out again, but it was just an e-mail. This one wasn’t work-related, though she’d received several of those in the last few days. But an e-mail meant she had reception. The car stopped at a signal, and she dialed Brian’s number again.
The Heart Between Us Page 9
