I yank it out from him and mutter, “I won’t need to be carried. If anyone’s going to need to be carried out of here, it’s you.”
“Ha! Not likely.”
A few minutes later, we are each furiously whittling bamboo poles into torches and collecting shavings of a dead tree, as well as some bark chunks. I pull my lighter out of my pocket and light my torch, giving him a satisfied smile as it comes to life while he struggles with his flint. I take a few steps toward him and strike the lighter again and watch as his torch comes to life.
“Thanks,” he says, sounding completely sarcastic.
“I didn't do it for you. I did it so I can get the hell away from you sooner.”
“Oh, believe me, between the two of us,” he says, pointing back and forth from his chest to mine. “There's no possible way you want to be away from me more than I want to be away from you.” With that, he turns and continues on, holding his torch out with his left arm while he cuts through the brush with his right.
* * *
The full moon is directly above our heads now as we continue on through the noisy jungle. Every once in a while, I catch a glimpse of it through the treetops and wonder how Will knows which direction to go. Maybe he doesn’t. Maybe we’re going in one big circle. Not that I’m about to ask him. He's much farther ahead now, having stepped up his pace after our last go-around. I follow wearily, keeping sight of his torch. He stops and turns back, shouting, “Can you keep up, Your Highness? I'd hate to see you get eaten by giant rats.”
“Shut up, you … man.” Well, that was a lame burn.
We continue on, and about thirty seconds later, his torch disappears and I hear several loud thuds, some oof sounds and him yelling the word ‘shit!’
I sprint ahead, shouting his name, then hear him call, “Do not run! There's a drop off.”
My heart thumps wildly in my chest as I hold the torch closer to the ground and make my way slowly forward. “Are you all right?” I call.
“Fabulous.”
When I reach the edge, I peer down, finding him at the bottom of a tight ravine. I switch on my headlamp to get a better look, only to see that his ankle is twisted in a way that makes my stomach feel queasy. “Oh my God. Are you all right? Are you bleeding?”
“Probably,” he says, his face filled with pain.
Panic fills me. I don't know what to do. I have to save him, but I can't, can I? He’s the one who does the saving, not me. I’m the weak link, the pampered princess, the useless, boring, sheltered, picks-the-wrong-berries one. Tears fill my eyes and I sit back on the ledge to make sure I don't fall in. Forcing my voice not to waiver, I call down to him, “What do I need to do to get you out of there?”
“Oh, I don't know,” he says, sounding utterly annoyed. “Are you able to rebuild a satellite phone? Because if not, I'm totally fucked.”
Oh, that’s it! “I cannot believe you are going to throw that back in my face right now!”
“Really? You can’t? Because I’m going to die down here in this hole, which never would have happened if I wasn’t forced to …” he stops himself, then sighs loudly. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
My shoulders drop. This is too much. I can't. I can't do any of this. “What do I do, Will? You’re the guy who knows how to get out these situations. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”
He doesn’t answer, so I go on. “Do I go back for help? Or is there some way I can get you out of there? Just tell me and I’ll do it.”
“Just stay put. It’s the safest choice,” he says, his voice strained. “There's no possible way you can navigate your way out of here. Not at night, anyway. Cover yourself with a sleeping bag and try to get some sleep. At first light, you start walking.”
“I'm not leaving you here.”
“You're going to have to. It's my only chance of making it out of here alive. Yours, too.”
Tears burn my eyes, but I refuse to sob, because there's no way I want him to know I'm crying. Regret fills me for every decision I've made since I was in the bathtub after that wedding. If only I could go back in time and not send that text. Everything would be fine. I'd be safe at home and Will wouldn't be about to die in a ravine, only to be eaten by giant rats.
“Arabella?” He says quietly.
I wipe away my tears, even though he can't see them. Clearing my throat, I say, “Yes?”
“I’m probably going to pass out, so if I do, I want you to promise you’ll leave as soon as the sun comes up. Just go. Do everything I taught you so you can get out of here.”
His words are like a kick to my gut. “No, I don’t want to leave you. There must be a way to lift you out of there.”
“There isn’t. I can’t walk and you can’t carry me. You’re already defying the odds to have made it this far after being so sick.”
I sit, listening to the rustling in the trees, to the cicadas, and the frogs. He’s right. I can’t make this hike in the dark. Not on my own. I pull my sleeping bag out of my pack and cover myself, then lay down and let the tears flow while I wrack my brain for some solution to this. There must be a way to save him. This can’t be it. Think, Arabella, think.
* * *
I wake to the sound of the birds. The sun isn’t up yet, but there’s enough light to see. Sitting up, I lean over, my eyes adjusting for a second before I can make out Will’s body. His head is tilted back and his eyes are closed. My heart jumps into my throat. “Will?!”
He opens his eyes. “It’s time. Get going, okay?”
“Can’t I—?”
“No,” he says, wincing. “If there was a way, I’d have thought of it by now. But, there’s still a chance that you can make it back and someone will find me in time.”
“But—”
“You can do this, Belle. I know you can. Forget all that shit I said to you yesterday. I was just angry and hurt and … being a prick. I didn’t mean any of it.”
“I'm so sorry, Will. I didn't mean anything I said, either. Well, that's not entirely true because I do think you have commitment issues, but that's beside the point because the truth is, I've never …” My voice trails off as I remember him saying the words ‘finished’ and ‘over’ and ‘never going to happen.’ And I know he meant it. But even if he didn’t, this is how it has to be because there is no way to make anything work between us. We’re just too different.
“Listen, my best shot is if you go for help. It's about a five-hour hike from here straight east. Do you remember what I said about how to make sure you're not going in circles?”
“Yes,” I nod and wipe the tears from my cheeks. “Pick an object in the distance, keep my eyes on it, and when I reach it, pick a new one. And then keep turning back to make sure the last one is behind me.”
“That's right,” he says, his tone encouraging. “You've got this, Belle. I know you do.”
“I hope so,” I say, wiping at my tears.
“I know so. You can do this. Just think of everything you've done over the last nine days. You’ve rappelled from a helicopter into the jungle, swung from vines into a lagoon, free-climbed down steep cliffs, you’ve hiked for over ten hours straight at night. You made it this far. You’ll make it out.”
I nod, letting his words fill my soul with courage. “Okay, I'll go, but you have to promise me you're going to survive until I get back with help.”
“No problem,” he says doing his best to give me a confident smile even though I know he must be terrified that I'm the only thing between him and death.
“Will, I'm going to go now. But before I do. I just wanted to say …” I stop myself, unable to tell him I love him. Instead, I take the wimpy way out. “Thank you.”
“Buy me a beer when we get to town.”
“Okay,” I answer, letting out a small chuckle through my tears. “I'll be back for you before you know it.”
“Yes, you will. You can do this, Arabella.”
“How are you so sure?” I ask.
“Because you've al
ways been able to. You just needed a reason to try.”
28
Broken Bones, Tree Sap, and Sappy Goodbye Videos
Will
What a humiliating way to go out of the world—falling into a ravine because I was too pissed off to follow the rules I live by. And now I’m lying here, wedged in between two slimy boulders, covered in blood, dirt, and sweat, with my right ankle pointing the wrong way. And to top it off, I'm waiting to be rescued by a freaking princess who doesn't know her way around the jungle any better than I would know my way around the cutlery at a state dinner.
I stare down at my ankle, realizing it should hurt, and the fact that it doesn't is not a testament to my toughness, as much as I wish it was. It's a sign that my body has gone into shock. I touch the back of my head, and when I check my fingers, I see the bleeding hasn’t stopped. It’s still sticky and hot. I likely have a concussion, which is responsible for this massive headache. And all the fresh blood ought to draw some attention from those awful giant rats that are scurrying around these woods. I suppose that’ll be a quicker way to go out than just starving to death while I wait to be rescued. Horribly painful and disgusting, but quick, at least.
As much as I wish it weren't the case, the chance that she’ll find her way out of this jungle, and then figure out how to get back here in time is about as likely as Bear Grylls giving good survival advice.
Okay, fine. I’m jealous, okay? He’s like the Kleenex brand of tissues and I’m … the no-name brand that everyone calls Kleenex.
Whatever.
I manage to wiggle out of my backpack, which is lodged between my body and the rock behind me. Tugging it out, I open it and find the plastic container of salve I made for Arabella’s ankles. The sight of it causes my heart to squeeze. Bollocks, I really did hit my head hard. I use the rest of the salve, knowing that it's basically pointless because I am definitely going to die anyway.
Picking up my camera, I give myself a minute to think, then turn it on and aim it at myself. “My name is Will Banks. If you find this, it means you found my body. I'm a citizen of Avonia and of the Benavente Islands. Please contact my brother, Harrison Banks, or my sister, Emma Banks-Davenport, at The Paradise Bay Resort on Santa Valentina Island.”
I pause, swallowing hard, trying to think of what I want to say. Fuck it. I might as well just wing it. “Harrison and Libby, Emma and Pierce, Rosy, Darnell, baby Clara—you are all the people I love in this world. And I'm sorry that I took you for granted, and that I’ve spent my last few years running away from you. When I think about all the moments I've missed while I was out flying over volcanoes and sliding down icebergs with penguins, and all the moments I’m going to miss …” I close my eyes for a second. “Well, you know. I’m sorry. I wish it could be different.
“I've been a lot of things in my life. One of them is stubborn, and for that, I apologize. To Dwight Anderson, my manager, thank you for always having my back and being the voice of reason. I know I haven't been an easy guy to work with all the time, and I appreciate that you never gave up on me. To Mac and Tosh, thanks for the years of friendship and adventure. I hope you each get to enjoy more decades of seeing the world on ABN’s dime. Have a beer for me once in a while.”
I feel a lump in my throat, and I clear it before I keep talking. “Harrison, I don't know how to thank you for everything you've been for me—a big brother, my best friend, and my dad, all rolled into one, which kind of sounds like some sort of weird incest thing because I'm calling you my dad and my brother but, for anyone who doesn’t know us and watches this, I’m saying it because our parents died when we were kids. Anyway, Harrison, you’ve been this family’s rock. You’ve been my rock.” My voice cracks and I pause and take a quick breath. “When I think of everything you've given to us and sacrificed, it kills me that I won’t have a chance to repay you, which is sort of ironic because I’m about to die.
“If by some miracle, the network decides to pay out my bonuses even though I'm failing to meet the terms of our agreement, I have already arranged with Stogie Stew to buy back Matilda for you. I was just waiting for the rest of the money from this season. Take the cash and get her back. Then spend some more and get her detailed because she probably reeks of cigars and Stew.
“Emma, you’re such a pain in the arse,” I say, managing a half grin. “Thank you for giving me such a hard time my whole life and teaching me a little about women and a lot about courage. You truly are an incredible person, and Pierce is lucky to have you. Take care of each other,” I say, unable to stop my voice from breaking. “Rosy, I’ll always be your cuddle bear, no matter where I am. I’m going to miss dinners at your house with you and Darnell, and Starsky and Hutch. Having you in my life has made all the difference. Little Clara, I know you won’t remember me, but I’m your uncle who taught you to blow raspberries. You’ll probably forget that too, but I want you to know how special you are to me. Grow up to be strong and loving, like your mom and dad. Get your dad to teach you how to surf, because as good as he is at it, I’m pretty sure you’ll be a lot better. You already have an incredible sense of balance for a toddler. Oh, and if you’re looking for your sippy cup with the kittens on it, it’s under my coffee table.”
I shut off the camera and try to regain my composure, only to find myself overcome with emotion as I think about what Arabella and I had, and what it might have been if I hadn’t been a total arsehole to her. I rest my head against the rock and close my eyes for a moment, trying to gather my strength. Finally, when I'm ready, I turn the camera back on. “Arabella, if you see this, I didn't mean all those shitty things that I said. I lied to you when we were playing truth or dare. I do have a fear and you already know what it is. I’m afraid of letting anyone get close to me. I am a complete coward and I've done exactly what you said I did, which is to set my life up so I could sidestep love completely. When you were sick, I thought for sure I was going to lose you and the pain of it made me even more certain that I don't have what it takes to go the distance with anyone. I can’t do it because you never know how long you’ve got with someone, and I can’t be the one left behind. You were right. I’m too weak for that.
“But I want you to know these past days out here with you have been the greatest of my entire life. I have never felt anything close to what I feel for you, and if I had made it out of this alive, I would sweep you up into my arms and never let you go. For what it's worth, I love you, and I want you to go on and be the totally kickass version of yourself I watched come to life out here. Don't let anyone underestimate you. But if they do, you show them who you really are. You’re fierce. You’re brave. You are a warrior. Thank you for trying to save me. Please don't spend a moment feeling guilty for how things ended up, because there is nothing you could've done.”
“Well, that's a little insulting,” Arabella says.
I look up, my heart surging as I see her beautiful face smiling down at me. “You assumed I’d fail.”
29
Show Him You Love Him with a DIY Stretcher…
Arabella - One Hour Earlier
“Okay, Arabella.” Pant. Pant. “You can do this,” I say, swiping at the brush in front of me with the machete. Oh, that’s hard. So much harder than Will makes it look. Can’t they make machetes out of a lighter material? Seriously. Pant. Pant. Pant. “Just keep your eye on that big tree right there with the split trunk and keep going.”
But my arms hurt already, and I’ve only been at this for a few minutes. How can I possibly do this for another five hours? And how the hell can I lead anyone back here to find Will before he bleeds to death, or gets bit by a spider, or a snake slithers down to him and squeezes the life out of him? Oh, Xena, Warrior Princess, please come to me now and give me the strength to go on.
Almost at the tree. Just get there. Just to that tree. Then you can walk on that road on the other side of it. “Wait. A road?!” I sprint ahead with renewed energy and hop over a small bush, landing on a dirt road that disappears into the t
rees in the distance. It’s got old tire tracks with grasses growing down the center of it, but still, it’s a real road. Which means people! Which means we could be saved. “Yes!”
I stop and bend at the waist, resting my hands on my knees while I catch my breath. I listen for the sounds of human beings or vehicles, but there’s nothing but the buzzing of insects and the call of the birds. I look up. “Okay, if it’s early morning and the sun is there, this road must be going east, which is exactly where we need to go.”
“I can go back and get Will,” I tell myself, because somehow saying it out loud helps me check to see if my logic is sound. “I know how to build a raft. I can make a stretcher. Then, because I already have a path, I can drag him without having to pull him and slice a trail at the same time. Right?”
I stand, chewing my lip for a second, then decide to go for it. Racing back into the woods, I find two bamboo poles and set them down on the ground. Then I glance around until I spot a long, thick vine hanging from a tree. Giving it a tug, I say, “Yup. You’re my vine.”
“Now, just climb the tree, cut the vine, and make a stretcher.” No problem.
I stand at the base of the tree and look for footholds. There’s one I can reach, but it’ll take all my bendy ballet moves to do it. Urgh. This feels disgusting. My hands are going to be filthy.
I’m now about two feet off the ground, my heart is pounding, my stomach flipping. “Keep going. You are a warrior.”
I continue on, only to get a face full of spider web. “Eeewwww. So gross.” I can’t even brush it off because if I do, I’ll fall. Ignore the disgusting webs and get that vine. Oh, and open your eyes.
Gripping the trunk with both hands, I force myself to go a little higher. Just until I can cut a long enough strip of the vine for what I need. I wedge my foot in between a branch and the trunk, then, pressing my body against the tree, I hold on with my left arm, and use my right to give the vine one quick slice.
Royally Crushed: A Crazy Royal Love, Book 1 Page 19
