Читать книгу The Marriage Adventure - Hannah Bernard - Страница 7

THE river roared past, hissing and foaming.

Maria sat on a rock and tossed pebbles into the stream, an endless collection of smooth gray stones that had seen an eon of wear and tear. They sank without a trace.

When she’d exhausted all the stones within reach, she started pulling up straws, weaving them together in a vague semblance of a kayak. As she tossed them in, they were quickly engulfed and vanished, even in the relative calmness of the water flowing next to the riverbank. This was one angry river. Why did her parents have to insist that riding these monsters was fun?

In a few hours she might be the one engulfed, vanishing forever under the dark turbulent waters where there was no air to breathe, where up and down lost meaning.

She shuddered. There were still two weeks until she’d start high school. Two long weeks of adventure after terrifying adventure.

“Hey.”

Maria twisted around and squinted against the sun. Eddie was a tall shadow, hands in his pockets and his head tilted to the side as he looked down at her. She looked at him carefully, hoping she wasn’t wearing her crush on her face.

Eddie was cute.

But he was much too old for her. And by the time she got to his age, he’d be twenty-four. Ancient.

She’d never catch up with him.

It was a shame because he’d make a really cool boyfriend. “Oh. Hi.”

“Your mom and dad are looking for you.”

“Oh.” Maria looked down and rubbed her hands against the grass to clean them. She hadn’t brought her watch and had lost track of time. Now her nervous stomach reminded her she needed something to eat. On the other hand, eating something just before the nauseating trip down the river might not be a good idea.

Which was better, to eat and get some energy, or stay hungry and avoid embarrassing herself by throwing up out there? “Right. Thanks. I’ll get back.”

She stood up, and looked out over the river once more. Wild water, dark and deep. Again fear tightened in her chest. She swallowed and turned around to follow Eddie back to the cottage. The paralyzing fear followed her. But there was no choice. She had to do it. She had to climb into that stupid kayak and practice being an adventurer.

What was wrong with her? This was supposed to be fun. Everybody else thought it was fun.

They’d walked in silence for several minutes when she noticed Eddie glancing at her. She turned her face away, because a couple of tears had escaped, and slowed her steps, hoping to fall behind, but he just slowed down, too, matching her speed. Then finally he stopped altogether and crossed his arms on his chest, staring at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.”

Eddie shifted his weight from foot to foot. She was looking down and saw only his sneakers, but he still looked uncomfortable. Not uncomfortable enough to let her off the hook, though. “Bull. You’re crying. Should I run ahead and get your mom?”

Maria wiped the back of her hand over her eyes and shook her head hard. “No. Don’t tell them I was crying. You can’t tell them.”

“Oh, damn. Are you in some sort of trouble?”

“No! I’m okay. It’s nothing.”

“Nothing?” He sounded skeptical, and then bored. “Oh. You’re crying over a boy.”

“No!”

“Hey, no offence, but that’s what girls your age do.”

“I’m not crying. Not really. It’s just minor…leakage.”

Eddie grinned. And then he scowled. “Well, stop leaking, kid.”

“Don’t call me kid!”

“You are a kid. Look at you, crying like a baby.”

“Oh, shut up!”

“I bet it’s boy trouble,” he said, giving her a teasing look.

“It’s not boy trouble,” she snapped at him. “It’s that stupid, ugly river.”

Eddie glanced back toward the river. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m scared,” she confessed. And it felt so good to confess that the rest came spilling out, like the lid on her feelings had finally burst open. “I hate adventures. All kinds of adventures. I even hate roller coasters. I don’t like being scared like you all do. And I’m really afraid of the river. I hate it when I’m underwater and can’t breathe…” She knelt down and pulled at the grass. “I’m a coward,” she mumbled. It was out. Someone knew her big dark secret.

“It’s not that dangerous, you know,” Eddie said, sounding bored. “Your parents wouldn’t bring you along if they thought you were in danger.”

“I know.”

“This will be fun. You’ve rafted before. You’ve done easier rivers before, and you’ve been through training.”

“I know.”

“And you know all of us would jump after you if you got in trouble.”

“I know. And I’m still so scared I can hardly breathe.”

Eddie sank in the grass beside her and joined her in ripping up tufts and shredding them between her fingers. “Well, if you really don’t want to do it, just tell your parents you’re scared. They wouldn’t make you.”

“No!” Her heart almost stopped at the thought of them finding out. “I’m not telling them. I’m never telling them. You can’t tell them, either, Eddie, you can’t! Promise?”

“What the hell do you want to do then?”

“Nothing.” She pursed her lips and ripped harder at the grass. She couldn’t do anything. There was no way out.

“Kids,” he muttered, but Maria felt he hardly had the right to. He’d been a “kid”, too, until very recently. “Well, okay, in that case, we should get back before everybody starts to worry.”

Two hours later they were at the landing site. Her parents and Eddie unloaded the kayaks and carried them to the river. Maria carried the oars. As they approached the river her feet got more and more heavy. A lump lodged in her throat and her heart sped up, even while she cursed herself for being such a coward.

“The water is high,” her father said, looking at the furious river with a smile. “Excellent. It’ll be a great ride.”

Maria tossed the oars on the ground and busied herself with her shoelaces. She was starting to tremble. Stop it, she told herself fiercely. You’ll be fine. This is fun!

A muffled curse and a yell had them pausing. Maria turned around to find Eddie leaning against a rock, cursing and pounding his fist against the cliff while cradling his foot with the other.

“You okay?” Mom asked.

“I think I twisted my damn ankle,” Eddie bit out, grimacing. “Damn. I think it’s swelling up already.”

“How in the world could you twist your ankle here?” Maria’s dad asked. “You climb mountains without trouble, but twist your ankle on a simple gravel path?”

Eddie grimaced in pain, but managed a crooked smile. “Yeah, well, Harlan, I try my best.”

“Let me take a look,” her mother said, but he waved her off.

“No need, Kara. Really, I’m fine. It’s not like this has never happened before. I know the drill. I’ll go back to the cottage and wrap it in ice. Go on without me.”

“Can you drive?”

“Sure. Only need one foot for that.” Eddie’s gaze shifted to Maria. “I might need some help…”

Relief flooded Maria when she spotted the way out. “I’ll stay behind with you, Eddie. No problem.”

“I don’t know,” Mom said doubtfully. “It’s not fair that you miss out on the ride, Maria. I’ll stay with Eddie.”

“No!” Maria said. “You need to make the trip. It’s on our list of adventures for next year. Go on. I’ll take care of Eddie.”

She saw the adults exchange a smile at the thought of the fourteen-year-old taking care of nineteen-year-old Eddie, but they eventually agreed. The extra kayaks were carried back to the truck, and then their parents waved goodbye.

Eddie and Maria started toward the truck, Eddie leaning slightly on Maria for assistance as he hobbled along.

A few minutes later they were out of sight, and Eddie took his hand off Maria’s shoulder. He started striding toward the truck and she stared after him, not understanding. “Eddie, your ankle!”

He glanced back with a smirk. “Don’t tell me you bought it, too?”

Maria still didn’t get it. “Bought what?”

“My act?”

Her brain seemed to be functioning in slow motion. “There’s nothing wrong with your foot?”

Eddie rolled his eyes as he yanked the door of the truck open. “No. It’s fine.”

“But you…you love rafting. You love crazy rivers. You’re not scared of them.”

“Right.”

“Did you pretend you hurt your ankle so I wouldn’t have to go?” It seemed unbelievable. Why would he do something like that for her?

“Get in, Maria. Let’s go to the cottage and you can play with your crayons.”

“I brought charcoal,” she corrected dignified as she got into the truck. “Crayons are for children.”

Eddie winked at her through the open window. “And you’re not one?”

Maria grunted, and stared out the side window when he got in on the driver’s side. Eddie had grown up quickly. They’d played together once, even though she’d always been much younger, of course. Last year he’d gone off to college, and when she saw him again, he’d crossed completely over into the world of adults.

She missed the old Eddie.

They pulled up to the cottage and went inside, sitting for a while in complete silence, Eddie on the couch staring up at the ceiling, Maria at the table with her art supplies.

“Hey, no need to thank me,” Eddie muttered at last.

“Thank you,” she said grudgingly.

“You’re going to have to tell them, kiddo. They think you like this stuff. Heck, I always thought you did. You’re good at pretending. They’ll keep dragging you along unless you put your foot down.”

“My foot is fine where it is, thank you.”

“Why are you pretending?”

“Because I will be an adventurer like…” You, she’d almost said. “Like Mom and Dad. I’ll get there. I’ll get over this. I just need to discover my adventurer’s spirit.”

He grinned, making her feel silly and childish. “Discover your adventurer’s spirit, huh?”

“Yes.”

“Did you read that in a book?”

“No. I made it up myself.”

He chuckled and sat up, reaching into his pocket for his cell phone. “Okay, kid. Now, run off and play, will you? Go discover your adventurer’s spirit. I need to phone my girlfriend.” He winked at her. “We’d like privacy.”

Maria stomped off, angry and disgruntled at the world in general and Eddie in particular.

She just bet his girlfriend had plenty of adventurer’s spirit.