"There's not much to fill you in on," he shrugs. "We'll grab rafts, wetsuits, and paddles, then go rafting on the river."
"On which river? Not this one, I hope. This looks like a deathtrap."
"Are you kidding? This is one of the best rivers for rafting in the U.S. Though I have to admit it's for more advanced rafters. Level four, I think."
I scrape my hand through my hair, biting my lip. "How many levels are there?"
"Six."
It's not Parker who answers, but James.
I turn around slowly, folding my arms over my chest. He's already wearing a blue wetsuit and a lopsided grin that takes my breath away. Thankfully, he stands a foot away from me. I think he knows what his proximity does to me.
"I'll go get a wetsuit," Parker excuses himself.
"Six levels, huh?" I mumble. "Well, you can count me out."
"This is absolutely not dangerous, Serena."
"Parker just said this is for advanced rafters. I've never been rafting in my life."
"Which is why the rafts will be filled mostly with experienced rafters. There will only be one or two beginners in every raft. Besides, not the entire river is like this. There are large areas where the water is calmer and there are almost no rocks."
Staring at the river, it's hard to believe there are parts of it that look less deadly. I squirm in my spot, sinking half an inch in the mud below my feet.
"So you trusted me enough to jump from a plane with me, but you don't trust me with this?"
"Skydiving seemed safer," I say.
"Well," he muses, "to be honest, this is a little more dangerous than that. But it'll be a lot of fun."
"You didn't seem so willing to let Dani do it."
His eyes darken, and he shakes his head. "That's because Dani seems to be venturing into a lot of stuff lately. Some of it is really life-threatening. I don't want to encourage her."
"Sounds legit."
"I'd like nothing better than to spend this whole day alone with you, Serena," he says, and his voice seems to have dropped an octave. He takes a step forward, but I immediately take one backward, keeping the distance between us. He freezes in his steps.
"And deprive the others of your presence?" I joke. "That wouldn't be fair."
When there are others around, I can steal those little moments—a slight touch or a low whisper—that make my heart and my breath malfunction, and store them in my little glass box. If I'm alone with him, I'm afraid those moments will steal me instead.
"So what, then? Will you stay here on shore or come with us? It's your call."
I stare behind him, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. The entire group is climbing into the half-dozen or so bright orange rafts that appeared on shore out of nowhere. Everyone is now dressed in the same blue wetsuit as James, and also wearing lifejackets and helmets, both as bright orange as the rafts.
"You fell in love with me," he says. "I assure you rafting is far less dangerous."
"I'll do it."
When I climb into one of the rafts fifteen minutes later, I am positive I have never been so frightened in my life, despite being equipped with a lifejacket and helmet. There are four people on each side of the raft. I sit behind Parker and in front of James. Dani sits opposite me, pointedly ignoring James. I'm wearing a bathing suit (James ordered new ones to be bought for everyone especially for today) underneath my wetsuit, and all my clothes are now in the waterproof bag that I clutch for dear life. Parker takes the bag away from me, securing it at the back of the raft, and gives me a paddle instead.
I grip the paddle firmly and do my best to mimic Parker's smooth strokes, as the raft starts moving. Before I know it, we're speeding among the humongous gray rocks, and I pray we don't bump into one of them because the raft looks like it might not make it. My stomach tightens painfully when I look in front of us, because the river seems to be entirely made out of darned rocks. I grit my teeth when the inevitable collision nears, and close my eyes, expecting to be thrown out of the raft and possibly experience a healthy dose of pain.
But a wave of fresh water splashing all over us and a violent shake-up are the only calamities that follow. Everyone in the raft is cheering. I pretend to be cheering along with them and tighten my grip on the paddle.
"Your hands are going to get numb if you keep them like that," James whispers in my ear, sending an electrifying impulse through me that shakes me harder than any wave could. He puts his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. "Relax a bit and enjoy the scenery. It's beautiful out here."