“Wait,” Eli says, stopping. “Do you hear that?”
Everyone quiets, listening, but then he takes off past a group of thick trees. Each one of us follows because what else is there to do?
Hailey and I are the last in the group to make it. The hellhounds charging forward.
By the time we push past the last set of foliage, Finn is already arching his back. Howling out his excitement. This hidden oasis as impressive as the mountaintop but in different ways.
Water runs, rushing past as it cascades down the rocks to another pool of water below. The leaves thick on the trees, allowing a single ray of light to push through. That one band brightening the entire watering hole.
High-fiving, the boys’ grins turn mischievous. Stripping out of their shoes and shirts before jumping into nothing. They disappear into the open air before loud splashes sound. More shouts of glee follow.
How’d we get lucky enough to find not one but two stunning spots in one day?
I look at Hailey, silently asking her if she wants to join, and she shrugs, grabbing my hand. Running with our arms out wide, we do the same as the boys. Free-falling before plummeting into the water below.
“Alright, the girls got some backbones.” Finn whistles as I push the hair from my face coming back up.
The water is chillier than I expect. Not unsettling but enough that you notice. The sun is helping warm the top layer, at least.
My feet kick, swimming over to the shallower ground where the boys are.
We all mess around, enjoying the water for a while after that. It’s a nice break from all the hiking earlier.
The boys rotate turns. Climbing up the rocky incline and jumping back into the waterfall.
Hailey jumps one more time while I do two before calling it quits. Settling for sunbathing on an outstretched rock. I’m having fun but my already sore muscles from the hike don’t need the extra punishment.
My eyes are closed, head tilted back, enjoying the heat of the sun when I hear someone swim over. Cracking them, I watch as Eli squeezes out the extra water in his shorts before taking a spot beside me.
“Having fun?”
“Yeah, just tired. My legs needed a rest,” I joke, not kidding. “What about you?”
He leans back on his elbows. “The same.”
From here, we have the perfect view. We can see everything, but because of the angle of the limbs on the tree, we’re partially obscured from everyone else.
I watch as Finn grabs an unassuming Hailey at the top of the waterfall. Her screams and his laughter heard the entire way until they splash together at the bottom.
“He’s watching you.”
I don’t answer Eli, already feeling and knowing who he’s talking about.
Cole’s floating neck-deep around the base of the waterfall. He never directly looks over, but I can sense his stares even if he never turns his head.
That familiarness sweeping over me since I’ve climbed up here. Now that Eli’s here, they come more steadily. Awareness dawns every few minutes or so.
We don’t say anything for a while after that. Content with leaving him to his thoughts while I enjoy the sun on my skin.
By the time he opens his mouth again, my clothes are mostly dry, other than my shoes. Both Hailey and I forgot to take those off in our urgency to jump in.
I think he’s going to say something, but a sigh is the only thing to come out. This isn’t a regular sigh, though, this one has weight like he has something on his mind.
It’s not like Eli to keep things from me, so whatever it is, it must be big.
Kicking the tips of my shoes together, I debate on whether it’s worth it to take them off or go with it. I’ve survived this long with soggy socks, so what’s a little longer?
Never mind, screw it.