Blade's Edge || Deception Book II ||

Chapter 23: Tropical Fiesta Pt. 1

I was fighting a losing battle.

Deep down within me, no matter how much I tried to deny it, I couldn't deny this simple truth.

For the past two months, I'd been swimming upriver. Ever since that damned kiss on the night of the fourth of July, ever since that night where I realized that perhaps I did like the insufferably cocky son of Hermes who was, currently, my enemy.

So far, I'd been able to keep that wall from completely dissolving into dust and had managed to stay on my side of the line, but, as I stared out my cabin window at the tropical forest, white, sandy beaches, and sparkling sea and heard the footsteps approaching my cabin, I wondered if today would be the day all things went to hell. 

***

"Happy nineteenth birthday," Luke said for the millionth time as we strolled idly through the coastal town of Tamarindo in Costa Rica. "Ri, you're finally nineteen." He cleared his throat, stopping under the shade of a palm tree, and held up his hand in an imitation of a microphone. "How does it feel?"

"Oh, for the gods' sake, stop it," I said. I crossed my arms and glared at him. "It's just September 21. It's not like the Winter Solstice or something. What's so special about turning 19?"

"For starters," Luke said, making a face at me. "It's the day you were born. The day my girlfriend was born. The only day out of an infinity of days. Of course it's a special day."

"Uh-huh," I said, ignoring the blush that was no doubt blooming across my cheeks right now. "So, to celebrate said day, you had to drag me out in this miserable heat instead of letting me read in my AC-filled cabin with a book. Which, by the way, was a gift from my brother. Even Nicole didn't have the nerve to bother me at seven in the morning."

"Oh, come on," Luke said, nudging me. "It's Tamarindo! We're in Costa Rica! How is the heat the only thing you're noticing? Just look at the view!"

I sighed, knowing that I was perhaps being a tad bit grumpy today. The view was amazing, with the clear, turquoise waters and white, sandy beach to my right, the quaint streets of the seaside town to my left, and lush greenery sprinkled all over the place. Plus, there were the soothing sounds of the waves breaking in the shallows, the cries of the gulls soaring overhead, and the cacophony of the animals in the jungle in the background.

I had to admit, it was a nice change of view after two months of travelling down the East coast and seeing nothing but the endlessness of the ocean in all directions. When summer had ended, we'd started heading down south towards the Panama Canal to get to the Pacific Ocean. Ever since the beginning of August, we had continued down the east coast, then travelled through the canal, and were in the process of heading up to San Francisco. My birthday had just been the day we were passing through Costa Rica, and so, here we were, the two of us, in Tamarindo.

"Alright, fine," I admitted, turning away from Luke to look at the crashing waves. "I just don't like how you're making such a big deal out of this."

"Aww, Rianna's embarrassed," Luke smirked. "You're too cute. It's just once a year, so just let me for today, alright?"

I didn't reply, too busy trying to fight the blush that refused to disappear.

"If you really want," Luke added after a moment of silence. "We can go back. I'm not going to-"

I sighed, spinning around to meet Luke's concerned face. "No, it's fine. I like it. I'm just not used to this. No one has ever done as much for me as you have, and frankly, I don't know what to do with this."

His blue eyes shone with understanding, and he silently clasped my hand in his. "Yeah, I get it," his voice soft, though there was an undercurrent of steel beneath it. "I get it."