like what I want to show you, we can go back. Okay?”
“Why can’t we just go back now?” I asked. Sure, I sounded petulant, but I was cold and tired and not a little freaked out. The cave felt like it was closing in on me, and the darkness was choking and stifling. I shuddered as I turned my head, trying to illuminate more of the cave, but the darkness swooping in behind the beam of light only made me feel worse. When I turned forward again, I saw that Rick had already started out ahead of me. I hurried to catch up, and resumed glaring at that tense spot between his shoulders, right above his backpack.
“Trust me, it’ll be worth it,” he said, as if he could feel my eyes on him. He passed around a rock column in the middle of the cave, and I followed, dragging my feet. At the end of the passage, the rock walls seemed to squeeze together, forming a narrow opening.
“No way. I’m sick of squeezing through little holes.”
“Turn your light off.”
“What? No! No fucking way. I want to go back .”
Rick turned and took my hands, and I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to resist being charmed or sweet-talked. It didn’t really work. “Mason, I need you to trust me, okay? What I want to show you is just on the other side of that hole. Please? For me?”
He’d been walking backward, pulling me toward the opening with each step, and I sighed dramatically as we reached it, and reached up to switch off the lamp. I could feel my face drain of blood as our light was cut in half, and Rick’s face was plunged into darkness. My heartbeat sped up and I started to tremble. This was the stuff of nightmares, buried beneath the earth under tons of rock, alone in the dark.
Or almost alone. Rick gave my hand a reassuring squeeze and turned off his own lamp, and I whimpered involuntarily as we were enfolded in the darkness. He pulled me gently forward, and I felt for the opening with my free hand, ducking to squeeze through the tight passage. Two steps, then the walls expanded and I could stand straight again. Not so bad, except for the dark.
And then Rick dropped my hand. I yelped in shock, but he murmured soothingly from just ahead of me. My fingers itched toward my headlamp, and I started a slow count to ten in my head. He had ten seconds, and then I was giving up on this bullshit and turning my light back on. Ten seconds… God, it felt like forever!
I was at eight, and panting, when I saw a glow kindle to life ahead of me, then grow brighter. I looked away from Rick and his lantern (where had he gotten a lantern?) to keep from hurting my eyes, and what I saw made me gasp with wonder.
The entire cavern glittered and shone with crystals embedded in the walls. It was like a fairy wonderland or some magical palace, hidden here in the ground where only the dedicated—or those with romantic and determined lovers—would find it. A fitting reward for over an hour of fear and frustration in the dark, despite the fact that I hadn’t done much to earn it.
I stepped forward and put a hand to the wall, feeling the cool smoothness of the crystal embedded in the rock. It was so marvelous, it took me a moment to realize that Rick had been standing next to more than a lantern. I turned slowly and faced the scene, and felt instantly like a total prick.
He must have come down here on his day off, yesterday, and gotten things set up for us. There was an inflatable mattress, fully inflated, and a bottle of wine, well cooled in the chilly air. He went down on one knee as I turned to face him, and my heart about stopped.
“Oh, Rick…”
“Mason. Will you?” He held up a ring box with a solid gold band, and I felt tears gather.
“Are you sure you still want to after all my whining?”
He grinned. “As long as I have permission to tell everyone that you whined and bitched the entire way to the proposal.”
I held up my hand for him, and he slid the ring onto my finger; a promise made and sealed in gold. “Deal. You get
“Why can’t we just go back now?” I asked. Sure, I sounded petulant, but I was cold and tired and not a little freaked out. The cave felt like it was closing in on me, and the darkness was choking and stifling. I shuddered as I turned my head, trying to illuminate more of the cave, but the darkness swooping in behind the beam of light only made me feel worse. When I turned forward again, I saw that Rick had already started out ahead of me. I hurried to catch up, and resumed glaring at that tense spot between his shoulders, right above his backpack.
“Trust me, it’ll be worth it,” he said, as if he could feel my eyes on him. He passed around a rock column in the middle of the cave, and I followed, dragging my feet. At the end of the passage, the rock walls seemed to squeeze together, forming a narrow opening.
“No way. I’m sick of squeezing through little holes.”
“Turn your light off.”
“What? No! No fucking way. I want to go back .”
Rick turned and took my hands, and I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to resist being charmed or sweet-talked. It didn’t really work. “Mason, I need you to trust me, okay? What I want to show you is just on the other side of that hole. Please? For me?”
He’d been walking backward, pulling me toward the opening with each step, and I sighed dramatically as we reached it, and reached up to switch off the lamp. I could feel my face drain of blood as our light was cut in half, and Rick’s face was plunged into darkness. My heartbeat sped up and I started to tremble. This was the stuff of nightmares, buried beneath the earth under tons of rock, alone in the dark.
Or almost alone. Rick gave my hand a reassuring squeeze and turned off his own lamp, and I whimpered involuntarily as we were enfolded in the darkness. He pulled me gently forward, and I felt for the opening with my free hand, ducking to squeeze through the tight passage. Two steps, then the walls expanded and I could stand straight again. Not so bad, except for the dark.
And then Rick dropped my hand. I yelped in shock, but he murmured soothingly from just ahead of me. My fingers itched toward my headlamp, and I started a slow count to ten in my head. He had ten seconds, and then I was giving up on this bullshit and turning my light back on. Ten seconds… God, it felt like forever!
I was at eight, and panting, when I saw a glow kindle to life ahead of me, then grow brighter. I looked away from Rick and his lantern (where had he gotten a lantern?) to keep from hurting my eyes, and what I saw made me gasp with wonder.
The entire cavern glittered and shone with crystals embedded in the walls. It was like a fairy wonderland or some magical palace, hidden here in the ground where only the dedicated—or those with romantic and determined lovers—would find it. A fitting reward for over an hour of fear and frustration in the dark, despite the fact that I hadn’t done much to earn it.
I stepped forward and put a hand to the wall, feeling the cool smoothness of the crystal embedded in the rock. It was so marvelous, it took me a moment to realize that Rick had been standing next to more than a lantern. I turned slowly and faced the scene, and felt instantly like a total prick.
He must have come down here on his day off, yesterday, and gotten things set up for us. There was an inflatable mattress, fully inflated, and a bottle of wine, well cooled in the chilly air. He went down on one knee as I turned to face him, and my heart about stopped.
“Oh, Rick…”
“Mason. Will you?” He held up a ring box with a solid gold band, and I felt tears gather.
“Are you sure you still want to after all my whining?”
He grinned. “As long as I have permission to tell everyone that you whined and bitched the entire way to the proposal.”
I held up my hand for him, and he slid the ring onto my finger; a promise made and sealed in gold. “Deal. You get
Similar Books
Whispers of Love
Rosie Harris
Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times
Emma Trevayne
Millie and the Night Heron
Catherine Bateson
Love Edy
Shewanda Pugh
Teacher's Pet
Shelley Ellerbeck
Summer of Supernovas
Darcy Woods
The Darkest Joy
Marata Eros
Weightless
Michele Gorman