FIFTEEN

Ronan

Setting Justine on her feet, I nudge her away from the drop off the rocks into the water. She already seems shaken and we haven't even started the course.

It's going to be a long day.

I don't know what they think this stupid little day trip is going to achieve. She clearly isn't cut out for this, and it's not exactly my number one priority to walk her through it.

I jump from the rock onto the sandy soil and my hooves sink deep. Then I turn and help Justine down. We make our way up a little path and between two large boulders into the main part of the island. Thankfully, the wind lets up a little.

Swinging my pack from my back, I pull out the first clue and read it aloud. "Today's activity is a journey toward intimacy. At each station you will be given a task to increase your bond with your spouse. You'll find the first station, using this clue: The heart is easy to find, but hard to reach. When you do, the rewards are worthwhile."

I scowl. We're not in therapy here, it's a reality fucking TV program.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

Justine is quiet, though, looking around. "Maybe it's the obvious answer," she says after a moment. "The middle of the island? Its heart, right?"

I tilt my head back to look up at the rocky peak that forms the center of the island. It's not that high, but the climb is steep. Still, it shouldn't take more than half an hour to hike up there. Maybe more, depending on Justine's level of fitness. OK mine, too. It's been a while since I had the chance to do anything like this.

Justine looks to be waiting for me to say something, so I shrug. "May as well try."

Consulting the map in my pack, I locate the path and direct her around the side of the ridge. Soon we're both breathing hard. The path quickly has quickly turned into a long series of stairs. Every few minutes, I listen for Justine's breathing and compare mine, wondering if I'm more out of breath than I should be. My chest burns with a familiar ache and I am working hard, but I don't feel so winded I need to stop. I'm comforted when Justine stops part way up, leaning on her thighs. "Oh, God! This feels more like torture than a date."

The wind buffets us as we climb, but now that we're hiking it's refreshing.

"Come on." I pat her on the back. "Not much further now." I'm feeling much better by the time we reach the peak.

A stone wall surrounds a lookout at the top and the view back toward Heartstone Harbor would be lovely, if it weren't for the bleak black-tipped clouds and the wind.

Justine slides her back down the wall and sits on the floor of the lookout, then takes her water bottle from her pack.

I lean against the wall, trying not to show how much that climb cost me.

Looking around, I spot another laminated card, tucked beneath a smooth, flat stone on top of the wall.

"Huh. Looks like you were right." I glance back, smiling to myself at her flushed red cheeks. She turns beet red at the drop of a hat this girl. Despite myself I find it rather endearing.

Picking up the card, I read it and let out an irritated huff.

Spouses who take time to look into each others' hearts are more likely to stay together. Spend two minutes with your hand over the other's heart, gazing deeply into each other's eyes in silence. At the end of the two minutes, you may like to tell your spouse what's on your mind.

Like hell.

I pull the strap of my bag until I'm facing the portable cam the crew strapped there. "When we get back from this trip, Amy, remind me to have a word with you about your pay. I'm sure I'm paying you too much to be making up poetry and stupid riddles."

"What is it?"

Instead of answering, I tell her, "Stand up."

She obeys.

"Give me your hand."

She holds out her hand.

With forbearance, I place it over my heart, then place my own near her chest, not quite touching. "We're supposed to stand like this, touching, for two minutes."

"Oh!" She colors, but doesn't look away.

"Can I touch you here?"

Her eyes drop to where my hand skims the upper part of her breast right above her heart. She nods.

Carefully, I place my hand as far from her breast as I can get while still looking like I'm completing the task. Then I just stand there.

So fucking awkward. Justine fidgets, but she holds the position, and the longer this goes on, the more I notice small details about her I hadn't before. She has a mole on her forehead just above her left eyebrow, for one. For another, she has a very pronounced cupid's bow, her upper lip curving into an alluring pair of peaks. That reminds me how those lips felt against mine.

Then I realize I haven't been timing the two minutes. I reach for my phone instinctively, but of course I don't have it. They've given us an old-fashioned watch instead, which tells me nothing about how long we've been standing like this, since I didn't check it before we started.

Justine shifts again and her hand slides down my chest, sending a shiver through me.

I break away with a grunt. "I think that'll do."

Justine lets out a little giggle. "Wow. Why was that so hard?" She tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear which the wind whips back instantly and looks out over the wall toward Heartstone.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who found that oddly confronting.

Refusing to think about why, I flip over the card. "Here's a clue for the next thing."

She turns back and I read it aloud.

"Love should be sealed with a kiss. Find the place where the sea kisses the sand for the next task."

Justine frowns. "I didn't think there was any sand on Rottager Island. There's no beach, right?"

I consult the map again. It says nothing about any beach. "You're right." I scrub a hand over my face. I didn't think this was going to be such a problem.

Justine hands me a bottle of water and I take a sip. I look back at the map. "There's another track down from the slope here." I point. "We could try going down this way to see if we can find the place."

She nods.

The path is uneven and the surface is loose in places. The descent here is steeper than the other side. I hurry, trying to make good time. Justine is struggling behind me. Little huffs of breath and the slipping of loose stones punctuate her movements.

There's a shriek.

I turn to find her on her ass. She winces as she gets back up, but she brushes herself off. "Not to worry. I'm clumsy."

I turn back to the path. She's not kidding. If there's something to fall over, Justine will trip on it. If there's a cup or glass on a table, she'll invariably knock it.

Last night at dinner, she almost tipped her whole drink into my lap and I had to snatch it to keep it from falling.

I stride forward, trying to keep my irritation to a low boil. She's even slower now. I can hear the shifting stones on the path at her every step.

We walk on in silence. I'm thinking about what I'm going to do about the bed situation tonight.

I've made it around the bend before I notice the sounds of her behind me have faded.

I look back, but can't see her. "Justine?"

"Coming!" She scrambles around the corner, favoring her left foot. God damn it, she's hurt herself.

I stride back up the path. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine." She sucks in a breath when she puts weight on the injured ankle.

She's clearly not fine, but she didn't say anything about it. Why?

The answer is obvious: because she's too scared of me.

With that twisting against my sternum, I stoop and lift her into my arms. She makes another high pitched noise and throws her arms around my neck.

"I'm fine. I can walk. Just give me a minute."

I huff. "You're not fine. I don't need you making it worse by pretending to be alright. Now stop arguing."

She goes silent, clinging on around my neck and cautiously laying her head on my shoulder.

I hurry down the path, trying not to think too hard about how nice it feels to have her in my arms like this.

I hope we find the next clue soon.

Physically, I could carry her all day. She weighs nothing.

I'm not so sure I could stay calm and collected if I do it, though. But I deserve this penance, don't I? I deserve to suffer after I've grouched at her all day for something that's my fault.

I make a silent vow to do better and not take my frustration out on her.