15. Lux

15

LUX

Z oey was right after all. There was a space not so far off from the spot where they had their bath where they could catch fish.

They stood in the middle of the river, their hands submerged. Lux stood beside Zoey and demonstrated to her how to catch a fish by hand.

Zoey tried to emulate Lux, but she tipped over and fell in the water, and Lux watched with an amused smile.

The sun started to rise, casting long shadows over the water, making it feel surreal.

"Here, do it like this," Lux said, stepping closer to Zoey and holding her hands poised over the water. Her touch was gentle but firm, and Zoey's chest fluttered.

"Like this?" Zoey tilted her head back to look at Lux, who nodded.

"Yeah, just like that," Lux said. "Now, flick your wrist a little as you drop your arm in the water when you see a fish."

"I'm really not good at this," Zoey said, her cheeks growing warm.

"It takes practice," Lux said. "My dad taught me when I was little. He used to take my brother and me out every weekend, rain or shine. Fishing was his way of keeping us connected, I guess."

Zoey glanced at Lux, noticing the way her eyes softened as she spoke about her father. There was a warmth in her voice that made Zoey want to know more.

"You must be close to him," Zoey said.

Lux nodded, her gaze fixed on the water. "Yeah, I am. Especially after my mom passed. I was just a kid, and my brother wasn't much older. It was tough, but my dad did everything he could to make sure we didn't feel like we were missing out on anything."

"I'm sorry about your mom," Zoey said quietly, not sure what else to say.

Lux shrugged, but there was a tightness in her expression. "It was a long time ago, but it still hurts sometimes. I miss her, you know? But I had my dad and my brother. They made it easier."

Zoey could see the pain in Lux's eyes, the kind of pain that never really went away, no matter how much time passed.

"What was she like?" Zoey asked, hoping it wasn't too personal.

Lux smiled, a distant look in her eyes. "She was amazing. Strong, kind, funny. She had this way of making everyone around her feel special. At least that's what my dad told me."

"Wait, you didn't–"

"I didn't get to meet her. I mean, I did, but I don't have any memory of her. I was still so little when she died."

"I'm so sorry about that."

Lux crouched, eyeing the fish swimming by. The sun continued to rise, casting a soft, golden light across the water. She could hear the gentle lapping of the water against the shore, the distant chirping of birds.

Zoey stood beside her, watching closely. "So, you really know how to fish?"

Zoey mimicked Lux's position, and Lux chuckled.

"Relax your shoulders," Lux said. "You're too tense."

Zoey sighed and loosened her body. "I'm just worried I'll mess it up."

"You won't," Lux assured her. "Just follow my lead."

They both stood, staring at the water. When a particularly large fish swam close to them, Lux said, "Now!"

Zoey squeezed her eyes shut and thrust her arm in the water. She swiped like Lux had shown her, and she pulled out the wriggling, slimy fish.

"We did it!" Zoey said, her face lighting up with joy as she clutched the flailing fish.

Lux couldn't help but smile, the sight of Zoey's happiness warming something inside her. "You did it," she corrected, her voice filled with pride.

Zoey looked at the fish, then back at Lux, her expression one of disbelief. "I actually caught a fish."

"You did," Lux said, her smile widening. "Not bad for your first time."

Zoey laughed, the sound light and carefree. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Lux felt something shift inside her. Maybe, just maybe, she could let herself be open to this, to whatever it was that was growing between them.

Maybe she could let herself be vulnerable, just this once.

They walked back to shore, Zoey still clutching the fish that stopped moving.

Lux glanced at her, studying her face for a moment. "You don't have any siblings, do you?"

Zoey shook her head. "I've got two. My brother's in the military. My older sister works as a teacher."

"Middle child?" Lux raised a brow.

"Middle child," Zoey said.

They fell into a comfortable silence, the sound of the river filling the space between them. Zoey watched the soft ripples in the water as her thoughts drifted.

A faint crackling sound broke through the quiet. They both turned their heads toward the source, eyes widening as they realized what it was.

"The phone," Zoey said, scrambling to her feet.

They hurried over to where they had left it, beside a tree a few feet away from the riverbank. Zoey grabbed the phone, her hands shaking slightly as she stared at the screen and accepted the call.

"Hello? This is Zoey Knight. Can you hear me?"

There was a moment of static, and then a voice crackled through, faint but audible. "Lieutenant, it's Jay."

"Thank goodness, Jay. We've been trying to establish contact?—"

"We?" Jay's voice crackled from the other end. "Is Lux with you?"

"Yes, I'm here," Lux said. "How soon can you get a chopper down to our location?"

"As soon as we're able to triangulate your coordinates."

"And how long would that take?"

"We've triangulated the site of the crash. Are you guys close to the wreckage?"

"Yes." Lux could feel her heart race.

"We're dealing with some serious fire activity here," Jay said, her voice tense. "But we've got teams out there. The priority is getting you both back safely. Can you make it back to the wreckage?"

Zoey glanced at Lux, who nodded. "We can make it back," Zoey said into the phone. "We're heading there now."

"Good," Jay said. "Stay safe. We'll try to keep in touch."

She lowered the phone, turning to Lux. "We need to get back."

Lux nodded, already moving toward their gear. "Let's go."

They packed up quickly, the mood between them shifting to something more urgent. The sky was darkening and the shadows stretched longer as they made their way back through the trees.

As they walked, Zoey found herself glancing at Lux, her mind replaying the conversation they'd had by the river. There was a heaviness to Lux that Zoey hadn't seen before, a vulnerability that made Zoey want to reach out, to offer some kind of comfort.

When they reached the clearing, they dropped their gear by their salvaged supplies, both of them breathing a little harder from the quick pace they'd kept.

"We're safe," Lux said, more to herself than to Zoey. "We're finally going home."

Zoey nodded, her eyes meeting Lux's. "Yeah, we are."

There was a beat of silence as they just stood there looking at each other. Zoey felt something shift between them.

"What happens now, Lux?"

Without thinking, Zoey stepped closer, her heart pounding in her chest. Lux didn't move away or break eye contact. Zoey's breath hitched as she leaned in, her lips brushing against Lux's in a tentative kiss.

Lux responded immediately, her hand coming up to cup Zoey's cheek, pulling her closer. The kiss deepened, and for a moment, everything else fell away—the fires, the danger, the uncertainty. It was just them standing in the fading light, finding something real in the midst of all the chaos.

When they finally broke apart, both were breathing heavily, faces flushed. Lux opened her mouth to speak, but Zoey beat her to it.

"I can't believe we might actually get out of here," Zoey said, her voice shaky but with a small, teasing smile playing on her lips. "What's the first thing you want to do when we're back?"

Lux chuckled. "Honestly? I want a big, greasy burger. And maybe a hot shower. In that order."

Zoey laughed, the sound lifting some of the weight off her chest. "Good call. I'll take a burger too. And then I want to sleep for a week. Maybe longer."

"I can see that." Lux smiled. "Though, you sleep too long, and you might miss out on some things. Like me beating everyone at the station at bowling."

"Bowling?" Zoey raised a brow.

"Bowling. Arm wrestling. You name it."

Zoey raised an eyebrow, feigning disbelief. "You think you can beat me? Dream on, Valentine."

Lux grinned. "Oh, I know I can. We'll make a day of it: burgers, arm wrestling, and then we'll hit the beach."

"You and the beach," Zoey teased. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Hey, I need my ocean fix," Lux said, her tone light. "You're just lucky you're cute enough to invite along."

Zoey rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the smile that tugged at her lips. "Fine, fine. But I get to pick the movie for when we crash on the couch after. And no complaints if it's a cheesy rom-com."

"Deal," Lux said, the word coming out softer than she intended. She took a deep breath, the playfulness slipping away as she looked at Zoey. "I'm going to miss this, though. Us."

Zoey's smile faltered slightly. "Yeah, me too."

"Zoey, there's something I've been wanting to say." Lux's voice was quieter now, more serious. "I like you. A lot. But I've never been good at…this. Commitment. I just?—"

"I understand," Zoey cut in. "And honestly? I don't want to commit either. Not right now, anyway."

Lux blinked, the surprise evident in her eyes. She didn't mean to lead Zoey on and then toss her to the side. She didn't mean to keep her around either.

Ugh.

She didn't mean anything. It was all just beautiful, and the thought of commitment still scared her so much. How could she want someone this much yet still not want them too?

"Really? I didn't mean…" The words wouldn't form. "You get it, don't you?"

Zoey nodded, her smile bittersweet. "I care about you, Lux. But I think we both have a lot of stuff to figure out first. Maybe when we're out of here and things aren't so intense, we can see where this goes. But for now, no pressure. Just…us."

Lux sighed. She'd glanced at the horizon while they were fishing earlier. The orange glow of the fires were closing in on them. She knew it was almost a farce.

There was always pressure.