Chapter 6

Sitting next to Veronica in the safari cruiser, I caught myself watching her almost as much as the scenery. Though we occasionally shared the excitement over the wildlife sightings, those moments were tinged with a guardedness from her whenever we made eye contact or brushed against each other. I focused on appreciating our time together and being patient, hoping all would work out in the end. The truth was, I did not know if she would give me another chance, but I certainly would not give up so easily.

As Nakul navigated a rugged patch of terrain, our attention shifted to a tower of giraffes dining on the tops of acacia trees. Their elegant necks and deliberate movements were mesmerizing.

"Beautiful creatures, aren't they?" I said, hoping to draw Veronica into a gentle conversation.

"They're so graceful," she said, her eyes wide with delight.

Daphne lightened the mood and said, "Watching them eat is making me hungry. Anyone else feeling peckish?"

"I was just thinking the same thing!" Sabrina said with a laugh. "All this fresh air and excitement build up quite an appetite."

"Good timing," Nakul announced as he steered the vehicle along a familiar trail winding back towards camp. "We're heading to a special spot back near the safari camp for our picnic lunch. It's set up in the bush, perfectly safe, with some of the best views you can imagine. It's ready and waiting for us."

Sabrina clapped her hands. "I can't wait!"

Not long after that, we rounded a bend, and there it was, a picturesque clearing shaded by tall acacia trees, where two camp employees were busy arranging what looked to be a lavish picnic setup.

"Here we are," Nakul announced with a smile, gesturing toward the beautifully laid-out picnic table under the shade of the trees.

As we stepped out of the safari cruiser into the tranquil setting, my thoughts of a peaceful lunch were abruptly shattered when Veronica screamed.

Instinct kicked in—I didn't pause to consider whether it was a snake or a scorpion. Her safety was my only concern. In one fluid motion, I scooped her up and sprinted away from the perceived danger.

"Put me down, August! What are you doing?!" Veronica yelled.

It was typical behavior from her, always fiercely independent, even when challenges or potential danger lurked. But her protests didn't deter me one bit. I was on a mission to get her to safety. Nothing else mattered.

"Stop wiggling!" I barked.

"Stop running!" she commanded.

"Stop yelling!" I shot back, confident we were a safe distance away, before I gently set her down. "Are you okay? Did something bite you?"

She looked at me with a mixture of astonishment and irritation. "Have you lost your mind?"

I held up my hands in defense, still trying to catch my breath. "What? I was just trying to help you. Are you telling me you're okay?"

"I am perfectly fine!" She brushed off her clothes, still eyeing me skeptically. "I screamed because a lizard ran over my foot, not a lion! I was momentarily startled, but then I realized it was just a harmless reptile. I didn't want nor need your help."

"How was I supposed to know that?" I retorted as we walked back to the group. "You screamed as if the apocalypse was upon us!"

Veronica crossed her arms. "Oh please, I hardly made a sound."

"Hardly? You could have shattered one of those glass bottles on the picnic table with that pitch!" I joked.

She was about to continue defending herself, but then suddenly snort-laughed, which prompted the entire group to laugh with her.

Veronica shook her head, a smile breaking through her initial frustration. "You're ridiculous."

Sabrina smiled and gestured at me. "Look at you, August, our brave hero."

"Yes, clearly," Veronica said. "Thanks for the rescue, hero." Her words dripped with sarcasm, but the ice between us had been broken, even if just for the moment.

As we all sat down at the picnic table, I grabbed the spot right next to Veronica.

"Now, what are you doing?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Getting ready to eat, just like you. What else should I be doing?"

She gestured to the oversized picnic table in front of us, which could easily seat ten people. "And you had to sit here next to me?"

I smirked. "Someone needs to protect you from the rabid lizards of Africa. Watch out, they may step on your pinkie toe."

"I'm not a damsel in distress, so don't treat me like one." Veronica glared at me, but I could see the slightest hint of amusement in her eyes, which was an excellent sign.

An employee brought over a tray of gourmet sandwiches, each carefully wrapped and labeled with our names—a detail from the orders we'd placed the night before.

Simon glanced around the open setup nervously as he peeled the wrapper off his sandwich. "Is it safe to eat out here? I mean, could animals approach us to steal our food or eat us alive?"

Nakul, always the warm and reassuring guide, chuckled as he placed his own sandwich down. "Yes, it's perfectly safe. Our guests dine here all the time. The most you'll see around here are some birds, small reptiles, and maybe a hyrax or two."

Caleb, intrigued, leaned forward. "I've never heard of a hyrax. What do they look like?"

"They are probably one of the cutest, funniest animals you'll see in Africa," Nakul said. "They look like groundhogs and are all around the camp. In the rocks and trees …"

Just then, a small, furry creature appeared off to the right, near one of the acacia trees.

Veronica pointed to the animal. "There's one! Oh, you're right, they are so cute."

Sabrina twisted around to study the creature with curiosity. "He's adorable. Are they aggressive?"

"They do not consider humans a threat, but we still give them their space," Nakul said. "They live in colonies, as many as fifty of them, usually dominated by a single male who aggressively defends his territory and females from rivals," Nakul said. "During the breeding season, the dominant male is particularly territorial and aggressive. And his testicles can grow twenty times larger than their non-breeding season size."

Caleb smirked. "Shopping for swim trunks must be a nightmare for them!"

Sabrina laughed and pointed at him. "That's it. I'm adopting you."

He grinned. "I accept. I look forward to bonding with you and sipping Syrah by the seashore in Slovenia."

"What's the deadliest creature in Africa?" Simon asked, still focused on our surroundings. "I'm guessing it's the lion."

"I think it's the snake," Daphne said.

"Apparently, my sister thinks it's the lizard," Caleb said.

Nakul chuckled and shook his head. "None of those are even close to the deadliest. Anybody else care to take a guess?"

"The hippo," Sabrina tried.

"The mosquito is the deadliest," I interjected, since I'd read all about them on the jet.

"That is correct," Nakul said. "The mosquito caused over a million deaths last year alone."

"Wow. That really is hard to fathom," Veronica said.

Simon nodded as he checked his skin. "We've been lucky so far, not a single bite on this trip."

"Speaking of biting …" Daphne eyed her sandwich, then took a big bite, letting out a pleasurable moan as she chewed.

As Veronica unwrapped her sandwich, her face contorted. "Oh … I didn't realize my sandwich came with onions. Unfortunately, I'm allergic."

"Not a problem—I can have the staff prepare you another one," Nakul said. "It won't take long at all."

Before Veronica could accept his offer, I reached over, swapping my sandwich for hers. "You can eat mine. It's ham, one of your favorites. And no onions, I checked."

Veronica blinked twice. "Hey, I didn't?—"

"Just enjoy it," I insisted gently, hoping she'd see it wasn't about me trying to score points; all I wanted was for her to be happy, and to eat.

I took a bite of her sandwich before she tried to give mine back to me.

Veronica hesitated, then took a tentative bite of the sandwich I gave her, glancing over at me as she chewed, appearing to be searching for words, then finally saying, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I said.

"Chivalry is not dead!" Daphne joked. "How many times is he going to be your hero?"

Caleb winked at her as he handed over his sandwich to her. "Here, eat mine."

She chuckled. "That is not chivalrous. You're doing it because you want something from me."

"On the contrary," he said. "This is called preemptive chivalry."

"There's no such thing," Daphne said. "You just made that up."

"Of course I did!" Caleb chuckled. "But it makes perfect sense, if you think about it. I'm anticipating your needs before they actually become needs. Who knows, maybe you'll decide you hate pickles today. I'm just making sure you have options! My sandwich has no pickles. You're welcome."

Daphne laughed and handed the sandwich back to Caleb. "Nice try."

Just as Veronica was taking another bite of her sandwich, I noticed a mosquito landing on her arm. Without a moment to think, I reached over and slapped it dead. Veronica jumped and squealed, causing a small piece of bread to catapult from her mouth onto the table. An employee quickly scooped up the stray bread with a swift motion and discreetly disappeared.

"Why did you do that?!" she demanded, shooting me a sharp look.

"There was a mosquito on you," I responded quickly.

"I didn't see a mosquito," she retorted, skeptical.

"It was definitely there," I insisted.

"And how do I know this wasn't just payback for earlier, with what happened to your royal jewels?" she asked, her tone half-serious, half-mocking.

"If that's the case, what is that?" I gestured to the dead insect on her arm, trying to lighten the mood. "Or is that just a birthmark?"

Seeing the mosquito, she grimaced. "Get it off me. Please."

"With pleasure, Your Highness," I quipped, trying to inject a bit of humor into the situation. I gently reached for her hand to steady her arm, pulling her slightly closer. With a flick of my finger, I brushed the mosquito away, then used a napkin to ensure her skin was clean. "There. Good as new."

For a moment, as I held her hand, I let myself enjoy the brief touch, the contact I had missed so much. But Veronica's expression quickly changed; she stiffened and pulled her hand away abruptly, her eyes narrowing with that all-too-familiar guarded look. Just like that, her walls were up again.

"More chivalry!" Sabrina mused. "And I love when you call her Your Highness. It's romantic and so regal."

"I agree, but I have to admit that I'm a bit confused," Simon said. "I'm getting mixed signals. Are you a couple or not?"

"We're not a couple," Veronica stated firmly, without a moment's hesitation.

"We used to be," I added quickly, feeling Veronica's glare before I even finished speaking. "I made a big mistake. Nothing horrible like cheating, but she hasn't forgiven me yet."

Veronica crossed her arms and fixed her gaze on the distant landscape, preferring to remain silent.

Leaning forward, I tried to catch Veronica"s eye. "Everyone deserves a chance to make things right. We all make mistakes, right?"

Sabrina nudged Simon playfully, chuckling. "Simon's got a PhD in blunders, haven't you, dear?"

Simon grinned. "Guilty as charged. Not that I do it on purpose, but it does keep life interesting, I guess."

Sabrina laughed, her eyes twinkling. "True, his mistakes are just little stumbles, nothing serious. We all get overwhelmed and slip up." She gave him a quick kiss. "And making up is the best part, right?"

Simon raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Maybe I should cause trouble more often for those kisses."

Amused by their exchange, Caleb nudged Daphne playfully.

She raised an eyebrow, feigning indignation. "What was that for?"

"Oops, that was a slip—must have been out of my mind for a second there," Caleb said with a sheepish grin. "Forgive me?"

Daphne's laughter filled the air. "You're forgiven, but you can forget about kissing and making up. I'm planning my revenge."

Caleb gave a mock solemn nod. "Duly noted and eagerly anticipated." He glanced across the table at us with a mischievous look. "Maybe that's all Veronica and August need to work through their issues, a good, old-fashioned kiss that will unleash a flood of feel-good chemicals in the body. Have either of you ever thought about that?"

Veronica flatly said, "No," just as I chimed in with an eager, "Yes."

The stark difference in our responses lingered in the air, highlighting the tangled web of emotions between us. But I wasn't about to let her rejection deter me from my goal of winning her back.

"I was actually hoping you'd say no," I confessed with a sly grin.

Veronica chuckled. "Yeah, right."

"It's true," I said with a nod. "Each no you say just brings me one step closer to a yes."

"That makes no sense," Veronica laughed again. "A no is a no, putting you right back where you started."

I shook my head, amused. "Not quite. You just laughed—twice. Considering that laughter releases twice as many endorphins as kissing, plus throws in some serotonin and dopamine for good measure, your brain's happy chemicals are all lit up right now. That makes you more likely to reconsider your stance, maybe even sway you towards something you hadn't entertained before."

Veronica paused, seemingly caught off guard.

Sabrina clapped her hands delightedly. "August, you're a genius! I'm sold."

Daphne chuckled beside her. "Impressive argument, I must admit."

"Thank you," I said, turning back to Veronica with a playful raise of my eyebrows. "So, Princess Veronica, what's your verdict?"

After a beat, Veronica swatted my arm.

"And what was that for?" I asked, feigning hurt.

"Mosquito," she quipped, quickly taking another bite of her sandwich while avoiding my gaze.

Laughter bubbled up around the table, and I couldn't help but join in. It felt like a small victory, a shift in the air. I was more determined than ever, especially knowing the surprise I had waiting for her back at camp.