10. Maeyve

The following day, I rolled out of bed at 7 a.m. It was the best I had slept in years, but when I realized the time, I started rushing around the house to get things cleaned up. Anevae was supposed to be at my cabin in one hour, but my clothes were still strewn across the house from my quick shift, and I hadn't taken care of the dishes from dinner the night prior.

When I was done cleaning up, I had about ten minutes before she was set to arrive. I threw together a quick breakfast and then started replenishing the supplies in my backpack. I was about halfway done when I heard Anevae's car pull up. I left everything sprawled across the bed and sprinted to the door to greet her.

On the way there, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror in the hallway. My appearance was disheveled, but I couldn't help staring. In the mirror was a version of myself I had never seen before. My orange eyes were vibrant and full of life, my cheeks rosy, and I had a smile on my face. For the first time in years, I didn't look miserable; I looked…happy.

A second knock ripped me from my thoughts, and I continued toward the front door. When I threw it open, my smile grew. There she was.

Her beautiful red lips were spread into a broad smile, and her stunning blue eyes were a different shade than they had been the day prior. Before, they almost matched the aquamarine lake I took her to. But, as she stood on my porch that morning, they were closer to crystal. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail to keep it out of her face, but even up, it reached her shoulders. One section of her side-swept bangs hung down into her eyes, and every time she tried to move it back, it would drop right back down a few moments later.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Anevae said, snapping me out of the moment.

A small laugh slipped past my lips, and I smiled. "Good morning. Um, as you may be able to tell," I said as I gestured up and down at myself, "I am nowhere near ready yet. Please come in."

Anevae shuffled inside, and I closed the door behind her. When we got to the living room, I motioned to the couch. "Please have a seat while I get my life together."

Shaking her head, she huffed out a laugh and sat, waiting patiently for me. I ran around the house like a mad woman, trying to get myself ready. When I finally returned to the living room, she was playing on her phone. Walking past her, I dropped my backpack by the door and grabbed my boots so I could sit on the couch to lace them up.

"Where are we headed today?" she asked, looking up from her phone.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out," I said with a smirk.

"Well, that's no fun."

"It's not for you, but it most certainly is for me," I teased.

When I was done, I retrieved my backpack, and we headed out. I led Anevae in the opposite direction of where we'd ventured the day before. As we wandered into the trees, Anevae gazed around her, taking everything in.

"So, why did you choose to become a biological engineer?" I asked.

"Well, I've always loved being outside in nature. And I found out at a young age that I have a green thumb. My mom and I used to plant flowers and herbs when I was a kid, and I loved watching them grow. As a biological engineer, I've learned how I can impact our planet in both good and bad ways."

"Good and bad ways?"

She continued analyzing our surroundings and answered, "Yes. Have you ever heard of GMOs?"

"I can't say that I have."

"Okay, so GMOs are genetically modified organisms. Basically, a scientist brings a specimen, like a plant, into a lab where they try to modify the specimen"s genetics so a desired trait is expressed. I know that sounds complicated, but let me explain."

Stopping for a moment, she stooped down and plucked a dandelion from the ground. "You see this, right? Imagine it's a yellow daisy."

After I nodded, she scooped down and picked up another dandelion. "Now, I want you to imagine that this is a blue daisy. If they were to produce an ‘offspring,' we could possibly get yellow, blue, or maybe even green—it all depends on how they express that specific gene. Since I've never worked with ‘daisies,' I wouldn't know, but a biological engineer will work with specimens to give them a desired trait. Working in agriculture, I've done a lot of experiments trying to get higher crop output, better temperature resistance, and more." She dropped the dandelions back onto the ground when she was done explaining.

"That's incredible. How does this position with Vision for the Future fit into that, though?"

"I'm not completely sure yet. I'm starting with these experiments to make sure nothing goes wrong, and the additive doesn't cause any modifications. It's definitely a big change, but I think it's something I really needed. I needed the space—the peace these woods can provide."

"Aren't you worried about being so far from your family?"

She stopped for a moment and looked at me. "I like to be alone. I've always felt like no one understood me or cared to try. I love my family and will miss my parents, but Eiri is in Havenridge. It's not that far. I don't like the hustle and bustle of busy streets and the loud noises always surrounding you. Even small towns have a little bit of it. I've known for a long time that I'd never be truly happy in a city with so many people nearby."

"I understand those feelings all too well. It was always busy where I grew up, and it felt like no one even remembered I existed until they needed something from me," I said sympathetically. Then, I looked into her eyes, and the blue depths threatened to consume me. "I hope you know that I enjoy spending time with you, and I do see you—I see you for the person you truly are. Even though you don't know me well, you've shown me such kindness. Many people wouldn't even bother. The neighbors I've had over the years have never come to introduce themselves to me."

Anevae took a few steps closer and placed her hand on my shoulder. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. After taking a deep breath, she tried again. "Thank you, Maeyve. That was very sweet. And I see you, too. You've been nothing but polite and uplifting since we've met. I appreciate how helpful and welcoming you've been. Yesterday"s outing and the information you gave me has already helped me tremendously. These woods make me feel at home, and having you around gives me a sense of peace."

We stood there, lost in each other"s eyes. When she pulled her hand away, I instantly missed the contact. We continued our trek in a comfortable silence. As we walked, I occasionally glanced over at her; I loved watching her. She was so intrigued by everything we saw, and I noticed the closer we got to the water, the more interested she became. I followed her gaze, looking down toward the creek, and was stunned by its beauty. The little details hadn't mattered in the past, but now, trying to see the world through her eyes, everything was brighter. I was fascinated by this woman and her desire to understand the world around her.

The roar of rushing water became overwhelming as we approached our destination—a waterfall I discovered several years prior. The creek we followed was a small fingerling of the river that led to the waterfall. When I first found it, I instantly fell in love, visiting often during the spring and summer. It wasn't an area that could be driven to, so the weather usually made it challenging to adventure to during the fall and winter.

As soon as it came into view, Anevae stopped to bask in its beauty. I couldn't help but watch her with the same reverence. The sun shone through the trees directly onto her beautiful hair, making the silky strands shine like a blazing fire. Her pale skin was rosy from our time in the sun as we followed the creek, and her mouth was agape as she took in the totality of the landscape before her.

Grasping her hand, I pulled her toward the waterfall. That tingling shot up my arm, causing goosebumps to appear on my skin. Anevae was still too focused on the scene in front of us to notice my reaction, but I saw a shiver go through her body at the same time. Is she feeling the same thing I am?

As we approached the water"s edge, droplets strayed from the waterfall and crashed down on us. The cool water felt pleasant against my sun-warmed skin. Hand-in-hand, I led her to a nearby tree and slid my backpack off before setting it on the ground.

"I want to show you something, but you're going to get pretty wet," I said with a wink.

Anevae laughed nervously as she looked down at her clothes. Her light pink shirt would almost certainly become see-through when wet. With slight hesitation, she removed her backpack and placed it beside mine.

When she looked back up at me, I pulled her toward the waterfall. At the base was a rock wall with an edge wide enough to walk on. Letting go of her hand, I placed my hands on the wall in front of me to keep my balance. I started scooting slowly along the edge, holding on tightly to the slick, cold wall. The closer we got to the water, the more it sprayed us.

After a few more steps, the wall dipped in, revealing a large cave hidden by the water. As Anevae took her last step on the narrow wall, I pulled her away from the water to keep her from getting completely soaked.

"Thank you," she said breathlessly as she glanced around. The cave was full of rocks and sprouts of grass here and there, but moss from the waterfall"s constant humidity was all over. A sheen of water covered the walls and greenery. Turning to the waterfall, she reached to stick her hand beneath the rushing water.

"Be careful. That water is extremely forceful and could easily pull you into the river. There's still quite a bit of snow from the peaks melting, so I'm sure it's pretty chilly in there, too," I said.

Anevae giggled and gave me a look of defiance as her hand slid into the water. I shook my head as she stepped closer to the fall. With her eyes still on me, she misjudged how close she was to the edge and stepped right into the water.

Shocked, I quickly dove in after her, cold water encasing my once-warm body. The waterfall's powerful flow forced me under, and I began paddling to get myself out. Surfacing, I looked around frantically for Anevae. When I didn't spot her right away, I began to panic, so I swam back down, spotting her near the bottom; the current of the massive fall was forcing her beneath the surface. As I swam closer, I began to be sucked in, but I was able to get away. I swam back and forth, trying two more times to retrieve her. On my fourth attempt, I grasped her wrist. With burning lungs, I kicked my legs as hard as I could, pulling us back to the surface.

Sucking in air, I clung onto Anevae, her body limp in my arms. I dragged her to the water's edge, where it was shallow, lifted her out, and deposited her on the grass. Climbing out, I checked for a pulse. It was thready and weak but still there, so I rolled her onto her side and began pounding on her back to expel the water from her lungs.

After several strikes, she began sputtering and coughing. Her hands flailed as she woke, and I quickly pulled her to me, cradling her in my arms. Her pulse raced under my hands, but as the coughing calmed, she began to shiver.

"It's okay, Anevae. I've got you. You're okay. Just breathe," I whispered in her ear.

As her shivering ceased, she pushed away from me, and I released her from my grip. She lifted her light blue eyes to mine. Now bloodshot from the underwater struggle, they were even more vibrant. Her quivering lips looked even more red against her cold, pallid skin. As a light breeze picked up, she wrapped her arms around herself.

Looking up at me through her lashes, she murmured, "I guess I should have listened when you told me to be careful." Blushing, she looked back down to the ground in front of her.

I lifted my hand to caress her cheek, urging her to look at me. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're okay. I got scared for a minute there."

Giving me a sad smile, she whispered, "Thank you for saving me."

As I stared into her beautiful eyes, I dropped my hand. I wanted to pull her into my arms and never let her go again, especially if that meant she was safe. Having her so close felt comforting, but I scooted back to put some space between us. I wanted her to be comfortable, and I didn't want to push her too far.

A look I couldn't discern crossed her face, and then she closed the distance between us. Her lips were on mine, her arms wrapped around my neck. The force of the kiss almost knocked me over onto my back, but her fingers tangled in my hair, keeping me upright. Once the shock wore off, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her onto my lap, deepening the kiss. Her lips parted, and she slid her tongue out, requesting access to my mouth. When I parted my lips, her tongue darted in to caress mine.

We remained like that for several minutes, lost in each other. Then, she pulled back and slid off my lap to sit beside me. But before she could settle, I shot to my feet and began pacing. There was an intense throbbing in my clit that would continue to intensify if I didn't put some distance between us.

When the throbbing settled to a bearable level, I looked back at her. She was staring down at her hands with tears welling in her eyes. I rushed to kneel in front of her and explain, but she raised her hand to stop me from speaking.

"It's okay. You don't need to explain yourself. I'm sorry. I was too wrapped up in the moment. I'll keep my hands to myself from now on."

Before she could lower her hand, I grasped it and brought her knuckles to my lips, lightly kissing them. "I know you don't want an explanation, but I need to apologize. I, uh, I haven't kissed anyone in a long time. I just got a little nervous, and you're just so…perfect. And I'm not."

Blushing deeper, she shoved herself off the ground and darted toward her bag, trying to cover herself. Her light pink shirt had become completely see-through, and her white bra was visible. With her back to me, she yanked her jacket out of her pack, ripped her shirt off, and shoved her arms into the jacket, quickly zipping it up.

Turning back to me, she crossed her hands over her chest. "I'd like to go home now. Please. This has been beautiful, but I'd really appreciate some dry clothes."

Getting to my feet, I retrieved my bag and nodded. "Let's get you home."

There was an awkward silence as we walked back. When we approached, she headed straight for her car. Was she seriously going to leave without saying anything?

"I'm sorry about today," I blurted out behind her.

After she threw her backpack in the passenger seat, she turned to me, eyes darkened in anger. "There's no reason for you to be sorry. I was the idiot who didn't listen. You jumped in to save me, remember?If anything, I should be the one to apologize for being careless."

"Hey. It's okay. It happens. What matters most is that you're safe. Go home, get some dry clothes on, and relax. You need it."

"Thank you… Would you like to come to my place tomorrow? I'd like your opinion on how to best keep the animals away from my experiments."

"I'd love to. Why don't I come over sometime in the late morning, and we can go from there? You need to rest a little bit. You've done a lot over the last week."

"Sounds great. I'll, uh, see you tomorrow then."

I nodded. "See you tomorrow. Get some rest."

Then, she climbed into her SUV and went on her way. Was there any way I could've fucked that up worse?

I hurried inside, stripped off my wet clothes, and rushed out the back door. I couldn't bear to be away from her. I needed her like I needed water; I couldn't live without her. Fuck. I'm in trouble.