Below the Barrel (Saltwater Springs #2)

12. Maliah | Tavarua, Fiji

TWELVE

MALIAH | TAVARUA, FIJI

I’ve officially lost my mind. That’s the only explanation for why I agreed to this death trap of an excursion. I should’ve faked feeling sick, or pretended to have injured my leg, but instead here I am. I can feel the cameras zooming in on every one of my shaky breaths, capturing the fear I’m doing a horrible job of hiding.

The ski lift jerks to life as it starts to ascend, the cables rattling in the most unsettling way. The air is warm on Tavarua, but the higher we go, the cooler the breeze becomes, and it begins to bite against my skin. My fingers are clenched so tight around the metal bar that they’re turning numb. I can’t look down. The lush canopy of trees below looks too far away—too distant, like something from a dream.

Or a nightmare. Yeah, definitely a nightmare.

“I’m gonna pass out,” I mumble through gritted teeth, my voice small and trembling.

The thought of being suspended so high up in nothing but this flimsy seat causes my stomach to twist into knots.

Koa, of course, is completely unfazed. He sits beside me, legs relaxed, one arm casually draped over the back of our chair. He glances at me with that smug grin that always makes me want to punch him, and yet—God, why does he have to look so good?

“You could sit on me,” he says, leaning closer with a mock-serious tone. “Might help with the passing out part.”

I snap my head towards him, narrowing my eyes. “Say that again, and I’ll throw you off this lift.”

He laughs, a deep, rumbling sound that echoes in the air between us. The crew behind us probably got that on camera too, along with the audio from the mics attached to our tops—great. Now I’m not only terrified but also irritated. Koa knows just how to get under my skin, and right now that’s the last thing I need.

The ski lift lurches again, and I nearly yelp, but I manage to keep my lips pressed shut. Koa’s laughter fades as he watches me, his expression softening just a bit.

“You’re going to be fine, Maliah,” he says, his voice low, almost soothing. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Besides, we’re almost at the top.”

As much as I hate to admit it, his voice calms me just a little. I keep my eyes forward, focused on the ridge that’s finally coming into view. The second we hit solid ground, I jump out of the lift, my legs wobbling beneath me, and let out a deep breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Koa hops out too, grinning like this is the best day of his life.

“I haven’t seen your legs shake like that in a long time,” he says, winking as he stretches his arms above his head with a smirk.

“I hate you,” I mutter, though there’s no heat in my words. All the heat has found its way to my face instead.

He has a horrible habit of saying things that remind me of what it was like when we were together. A time I’m trying to move on from, with horrible luck.

I turn around and see the zipline platform almost instantly, my stomach twisting all over again.

The towering trees seem even taller now that I’m standing at their level. The zipline cables stretch across the dense jungle, disappearing into the horizon. The other surfers along with their camera crews are already gearing up, helmets and harnesses in place, while the instructors prepare the lines. I can feel my heart pounding harder.

There’s no way I’m doing this.

But before I can come up with an excuse to back out, a crew member approaches me with a harness in hand.

“Ready to zipline?” he asks, way too cheerfully for my liking.

I open my mouth to say no, to refuse outright, but Koa steps in next to me before I get the chance.

“Want to strap yourself to me? That way, if the cord breaks, I’ll break your fall,” he says, his tone light but his eyes holding that playful glint that drives me insane.

I glare at him. “You’re the worst.”

But somehow, the offer doesn’t sound so bad. I mean, if I have to die, at least I’ll take him down with me, right?

I sigh, nodding reluctantly. “Fine, but if you make one more joke about dying, I swear…”

He just laughs again and grabs the harness, stepping behind me to help strap me in. I hate how my skin tingles the moment his fingers brush against me, how my body reacts even though I try so hard to fight it. He pulls the straps tighter, securing them across my chest and waist before buckling my harness to his own, and then his arms are suddenly around me. I can feel the heat of him, the solid weight of his chest against my back.

“You okay?” he asks quietly, his lips dangerously close to my ear.

No, I want to scream. But my voice betrays me. “Yeah,” I manage to croak.

He guides my hands to the straps in front of me, ensuring I’m holding on before he grabs on, his other hand slipping around my waist to pull me closer. I swear my lungs stop working as he presses me firmly against him, his breath tickling my ear.

“I’m so proud of you,” he whispers.

I nearly melt at his words, my heart hammering wildly in my chest. Of course, he can’t see the way my face flushes, but I know he feels the way I tense in his arms. My mind is a mess, spinning from the close contact, from his soft, low voice that sends heat straight to my core.

The next thing I know, we’re off. The zipline jerks and suddenly we’re flying, the wind roaring in my ears as the jungle blurs beneath us. I scream, clutching the straps for dear life as the trees blow past us in a blur, but there’s something exhilarating about it too. The rush, the speed—maybe it’s because Koa is holding me, grounding me, that I feel like I can breathe.

When we land on the next platform, I can barely stand. My legs feel like jelly, but Koa keeps me steady as the crew disconnects us and prepares for the next zipline. I should be terrified for the next part, but all I can think about is the warmth of Koa’s body against mine.

As we get strapped in again, his lips brush against my ear, his breath hot against my skin. “Hearing you scream like that turned me on way too much,” he murmurs, his voice sending a shiver down my spine.

I gasp, my heart jumping into my throat as he presses himself against me, the unmistakable hardness of him making my breath catch.

“Koa,” I whisper, barely able to find my voice.

“Just being honest,” he teases, his arm tightening around my waist again.

I bite my lip, refusing to scream this time as we take off again. But despite the flurry of nerves and heat coursing through me, there’s a strange sense of comfort in the way he holds me—like nothing in the world could hurt me as long as I’m in his arms.

And that scares me more than anything.

By the time we finish with the ziplines, my entire body feels like it’s buzzing. Part of it is the adrenaline that’s still coursing through me, but the other part is most definitely because of Koa. Every touch, every whisper—it’s like he’s rewired my senses, and I’m not sure if I’ll ever recover from it.

The crew is already guiding us toward the next activity, the cave tour. I’d hoped that by some miracle, I’d be able to catch my breath, but of course, we have to keep moving, and my heart hasn’t stopped racing since Koa pressed himself against me on that last zipline.

“Come on, Princess. Try to keep up.” Koa’s teasing voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I glance up to see him grinning over his shoulder, as we follow the rest of the group into the mouth of the cave.

“Shut up,” I mutter, “and I told you to stop calling me that.” There’s no bite to my words. I’m too distracted by the massive limestone entrance looming ahead. The opening is wide, and from the outside, it looks like nothing more than a dark hole in the earth. But as we step inside, the cool air hits me, and the temperature drops instantly. It’s a welcome relief after the heat of the jungle, but there’s something eerie about it too.

The guide ahead starts talking about the history of the cave—how it was formed, and the ancient tribes that used it for rituals—but my mind is elsewhere. The sound of dripping water echoes through the chambers, and every step we take seems to reverberate through the stone walls. Stalactites hang from the ceiling like jagged teeth, and pools of water glisten faintly in the dim light provided by our flashlights.

“Kind of spooky, isn’t it?” Koa’s voice is closer now, his shoulder brushing against mine as we walk side by side.

I nod, swallowing hard. “Yeah, a little.” My voice sounds small in the cavernous space.

He chuckles, and for a moment, I wish I could be as calm as he is. The tightness in my chest hasn’t gone away, but it’s not the cave making me anxious. It’s the fact that Koa is so close—again—and I don’t know how to handle it. Every time I try to focus on the tour, a whiff of his scent or the warmth radiating off him pulls me back, drawing me into the storm of emotions he’s awakened.

We stop at a large chamber, the ceiling towering above us. The guides pause to let us take in the view, explaining how the stalagmites were formed over thousands of years. The other surfers are taking photos, laughing, and chatting, but I’m distracted by the faint sound of water trickling somewhere deeper in the cave.

Without thinking, I step away from the group, my curiosity getting the better of me. I follow the sound, the dim light of the cave flickering on the damp walls as I move toward a narrow passage. The air smells earthy and cool, and the ground beneath my feet is uneven, covered in small rocks and puddles.

“Maliah, wait up.” Koa’s voice comes from behind me, and I turn just as he catches up, his flashlight illuminating the passageway ahead.

“What are you doing?” he asks, though his tone isn’t accusatory—more curious than anything.

“I just…wanted to see where the water was coming from,” I admit, my voice a little shaky. There’s something about this place that feels otherworldly, almost magical, and I can’t help but be drawn to it.

Koa steps closer, his arm brushing against mine again, sending another wave of heat through my body. “You really shouldn’t wander off. What if you get lost?”

I scoff, trying to hide the way my pulse quickens whenever he’s near. “I’m not a kid, Koa. I can handle myself.”

But even as I say the words, I realize how much I’ve come to rely on his presence—especially in moments like this, when everything feels a little too big, a little too overwhelming. And of course, he picks up on that.

He smirks, leaning in slightly. “Are you sure about that? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re pretty rattled.”

Before I can snap back at him, the narrow passage opens up into another chamber. This one smaller, more intimate, with a crystal-clear pool of water at its centre. The trickling sound I heard earlier comes from the water gently dripping off the rocks above, creating small ripples in the otherwise still surface.

“Wow,” I breathe, momentarily forgetting Koa’s teasing. The pool glows faintly, reflecting the pale light from the rocks. It’s beautiful, serene, like something out of a dream.

“Not bad, huh?” Koa says, his voice softer now, less playful. He steps up beside me, and for a moment, we just stand there in silence, taking it all in.

The atmosphere in the cave feels different here—calmer, quieter. The tension between us, though still there, seems to ease a little, replaced by something else. Something softer.

“Sometimes,” Koa says after a moment, his voice barely above a whisper, “you just have to let go and trust that everything will work out.”

I glance at him, my heart skipping a beat. There’s something in his tone, in the way he’s looking at me, that makes my chest tighten. He’s not talking about the cave anymore.

And maybe…maybe he’s right. Maybe it’s time to stop holding back, to stop being so afraid of what might happen again. I’ve been running from my feelings for him for so long, but here, in this quiet, magical place, it feels impossible to keep pretending.

I take a deep breath, the cool air filling my lungs, and before I can second-guess myself, I speak, “Koa, I?—”

But before I can finish, the rest of the group calls out to us, their voices echoing through the cave. The spell is broken, and the moment slips away.

Koa smiles, that teasing glint back in his eyes. “Come on. We should catch up before they think we got lost.”

I nod, my heart still racing as we turn around to rejoin the group. But even as we walk away from the pool, the feeling lingers—that unmistakable shift between us. No matter how much I try to fight it, I know there’s no going back now.