Page 35 of Check Mate

The wind picks up outside, whipping the rain against our tent. It’s loud, but not as loud as the thunder. I scoot a little closer to David and he doesn’t move away from me.

He continues the conversation, and I wonder if he’s talking this much only to distract me from the storm. “So, do you have a good relationship with your parents, or is it tumultuous?”

I contemplate for a moment before answering. “I love my parents, of course. They’re just very traditional. In their minds, daughters should live with their parents until they get married at the age of twenty. Then their daughters will have children and everyone will spend their lives cooking Mexican food together happily ever after.”

“I think our parents plan our lives out in their own minds, and when we do something completely different, they have a hard time letting go.” He releases a heavy sigh. “With my parents, it’s about money. As long as we’re successful and make the Windell name look good, everything’s okay.”

I laugh, thinking about how posh David’s family seemed when I met them briefly. “So, are you all really successful?”

I can hear the wrestling of blankets like he’s fidgeting nervously and not wanting to answer. I click my tongue like a ticking clock, urging him to just answer the question already.

After a sigh, he admits, “My father is a surgeon, Madden is finishing up his second term in Congress, Brooks is a biomedical engineer, and Sophie’s been forgiven for getting a teaching degree since she married a surgeon that works with my Dad.”

“Wow, you guys really are just like the Cullens.” I laugh and my teeth start to chatter from the chill in the air.

“The who?” David asks before lifting up his blankets and covering both of us with them. His blankets are warm from his body heat, and they smell like him, which instantly soothes me.

“The vampire family in Twilight.”

His eyebrows pinch together in confusion. “Never heard of them.”

I shake my head in dismay. “So, back to your sister, she did her own thing and your parents came around?”

“Yeah, it was a sore subject for a while… I think my Mom would still be thrilled if she quit her teaching job and hosted tea parties or something instead.”

“I have some big dreams that are vastly different from my parents’,” I admit. “So I think you’re right; your sister and I would get along.”

He brings a hand to his chest and gasps sarcastically. “I’m sorry, did you just say I was right?”

“Shut up.”

“I wish I had a recording of that.” He chuckles. “You’ll have to tell me about those big dreams sometime.”

I smile as a quiet moment passes between us. All I can hear is the steady drum of rain and the chattering of my teeth.

“Isa, I’m not trying to be a perv… but I think if you came closer to me you’d stay warmer. It’s science.”

“Oh, it’s science, is it?” I mock, but I really am freezing my butt off. I can’t even feel the tip of my nose anymore.

My teeth continue clattering away, but I don’t move and neither does David… Until another burst of lighting lights up our entire tent. I jump and huddle against his warmth.

His chest is shaking and I’m not sure if it’s because he’s cold, or because he’s laughing at me. But the heat from his body feels so good, I don’t even care. I burrow my head into his soft hoodie and I feel the weight of his arm wrap around my shoulder.

Chapter thirteen

David

Every time I think about waking up to a sleeping Isa this morning, with her soft hair brushing my cheek as she nestled her head against my neck, my stomach does this thing where it feels like it’s doing a rendition of that scene from The Princess Bride where Wesley tumbles down the mountain and yells, “As you wish.”

I’m exhausted today from staying up so late chatting, and Isa must be tired as well, because she’s at the back of the pack with myself, Gerald, and Austin when she’s usually upfront with the younger, fitness junkies.

I notice that the ornery twins fall back a few steps so me and Isa can walk side by side. The four of us are silently taking in the incredible view of the Andes Mountains, the peaks reaching so high in the sky that some are covered by clouds and fog. Everything surrounding us is so lush and green against the mountain backdrop that it feels like a dream.

Today we have a seven-mile hike before finally making it to Machu Picchu. We get to camp right next to it, which I’m actually rather excited about.

Rocco warned us we won’t be able to see much tonight, as it will be extremely foggy until late morning tomorrow. But just knowing we made it to our destination will feel good.

This entire excursion has been eye-opening. I’ve never had the desire to explore nature and find myself… but I can see clearly how I’ve let my rigid routine and discomfort around new people hold me back from enjoying life. I thought enjoying life meant being comfortable, sleeping on my fancy mattress in my nice house, and having everything labeled so it’s easy to access.