Chapter 41

We had just wrapped up our fishing activity and now, we were on our way to the waterfall. The four of us strolled through the woods, chatting about anything and everything.

We dropped our fishing gear off at the campsite, and I was eager to get changed. I swapped my jacket for a pastel pink bikini top and a pair of denim shorts. I left my hoodie at the cabin, deciding it was better suited for the waterfall.

Macklin was already waiting outside when I stepped out of the cabin, he was wearing his red swim trunks and a faded t-shirt. As he caught sight of me, he gave me a small grin. "You ready for this?" I nodded in response.

Gabi and Will were already a few feet ahead of us, chatting and laughing. I walked up to Macklin and fell into step with him. We were heading to the waterfall and I couldn't wait to see it up close. I had seen a few pictures of it, but nothing compared to the thought of seeing it in person.

The trail was easy to follow, winding through trees and over mossy rocks, and I couldn't help but feel a little excited about what was ahead. We didn't talk too much on the way; instead, I just took in the sights, the sounds, and the gorgeous way the sunlight filtered through the trees. I looked over at Macklin and found him watching me with that little smile that always made my stomach flip.

"You good?" he asked, his voice low, but there was a teasing edge to it.

"Yeah, just thinking," I said, my voice soft.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly curious. "About what?"

"Just... everything," I said, shrugging lightly. "It feels nice to be away from everything, you know?"

He smiled, and for a moment, I thought he might say something more, but instead, we continued on, the sounds of the forest surrounding us. The walk felt like it lasted forever, but in a good way, like I could walk for miles and not get tired.

When we finally made it to the waterfall, I was in awe. The water fell down the rocks in a beautiful, crazy rush, creating a mist that floated in the air. It was just as breathtaking as I had imagined. The pool below was deep and but beautiful.

Will and Gabi were already at the edge of the cliff. Without a second thought, Gabi jumped, letting out a whoop of excitement, and Will followed right after. The splash of their landing echoed through the forest, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you going to jump?" Macklin asked, stepping closer to me, his voice light with curiosity.

I glanced at the cliff and then back at him. "You know, I've never done anything like this."

He grinned, "you got it! You'll be fine."

I hesitated for a moment, but Gabi's voice drifted back to me from the water "Come on, Lex! You're not scared, are you?"

"Alright, alright," I said, taking a deep breath. "I'm in."

Macklin stepped back, giving me some space. "Go ahead. I'll catch you when you land. I can go first if you want"

"Yes please," I say sending him a hesitant grin. As a response, he saluted to me before jumping down while screaming in glee.

I walked to the edge, my heart pounding in my chest. The jump was probably no more than 20 feet, but the rush of adrenaline made it feel like a hundred. The air felt cooler up here, and I couldn't believe how high the cliff actually was.. but Gabi had jumped, and I had to do it now.

Without overthinking it, I ran toward the edge and leapt, my body soaring through the air. For that brief second, I felt completely free before I hit the water with a huge splash. The coolness of the water surrounded me instantly, and I surfaced, gasping for air.

Macklin was already waiting for me in the water, a smile on his face. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

I laughed, shaking my hair out of my face. "You were right. That was actually kind of fun."

Gabi and Will were already swimming around, and Macklin joined me, pulling me deeper into the water. We all splashed around, joking and racing, each of us taking turns diving off the cliff.

After a while, Gabi and Will swam off toward the other side of the waterfall, leaving Macklin and me alone. I found myself floating on my back, my eyes closed, just listening to the sound of the water rushing over the rocks, the peaceful rhythm of nature surrounding us.

Macklin moved closer, his presence felt more than heard. He swam up beside me, and without saying a word, he took my hand. We floated there for a moment, just holding hands, the silence between us comfortable. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt so content.

When I opened my eyes, I found him watching me. His expression was soft, but there was a certain intensity to it that made my heart skip a beat.

"I'm really glad we're doing this," he said quietly. "This trip. It's been perfect."

I smiled, my heart swelling at his words. "Me too. It's been... everything I needed."

He pulled me closer, just a few inches, and I couldn't help but lean in, our foreheads touching for a brief moment. We both floated there, letting the world move around us, before he gently kissed me. It was soft, almost like he was hesitant to push things, but the warmth in the kiss said everything that needed to be said.

When he pulled away, I couldn't help but smile. "You've changed my life, you know that?"

He smiled back, his thumb gently brushing my cheek. "I'm glad to hear that. You've changed mine too."

We stayed like that for a few moments, the water surrounding us, the waterfall behind us.. I wanted to say more, to tell him how much he meant to me, but I couldn't quite bring myself to say the words yet. It felt like we weren't ready for that—not yet.. but I knew that what him and I had was something special, something worth holding on to.

"Come on," he said after a while, his voice soft. "Let's go back to the others."

I nodded and as we made our way back, I couldn't help but feel like everything in my life was falling into place.

-=+=-

Omg I'm so sorry for this short chapterI wanted to end the camping trip here. Just imagine that they drive back to San Jose peacefully 🫡 I wanted to start on the next idea and didn't want the wholesome scenes to get too repetitive, thank you for supporting and understanding <3 I shoulda j included this in the previous chapter but I already published that one 😔

If u guys really want me to include finishing up how their camping ended then lmk and ill do a special chapter