Page 84 of Wishing for La Luna
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Luna
“I’m not getting on that thing,” I say, shaking my head and staring at the motorcycle.
Hell no.I’m not that adventurous.
But Rio smiles. “Trust me. It’s the fastest way, and you’ll love it. I swear.”
I shoot him a doubtful look.
“Come on. I want to show youEl Cabito, but it’s hard to get there by car. You can hold on to me real tight. I’ll go slow unless you want me to go faster. You know, like last night.”
I shoot him a death look, but then laugh. Yesterday was so good, even thinking about it makes me hot and tingly between my legs.
Tito and Sel will go on one motorcycle, and we will go on another. His security follow us in the Wrangler behind and in front.
We ride at a slow pace at first, but when it starts to feel like we’re dragging, I yell for him to go faster, and we do. I’m holding on to him with all my might. Then we get to the treacherous road. I can see why a motorcycle is easier to ride there, but Rio seems so adept, so I put myself in his hands and just concentrate on theplatanalesand all the green trees. We pass houses and muddy areas, but it’s obvious they do this all the time. He doesn’t even seem fazed at all. We go up hills, and my stomach flops, but he yells, “Mami, mira pa lante y agarrate fuerte de mi.”
Look forward and hold on to me.
And I do, plastered against his back with my face against his shoulder, until we make it up. The sound of waves crashing are mermaid cries calling for us to come closer. He speeds up, and we finally arrive at the top of the hill.
When we get our first glance of the sea, I smile, and we stop and park. We enter the restaurant and orderPresidentes.
Sel and Tito go over to the side terrace, where local art is on display, to take photos and check out the inventory. Sel wants to buy some pieces. I decide to wait until we go into the town.
I look over and see people jumping off the cliff into the water, and I turn to say they’re crazy for doing that, but I catch the smile on Rio’s face. It’s wistful, maybe a little lost in thought.
“You’ve done that before?” I ask.
He turns, leaning into me, and nods. “Yeah, sometimes. I was a crazy-ass kid. One time, I jumped face-first. I thought that was the scariest jump I was ever going to take in my life.” He laughs. “I think my balls shrank back into my body.”
I look at the drop and how far down people fall, where the last jumper’s head looks like a marble. My stomach takes a dip. “What is it like?”
“Your heart is like a sledgehammer trying to knock out of your chest. The first time, I just jumped. Then, I developed a technique. First, I position myself at the edge of the cliff. I like to visualize where I can land. Then I jump and let myself be still on the way down. Don’t fight, just let the water swallow me, and I open my eyes. You’re surrounded by this beautiful world of turquoise blue, where it’s quiet, and for a moment, you drift down, and then your body pushes you back up.”
There’s something so magical in his description and the marvel in his eyes. I can almost see it in my mind’s eye.
“You make something petrifying sound so amazing. I’ve never done anything that scary. What can be more terrifying than that jump?” I ask, looking at the insane drop.
He grows serious. “Letting you into the casita yesterday.”
The intensity in his gaze breeds a lump in my throat, and I have to swallow to breathe.
“Why was that so scary?”
“It’s my sanctuary, the most precious thing I have. Not everyone will understand. It’s hard when you’ve opened the door to someone, and then you have to close it. Would they use it against you?”
I think about his ex. The way Perla talked to the media about his struggles.
He’s not the person he used to be, and that’s a real shame. I couldn’t fix him and wasn’t going to drown with him. He needs to fix himself.
I swear to myself in this moment that no matter what happens between us, no one will know from my mouth about the casita or anything else he entrusted me with.
“There are doors that are not meant to be closed once you open them,” I say, looking from him to the cliff and back to him. “I would be petrified to jump off that thing…”
“Yeah,” he chuckles. “It’s cause you’re smart. That’s not for sane people.”
