Chapter 17

Sienna followed silently behind Riley, still clutching the hem of Riley's tee. Riley was too focused on the map to notice Sienna's fatigue. The area was dotted with rivers, any of which could provide them with the fish they needed. She glanced over her shoulder, noticing Sienna panting even though they hadn't walked far from the resort.

"I don't know why I have to join this wildlife survival nonsense," Sienna muttered, swaying her trekking pole to clear the dry leaves in their path. "I'm not cut out for this. And seriously, how is this going to help me in the fashion industry?"

Riley chuckled, shrugging. Sienna's stubbornness was... somehow cute. Clicking her tongue, she faced her. "It might come in handy one day. You never know—what if you wake up stranded in the wilderness? At least you'll know how to survive."

Sienna groaned in defeat but continued walking. Suddenly, a honey bee buzzed in front of her, and she waved her hands in a futile attempt to shoo it away. Annoyed, she swung her trekking pole wildly, until a thud echoed through the forest.

"Oh jeez," Sienna muttered, eyes wide. Riley followed her gaze, and shock immediately spread across her face.

"Fuck!" Riley hissed, spotting a cracked beehive with a colony of bees emerging from it. "Run!" Without hesitation, she grabbed Sienna's pole, tossed it aside, and firmly held her hand, breaking into a sprint.

Sienna glanced back, panic rising as the bees swarmed closer. "They're still following us! This isn't working!" Her face grew pale, fear from the bees mixing with exhaustion from the fever.

"Just keep running!" Riley shouted, her grip on Sienna's hand tightening as they bolted through the forest. But soon, they skidded to a halt, causing Sienna to bump into Riley's backpack.

"Ouch," Sienna mumbled, rubbing her forehead.

Riley, panting, turned to face her. "We have to jump," she said, pulling Sienna closer.

"Wait—what?" Sienna looked over the edge, spotting the river below. It wasn't a deep drop, but enough to make her hesitate. Her heart raced as nervousness takes place.

"Trust me, I won't let anything happen to you," Riley reassured her, wrapping Sienna's arms tightly around her waist. "Hold on tight, okay?" With one arm around Sienna's waist, while holding their trekking pole, Riley shielded Sienna's head with her hand. "Now!"

As the colony of bees drew dangerously close, Riley jumped backward, taking Sienna with her. They plunged into the river with a loud splash, the cold water rushing over them. They stayed submerged for a few seconds, the world above muffled, ensuring that the bees were no longer following them.

Panting, both Riley and Sienna gasped for air as they surfaced. "Are you alright?" Riley asked, her voice laced with concern as she checked on Sienna.

Sienna nodded, still trying to catch her breath. They weren't too far from the riverbank, and the steady current had carried them to shore quickly. As soon as they made it onto solid ground, Riley dropped the backpack and trekking poles, bending over with her hands on her knees to catch her breath. She glanced at Sienna, who was already sitting, hugging herself tightly.

"Are you cold?" Riley asked, her eyes scanning Sienna's shivering frame. Without waiting for an answer, she opened their backpack and rummaged inside, relieved to find a towel. "Here," she said, offering the towel, along with one of the plain white t-shirts she'd packed as a backup.

Sienna's fingers trembled as she tried to unpack the towel. "What about you?" she asked through chattering teeth.

"I'm fine. There's another towel in here," Riley replied. She crouched in front of Sienna, gently taking the towel and unfolding it. Wrapping it around her, Riley's hands lingered briefly, her concern palpable. "How are you feeling? Worse? Any symptoms getting stronger?"

Sienna barely managed to cover her mouth before sneezing. "Excuse me, sorry," she mumbled, using the towel to dry her face.

"You need to change out of those wet clothes," Riley said, glancing around the area for some privacy.

Sienna narrowed her eyes. "I'm not changing in front of you, even if it's just us."

"It's not like I haven't seen—" Riley began but was quickly interrupted by a playful flick on her forehead from Sienna.

"Stop it!" Sienna blushed, her face turning redder by the second.

"Just change your clothes, alright? I won't take a single peek," Riley promised, fishing out the extra shirt. "You can take off your sweatshirt, put this on, and then remove your bra after. Just keep yourself covered with the towel so you don't catch more of a chill, especially since you're already running a fever."

Sienna sighed, rolling her eyes but eventually giving in. "Fine, fine, but turn around."

Riley laughed softly and turned away, hugging her knees and burying her face between them. "Don't worry, I won't look. But if I do, you can make me blind," she teased lightly.

Sienna chuckled under her breath, but she swiftly changed out of her wet sweatshirt, slipping into Riley's dry t-shirt. She removed her undergarment underneath, then wrapped the towel securely around herself before speaking. "All done."

Riley peeked over her shoulder, a grin spreading on her face. "See? It's that easy," she said, reaching into the backpack. "Here, use this dry towel. Let me take the other one."

But Sienna tightened her grip on the towel. "No, that's yours."

"You need it more since you're sick. Don't be stubborn," Riley said gently but firmly, tugging the towel from Sienna's grasp and replacing it with a dry one. Sienna sighed in surrender.

"Why are you taking care of me so much?" Sienna asked, her voice soft, as if she didn't expect an answer.

Riley tilted her head, crouching down to meet Sienna's gaze. "Because you're my responsibility," she said, her voice steady, though something in her eyes softened.

Sienna's cheeks warmed again, but she kept her eyes locked with Riley's.

"Besides," Riley continued, her tone more gentle now, "we're partners in this activity. I can't just leave you hanging like that." She paused, searching Sienna's face. "But activity or not... I don't want anything bad to happen to you. You're important to me."

Silence stretched between them for a moment, the weight of Riley's words sinking in. Sienna's heart skipped a beat, her face reddening further as she looked away, unsure how to respond.

Sienna woke up to the warm, inviting scent of grilled fish nearby. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, stretching her arms high above her head. Sitting up, she noticed Riley closing the lid of a retractable bucket filled with fish and water from the river.

"Good timing," Riley said, smiling as she sat beside her. "I grilled some fish. You want to eat?"

Sienna glanced around, surprised to see a small makeshift tent fashioned from branches and coconut leaves. "Did you make this?" she asked, pointing to the tent in awe.

Riley shrugged shyly. "Yeah. We used to go camping often, and sometimes my dad would teach us survival tricks in case we ever got stranded."

Sienna nodded, pulling her knees close to her chest. "It's amazing," she said softly, still taking in her surroundings.

"If you're hungry, I can grab the fish for you," Riley offered, standing up and plating the grilled fish on a banana leaf. "It's not much, but you should eat something before taking your meds."

Sienna smiled gratefully as Riley handed her the fish. As she settled back down, Riley checked her temperature again. "Looks like your fever's gone down," Riley said with relief, digging through the bag to retrieve a tumbler. She handed it to Sienna.

"Thanks," Sienna murmured, taking a sip before pinching off a piece of the fish. "Aren't you eating? Come on, eat with me." She tore off another piece and offered it to Riley. "You cooked it—you should enjoy it too."

Riley chuckled, shaking her head as she accepted the piece. "I made it for you. You need the strength more than I do," she said, chewing slowly.

Sienna smiled softly, savoring the taste. "Hmm. Wow, this is good," she said, glancing at Riley with genuine surprise.

Riley looked down, a little shy. "Come on, you're giving me too much credit for that."

"No, it's good, honestly. I don't know that fresh-caught fish can be this good, I mean, I don't usually eat fish, but this one's an exception," Sienna said, her smile widening.

Riley raised an eyebrow, leaning in slightly. "Oh? And why it is an exception then?"

Sienna's heart skipped a beat as she realized how close Riley had moved. Her eyes wandered from Riley's eyes to her lips and then back again. "Because you cooked it for me," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Riley smiled softly, and without a word, she reached out to gently brush a strand of hair from Sienna's face. Her fingers lingered, gently touching Sienna's cheek. "You're beautiful, you know that?" she said quietly, her gaze hovering down to Sienna's lips.

Sienna swallowed, her breath hitching as Riley leaned in, the space between them disappearing, her heart pounding louder with each second. Just as their lips were about to meet—

"Riley! Sienna!" Mia's voice rang out, cutting through the moment.

Riley pulled back with a chuckle, clearing her throat. "Saved by the bell, huh?" she teased, giving Sienna a playful wink.

Sienna let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, her cheeks flushed as she laughed nervously. "Yeah... lucky timing."