Across the fire, I see Eric’s parents. His mom makes eye contact with me and smiles after looking between Eric and me. At least there’s that. She doesn’t wholly hate me for her dating son, even though he hasn’t officially introduced to her to me as his mother. He holds that information pretty tightly to his chest.
“Sleepy?” he asks, leaning close to my ear.
“Yeah.”
“Can I walk you back to your cabin?”
I can’t keep the smile off my face. “Yeah.”
Eric helps me up and leads me away from the fire into the darkness. There are still enough people around the fire that us walking away doesn’t draw a lot of attention. But that cozy, sleepy, feeling doesn’t leave me as I walk.
Eric has his arm slung around my shoulder, and he pulls me in so I can lean my head on his shoulder. I’m not sure why I’m so tired, but I could nearly fall asleep standing up. Almost to my cabin, we cross the spot where Eric tackled me. “I like that spot,” I say.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Even though I almost broke your nose?”
I smile even though he can’t see it. “Almost would be the key phrase there.”
“I like that spot too. But this spot works,” he says, leaning me up against the wall of the cabin by the door.
“You’re playing with fire.”
“Yes, I am. I just left a bonfire after all.”
He kisses me gently, and I let him. “Your mom smiled at us.”
“I think she likes you.”
“How could she know? I think we’ve only spoken a couple of times.”
Eric chuckles softly. “She’s a good judge of character. And I think she’s figured it out.”
“She has definitely figured it out.”
He laughs again. “Before we leave, we’ll talk to them together.”
“About what?”
“About anything you want.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and just hold him. This feels so nice. Just simple touches and connection. “I wish we could sleep together,” I say, my voice muffled by his shirt.
“We’ve slept together.”
I shake my head. “You know what I mean. Just to sleep. I like being close to you.”
Eric looks at me. “I could find a way.”
“A way that doesn’t involve sleeping on the ground outside?”
He chuckles, running his hands down my ribs. “Maybe not. But maybe. By the way, I’ve been working on something.”
“On what?”
“A song.”
My heart kicks up into a faster rhythm. “A new one?”
He nods. “I wrote it after the night at the waterfall. It’s for you.”
Heat floods my cheeks. “Do I get to hear it?”
“If you want.” Eric seems a little breathless, and I realize that he’s nervous.
“If?” I pull him into a kiss. “Of course I want to hear it. No one’s ever written me a song before.”
He shrugs. “I don’t think that it’s very good.”
“And I’m sure that it’s brilliant.”
I see the shadow of his smile in the dark. “Thank you.”
“So, when do I get to hear this magical melody?”
“What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?”
I think. “There was a crafting class, but trust me when I say that I would much rather be with you.”
“Then meet me at the waterfall at four. I’ll play it for you.”
“I can’t wait,” I say. “I really can’t.”
“Don’t get your hopes up.”
“And don’t beat yourself down,” I say, poking him in the chest.
“Fair enough,” he says. “I deserved that.”
But then he’s kissing me again and nothing matters in the world but the soft feel of his lips. “I should go,” he says. “The others might be coming soon.”
“Okay.”
One final kiss, and he leaves. I miss him already. I love you, I think into the darkness, listening to the soft sounds of his retreating footsteps.
At Red Rock you’re not supposed to use your cell phone. The service is spotty anyway, but we keep them for emergencies. But I can’t resist this time. I dig my cellphone out of my suitcase and turn it on.
Leena is still in Europe so there’s no way that she’s going to answer, but I have to tell someone about this feeling so I don’t go crazy.
So, I type. I met a guy. At camp. And I think that I’m falling for him hard. I’m not sure what to do about it.
To my shock, Leena types back right away.
OMG!!! WHAT? Who is he? Do I know him? TELL ME EVERYTHING.
I stifle the laugh that comes out of me, so I don’t wake the few people who are already sleeping in the cabin. No, you don’t know him.
What’s his name? Maybe I do.
I blush in the darkness. No names yet. It makes it too real.
Okay but seriously Persephone. I’m going to need you to tell me absolutely everything else right now.
I know she’s serious when she calls me by my full name. And the whole reason for texting her in the first place was to tell her. So I tell her everything.
Almost everything.
15
Persephone
Present
Bonfires were always my favorite part of camp. At least the parts that weren’t hanging out with Leena and Eric. There’s always a beautiful camaraderie with plenty of chocolate and marshmallows to go around.
As I help prepare for the bonfire—unwrapping a truly absurd amount of chocolate bars—my mind drifts to a specific bonfire that I spent with Eric.
And now we’re here again.
I followed him to the broadcast shack on instinct. Needing to feel him and tease him and prod him. But I’ not sure that was the real reason I did it. I want to fuck him and the tension between us is stretched tighter than a trip wire. And everything that happened in that shack was so unbelievably hot that I’m going to remember it for a long time. No doubt resurfacing when I’m alone and can act more effectively on that memory.
But I got a text message today from Leena. Completely innocent, but it was asking how I was faring in our old stomping grounds. And I’ve felt guilty as hell all day.
I know that I’m not technically doing anything wrong. Leena and Eric haven’t been together in over a year, and the last time that they dated wasn’t for very long. But it seemed to really hurt Leena. That’s the only reason I can think for the complete purge of him from every aspect of her real and online life. Me sleeping with them would feel like a betrayal, I’m sure.
And yet, the only thing that has enough power to make me forget about betraying my best friend is fucking him again. And so that’s what I did.
But I still have nervous energy coursing through my veins. I’m unsettled and restless. I hate it. So I’m pushing everything I have into unwrapping chocolate, and eating more of it than I probably should.
I look over at Mabel, who’s organizing the marshmallows and graham crackers. “I’m assuming we don’t have any adult beverages in the campground, do we?”