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“Where are we going?” What I really want to know is why we’re avoiding Bushman and not telling those hipster douches to take their trailer and GTFO.
“There’s a trail up here; it leads to the water. It’s private, and we can talk without any interruptions. Make sure you stay on the trail; there’s tons of poison ivy out here.”
“I’m immune, but thanks for the warning.”
“Immune? How do you know that?”
“I fell in a patch when I was a kid. Nothing happened.”
“Wow, that’s lucky, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Real lucky.” The kid I was with had to go to the hospital. He was covered in the rash.
Sunny’s moving so fast it’s almost a jog.
“Is the running necessary?” My balls, which are in way better shape now than they were this morning, still aren’t perfect. All the movement is making them achy and itchy. Also, seeing Sunny’s boobs a few minutes ago has given me a semi.
“What? Oh. No. Of course not.” Sunny slows to a brisk walk. “Are you limping?”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. Is this because of the spider bite?” Sunny takes it down to a stroll.
“It’s a lot better, way less swollen than it was.” I don’t need to tell her about having it drained. I’d rather leave that memory in the discard pile. “Don’t worry about me. I’m full of antibiotics and antihistamines. I’m good to go.”
“I can make you an antiseptic compress when we get back to the cottage.”
“Sure, if you think that’s gonna help.” Who am I to say no if Sunny wants to make my balls feel better?
A minute later, the trees end at the edge of the lake. Far away on the opposite shore are boathouses and more “cottages” bigger than most homes. It’s incredible excess and peaceful at the same time, apart from the hum of boat engines. Sunny sits on a fallen tree close to the water and pats the spot beside her. I straddle it so I’m facing her. Birds tweet overhead. All we need is some cheesy music and a unicorn trotting by to make it perfectly romantic, apart from the fact that we’re mad at each other.
She tucks her hair behind her ear. If she remembers our conversation from last night, and I believe she does, then she knows she’s not alone in her anger.
I still want to run my fingers through her hair, though. I want to forget about talking and make her feel good instead. The last time we did this, I was apologizing. This time it’s different, not so one-sided.
Sunny shifts around to face me as well. She’s only wearing a bikini, so the bark can’t be all that comfortable on her ass. I take off my shirt, fold it in half and offer it to her. She lays it on the log and sits.
I lean forward and rest my elbows on my thighs. “Let’s deal with the issues.”
“Lily doesn’t think I should date you.”
I already know this. Sunny said so last night. “What do you think you should do?”
“I don’t know, Miller. I’ll be honest; I was done last week before you showed up at my house . . And then we—” Her cheeks flush. “It changed things. And then there’s Kale being the way he is. I’m confused.”
“Are you saying you want to get back together with that guy? Last night you were hiding from him.” There’s this feeling in my throat, as if someone’s putting pressure on my windpipe.
“Kale and I are just friends.”
“So what’s the confusion about? I get that you and Lily are close, but she shouldn’t make your decisions for you.” I believe Lily has Sunny’s best interests in mind, even if she’s making my life more difficult.
“It’s not just her; it’s Alex, too.”
“Your brother hates me because I broke his nose.”
“That’s a very small part of why he doesn’t like you, and you know it, Miller. He still thinks you’re only interested in me to get back at him for dating Violet.” She picks at the moss-covered bark.
“Obviously that’s not true. You have to be able to see that now.”
“Was that ever part of your plan?”
“Was what ever part of my plan?”
“To sleep with me and dump me?” Her throat bobs with a thick swallow.
This conversation is hard. It hurts in a way I don’t expect that she’s been seriously worried about this. “Is that the kind of person you think I am?”
“Lily thinks—”
My frustration gets the better of me. “Who fucking cares what Lily thinks? She’s not in this relationship with us. She hasn’t even given me a chance, as far as I’m concerned. All she’s done is look at what’s on social media and taken it as gospel. In all the time we’ve spent together, have I ever given you the impression that all I want you for is a fuck?”
