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I had never considered myself a flirt before, but my friend Teresa and all her “man-lessons” have been in my head a lot lately. It’s very clear that Ehd is attracted to me, and watching Teresa convince boys to bring pricey coffee to her at school every day is paying off.

“That’s right. I know what you like.”

I smile and flutter my eyelashes a little, still stroking my hair. Ehd takes a few tentative steps toward me until he can reach my hair. As he strokes it, I coax him to sit down beside me so I can pick up the driftwood and get his hair untangled, too. I have to stop to pull out tiny bits of leaves and sticks and eventually have to further convince him to get into the water so I can wash his hair.

He wrinkles his nose and squints his eyes against the cold touch of the water. He’s clearly not pleased but allows me to wash his hair and comb it again.

He does look better, but I really want more.

“Open your mouth,” I say softly as I touch his lips.

Ehd stares at me blankly before reaching out to touch my hair again. His eyes soften as he feels it, and he doesn’t protest when I pry his mouth open with my fingers and use a bit of leather to clean his teeth. He actually seems to like the result though I wish I had an actual tu

be of toothpaste.

Next, I dunk the leather in the water and clean the dirt and soot off his face. As the dirt is removed, I’m met with pale, clear skin, high cheekbones, bright eyes, and soft lips.

Ehd is actually pretty hot under all the dirt, and I wonder what he would look like if I could find a way to shave off the awful beard. I stroke my thumb over his cheek as he stares into my eyes.

Without warning, I feel a slight tingling between my legs as I stare back at him. My heart beats a little faster, and my cheeks heat up. I release his face and turn away with a slight cough, trying to regain my composure.

Ehd grunts and grabs my arm. He pulls me to my feet and begins to walk toward the wooded trail that leads back to the cave, making it very clear that he thinks it’s time to go home. As we pass under the trees, I look down at the forest floor. One of the plants looks familiar to me, and I halt.

“Oh! This is exactly what I need!” I say as I pick a couple of the leaves. “Learning to brush your teeth is definitely a must, Ehd, but mint is going to make you much more pleasant to be around!”

I take one of the leaves and put it in my mouth, chewing slowly so it covers my teeth. The taste instantly makes my mouth feel fresher and cleaner, and I smile as I hold a piece out to Ehd.

“Chew it!” I say. He takes the leave from me and puts it in his mouth. His eyes widen a bit, and I wonder if he recognizes the taste. “There you go! That should make your mouth feel a lot better, too.”

I pick a few more leaves. The patch of green isn’t a large one, and I’m careful not to pick too much so it will grow back again.

“All those botany lessons are paying off, Dad,” I say quietly. I have to swallow hard to keep tears from brimming over.

Ehd reaches for my hand, and I let him take it. We walk quickly back to the cave as Ehd glances over his shoulder, looking toward the setting sun.

Ehd smiles as he dances over to the fire pit and starts to lay the fish he’s caught onto hot rock near the fire so they can cook. I can’t reflect his mood. My dad is still on my mind. I sit on a grass mat and finger the pelvic bone of some large mammal. When Ehd places bits of cooked fish on the pelvic bone plate, I can only pick at it. I’m not overly fond of fish anyway, and I could previously only bring myself to eat it with a big smear of tartar sauce. Ehd devours his meal quickly, smacking his lips when he’s done.

He jumps up and heads to the back of the cave, returning quickly with the preserved stomach of a deer or an antelope. I already know it is filled with water, but I still have to force myself to think of something else as I drink from it.

Ehd takes the stomach waterbag from me, slurps noisily from it, and then places it on a rock shelf in the back of the cave. Returning to the fire, he sits next to me and then reaches up to his head.

His eyes widen as he touches his hair. He makes a sharp grunt as he grabs a few strands and pulls them, trying to turn his head so he can see more. He twists and turns, trying to get a better look at his hair. He can see the ends but not farther up, and this seems to frustrate him. The expression on his face—combined with his goofy movements—looks so ridiculous, it makes me laugh out loud.

He looks at me then, his eyes full of shock and surprise. The look causes my laughter to triple, and I have to hold my stomach as it starts to cramp up, but I still can’t stop laughing. He just looks so silly.

Ehd smiles broadly, and his eyes sparkle. In fact, his whole face lights up. With the dirt and mud removed from his cheeks and forehead and his hair clean, I notice again how truly handsome he is.

I feel my face heat up as he reaches out and rubs his thumb over my cheek. My skin warms all over. I’ve never really been touched by a boy in such a way, and it makes my thighs clench, deepening my blush as I realize his touch is turning me on.

“You’re really kinda cute,” I say softly, never losing eye contact with him. “I mean, maybe not in a traditional way—that crazy beard really has to go, and your hair is way too long for my tastes—but you have remarkably beautiful eyes, high cheekbones, and really nice skin once the layer of dirt came off.”

I place my hand over the top of his where it rests on my cheek and pull it away. I push lightly against his chest, wanting some distance.

“I don’t know what to think of all of this,” I say softly. “I mean, I have no idea where I am…when I am. I knew Dad had been playing around with quantum mechanics and all that, but I never dreamed he was working on…working on time travel!”

I hold his hand between both of mine on my lap as I take a deep breath and try to get my thoughts under control.

“This is all too fantastic…too ridiculous to even fathom. I still think I’m dreaming half the time.”

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