Chapter Six
WEST
Last night was one of the best nights of my life. Hands down, no comparison. Bellarose and I stayed around the fire until we were the only ones left, and at around two in the morning, she almost fell asleep mid-sentence. As much as I didn’t want to let her go, I walked her to her cabin and hugged her goodnight.
Am I kicking myself for not kissing her? Obviously, but I want her to remember the first time we kiss. Last night she was practically sleepwalking by the time I half-carried her to her cabin and she slipped inside.
I managed to catch a few hours of sleep myself before I was wide awake, ready to see her again. Stupidly I didn’t get her number last night, so I might have accidentally hacked into the company’s human resource folder and stolen it. And by “accidentally,” I mean entirely on purpose.
I’m out of the shower and getting dressed when I finally have the courage to send her a text. It’s still early, so even though she’s probably asleep, I hit send. I want my message to be the first thing she reads when she wakes up.
Me: Woke up thinking of you. Can’t stop smiling.
I’m pulling on my shirt when I hear my phone buzz with an incoming message. I almost trip and fall on my way to grab it. My feet stumble as my hand snags the phone off the dresser and I see it’s a message from Bellarose.
Bellarose: Umm, you’ll have to help me out. Are you the guy from the tax office?
I blink at my phone in shock. I mean, I know we didn’t exchange numbers, but surely she hasn’t forgotten about me? A flash of jealousy ignites as I think about how she probably has tons of guys that hang on every word she says.
Bellarose: Kidding. I woke up thinking about you too :)
I stare down at the little happy face and realize it matches my own goofy grin.
Me: I’m scheduled to do ziplining this morning. Want to come with?
The reply bubble pops up like she’s typing, but then it goes away. I stand there waiting and see it pop up again before it disappears once more. I can picture her typing and then deleting the same text over and over.
Bellarose: Okay
I chuckle at how long it took her to come up with the one-word response.
Me: What time can I come by your cabin and grab you?
I’m bouncing on my toes with excitement, ready to run the moment she says it’s okay.
Bellarose: Give me fifteen.
Me: Deal
Why do I feel like I’m fifteen years old and about to go on my first date? Bellarose is funny and enjoys life. That kind of energy is infectious. She’s not afraid to be who she is, and the more we talked, the more I wanted to stay in that energy. It’s not that I worry about what people think of me; it’s just that I hold a lot of responsibility in my hands. I have to constantly think about others, but when I was with Bellarose, it felt like I could breathe. That the only thing that mattered was us, and it was freeing.
I’ve made my bed, straightened up my cabin, and paced around the room for what has to be ten hours. When I look down at my watch and see it’s only been ten minutes, I groan. I convince myself that if I walk to her cabin really slowly, I’ll be there right on time.
Too bad that as soon as my boots hit the path, I’m practically running. I should know better than to lie to myself, but my excitement is too big to wait any longer.
I knock lightly on her cabin door, but it’s yanked open like I’ve tried to knock it down. I take a step back when I see the woman from last night standing there. Her face is twisted into an annoyed sneer until she sees me, and then it quickly changes to delight.
“Good morning, Mr. Hayes. What can I help you with?”
“I’m actually here to see Bellarose.” I glance beyond the woman in front of me. Damn it, why can’t I remember her name? I’m usually great with names, but for some reason, hers keeps eluding me. Is it Shona? Shana? It doesn’t matter. “Is she here, Shannon?”
Her smile falls, and she presses her lips into a tight line. I try to peer around her, and that’s when I see Bellarose hopping on one foot as she pulls on her shoe while trying to hurry to the door.
“Sorry, there’s only one bathroom,” Bellarose says and then shrugs like that explains it. She gives her roommate a look before having to nudge her away from the door so she can exit.
“You look—” I start to say, but Shannon or whoever cuts me off.
“Ridiculous. How are you planning on doing any of the activities today with animal ears on?” She huffs a laugh like it’s the stupidest thing she’s ever heard of. “I was told we were supposed to dress professionally.”
