Page 50 of Crossed Lines

“I don’t think I like camping, Daddy,” Jade says.

“You’ve never been camping.”

“If it’s like this, I don’t wanna go.”

Willow laughs. “I don’t blame you, girlie. I don’t like camping either.”

“Oh, come on! It’s fun,” I tell them.

“What is fun about sleeping outside on the hard ground and getting eaten alive by mosquitoes and having to pee in the woods?” Willow asks.

“You’re outside under the night sky. Living with the land. It’s relaxing. A nice break from everyday life and the go-go-go.”

“I think I’ll leave all that to you,” Willow says, with Jade nodding in agreement next to her.

“You two are no fun,” I tell them, picking up my taco and taking a bite.

“What?” Jade yells, outraged. “I am a lot of fun, thank you very much.”

I can’t help but laugh. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

The three of us finish dinner and leave our plates in the sink. I’ll clean up tomorrow once the power is back on.

We play a few board games in the living room by candlelight while eating the ice cream the girls had to have. Might as well eat it so it doesn’t melt. I can tell when Jade starts to get tired. She yawns and rubs her eyes while insisting she’s not tired.

“Come on, kiddo, let’s get you to bed.”

“But it’s dark. I don’t want to sleep in the dark,” she argues.

“You sleep in the dark every night,” I counter.

“Nuh uh. I have my nightlight.”

“You’re right. Pretty sure I have a little battery-powered light I can put in your room for tonight.”

“Ok,” she says, sounding defeated. I know she’d rather stay up with us, but she also needs to get her sleep. Gemma and I have always been pretty rigid with bedtime, which turned her into such a good sleeper.

I set up the light in her room, and she picks out a book for me to read, but instead of handing me the book, she hands it to Willow. Willow looks at me for permission, and I nod. We climb into Jade’s bed, and Willow reads the book.

We’ve done this before together—bedtime story and tucking Jade in—and each time it surprises me how easy it is. Dare I say it feels normal? Like the three of us belong here together. Which should be a huge warning sign for me, but I instead choose to think about how good it feels for the three of us to be here.

Willow eventually closes the book, and we slide out of Jade’s bed. I kiss her head and tuck the blankets around her. She can barely keep her eyes open enough to say goodnight.

Willow and I tiptoe out of her room. When I click her door shut, it hits me that Willow and I are now alone… in the dark.

CHAPTER 19

Willow

My heart is racing, and I have no idea why. I’ve been alone with Beck a hundred times before. I know nothing can happen. He’s made it very clear that I am and always will be in the friend zone. But still…

My stupid heart hopes for more.

I busy myself with cleaning up the board games from earlier. I’m worried that if I don’t keep my mind focused on something else, all I’ll feel is how much it hurts that I can’t have Beck. And earlier? What the hell was I thinking, taking my clothes off in front of him? Yeah, it felt good to have his eyes on me, but all it did was tease us even more. It was stupid of me.

“Willow?” Beck’s voice breaks through my internal spiral.

“Hmm?” I keep my focus on stacking the cards and putting them back in the box.