Page 48 of Fate Fiction

The truth was the unfavorable of the outcomes here. I’d conjure up new fiction to take its place instead. An imaginary tale where we didn’t share my bed.

“I think you know what happened—” he picked at the skin on his thumb.

“It was really late, I was overtired.”

“Right, right.”

I had to leave before reality crept in. It was too bizarre for my mind to wrap itself around.

My footsteps picked up again, head pounding, fingers trembling, weirdness seeping out through each of my pores. I swear I could smell my stress.

“Dani, wait!” Evan called out to me firmly, not in his “aw shucks” boyish manner.

My head whipped around, I felt my eyes widen like they had when we first met. I still wasn’t used to him calling for me by name. We were further apart now, one of my feet was balanced atop a large rock jutting up from the ground. I wanted to grab the tree beside me to steady myself.

“I think you know what I’m about to say,” his gaze was unbreakable.

“That you spent the night?” As I spoke a fear bubbled up that I did in fact imagine such a bizarre scenario and was now speaking my fantasy out loud.

From his reaction I couldn’t tell if he was surprised I said the truth aloud or freaked out that I’d made the situation up.

“I don’t want you to think I was trying to do anything last night, that’s not like me,” he replied a few beats after.

That was a possibility?

Moreso, he actually thought I’d assume that about him? The world where Evan used sharing my bed as an excuse to get close to me was in a galaxy so far away it would take a million lightyears to get there. If anything I’m the weird one in his eyes, using an imaginary flying squirrel to coax him into my cabin.

There was still the matter of what happened on the dock. I wouldn’t think of that. I wouldn’t think of anything relating to him and his callused fingers brushing against mine.

“Oh god no, I didn’t think there were any ulterior motives,” I waved my hands dismissively.

He sighed audibly. “Okay. Good.” He stood still for a moment and anxiously scratched behind his head, “after I stupidly tried to hold your hand I didn’t want you to think my staying in your bed was me trying to…you know.”

Why was he so nervous? I was flattered, don’t get me wrong, but in what universe would Evan Fucking McLeod be all sheepish and shy when talking to someone like me.

“Yeah, for sure,” I chuckled nervously in kind. “You’re good, seriously.”

We were acting like two high school freshmen who were sitting beneath the bleachers unsure what to do next.

Silence hung between us, growing heavy like a fog after a storm.

“So, for reference I was going to spend most of my day today reading,” I told him, easing the conversation away from whatever that last exchange was. “If kayaking isn’t your passion you could always go for a swim or hike one of the easier mountains.”

In the fantasy I’d created for this day I’d crack into my pile of books that were in need of being read. And then maybe eat some fresh fruit while staring at the water. If I felt a little wild, I could go for a quick swim or take a kayak out. Doing nothing of importance was a skill that I had taught myself how to master when I was at camp. A contradiction to everything about my life outside of here.

“Right, your radium poisoning book. I can’t believe I didn’t think to bring anything besides some spec scripts I’m actively trying to avoid reading.”

Of course, of course he’d have actor things to do. There was still that divide between us.

“I have multiple books,” I blurted out. “You could definitely borrow one. Sue might even have some you could look through.”

Of course of these “multiple” books, two were romance novels, one was true crime, and the final was the brick of historical nonfiction that I was around a third of the way through.

He accepted my offer first, unsurprisingly, given the sort of content Sue consumed. Evan likely couldn’t be bothered to read about chemtrails and crystals and whatever else Sue enjoyed. I went into the cabin and brought out the true crime book, assuming this would be the best option.

He rocked on his feet back and forth as he stared at the open water.

“I have this, if you want. Unless you’re in the mood for romance?”