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She smiles and places a hand on his arm. “Thank you, but I’m good. David and I are neighbors back home.”
Rocco’s shoulders relax. “Oh good, I didn’t realize you two were friends before this.”
Isa and I shoot each other a knowing glance, as if silently acknowledging that we’re not friends, but we also won’t murder each other. Well... I’m 99.9% sure we won't.
We all head off to our designated tents, Chris glaring at me over his shoulder before stomping off to spend the night with his friend Nick instead of Isa. I feel a sense of relief that she’ll be with me—not because I enjoy her company, of course, but because I know she’ll be safe.
I’m sure Chris isn’t a bad guy or anything, but he’s taken an obvious interest in her, and for some reason… it just doesn’t sit right with me.
Chapter ten
Isabella
David and I step inside the green tent, which is just large enough for two people, but with enough space that we don’t have to be in each other’s faces. We glance at each other awkwardly. We’ve never hung out, or even had a pleasant conversation. I inwardly cringe when I think back to our most recent interaction… which was me standing on his front porch, donning a tie, and untruthfully telling his clients he had food poisoning.
I was surprised when he offered to share a tent, but appreciative. Oddly enough, I do feel safe sharing a tent with him. Maybe because I met his sister and they seem like a close-knit family… so what he said made sense. Also, none of his pranks were necessarily dangerous or malicious.
If I’m being honest, the rooster thing was pretty ingenious.
Taking a seat on my comfy pallet, I unzip my backpack and grab my wool socks. While I slide them onto my feet to keep warm, I watch David from the corner of my eye. He’s remaking the pallet that has been pre-assembled for us, folding the edge more neatly and layering the blankets in a different order.
“What are you doing?”
His head snaps up to look at me. “Remaking the bed for optimum warmth. Do you need assistance with yours?”
There’s not a hint of sarcasm in his voice, so I can tell he’s totally serious. I bite the insides of my cheeks to keep from smiling. “No thanks, I’ll be okay.”
I toss my backpack toward the end of my pallet, my deodorant and hairbrush falling out in the process but I ignore them and climb under the warm blankets. I take the hair tie from my wrist and lean back to shake out my hair before gathering the long locks into one hand and twisting them into a large bun on top of my head.
When I’m finished, I notice David silently staring at me from his now pristine pallet. “What?”
He looks away quickly, instead looking at my backpack and the items that are scattered beside it. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Isa, can you at least try not to make a mess?”
Isa? No one has ever called me that before, I wonder if he did it by mistake. Surely he doesn’t know about my website. I used the name Isa’s Itinerary to remain slightly mysterious, since everyone I know calls me either Isabella or Bella. Glancing over at his side of the tent, I notice his backpack is stowed at the foot of his pallet. It’s zipped and lined up perfectly with the blankets. He has what looks like a retainer case next to his pillow, and a tube of chapstick neatly lined up next to it.
Rolling my eyes, I reach for the items that fell out of my bag, shove them inside, and zip it up. I then throw it at the end of my pallet and cross my arms over my chest.
David purses his lips and we stare at each other for a moment. His eye is twitching again.
Finally, he breaks eye contact and leans over to grab my backpack. He shakes it out and sets it carefully at the end of my pallet so it looks just as tidy as his own.
He narrows his eyes at me before sliding into his pallet. “Don’t make me regret this.”
“Oh, brother.” I snuggle down into my pallet.
David reaches for the retainer case next to him, opens it, and puts the retainer in, then makes himself comfy on his pillow and closes his eyes.
I can’t help but heckle him. “Really? A retainer?”
His eyes snap open, making me once again notice the brilliant blue. Even in the dark tent lit only with a small lantern, you can tell his eyes are the color of Tahitian waters. “It’s a nightguard. I grind my teeth at night.”
He closes his eyes again, giving me a reprieve from their beauty. “I can’t imagine why, seeing as you’re such a pleasant and laid-back person.”
He releases a heavy sigh. “It’s been a long day; can we just turn off the lantern and go to sleep?”
“Fine,” I concede. “Nighty night, neighbor.” I flick off the light as he grumbles a goodnight.
I’m utterly exhausted from the trek today and know it won’t take long to fall asleep. I close my eyes, feeling cozy under the thick blankets, despite the cold air. As I breathe in and out, I can’t help but notice David’s steady breathing and the smell of his skin filling the small space. It’s a rich scent, like when you’re walking through a fancy department store. There’s no way he packed cologne for the trip; it has to be his natural scent. That rich and luxurious smell that’s all his own.
