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“You remember Jessica,” Wyatt says, noticing me watching them.
I nod. “Yep.” I glance around the space, pulling my attention away from the trail Zane and Jessica just disappeared down. “Is there a drink around this place?”
“Do you know me at all?” Wyatt smirks. “I’ve got a cooler in the Jeep. Let’s go grab it.”
My stomach sinks when we walk back down the path leading to the parking lot. I don’t want to run into Zane and Jessica. I still don’t know what they are to each other. And it shouldn’t matter to me one way or another, but somehow, it does. I’m unsure of what tonight is between Wyatt and me. And I don’t know why Zane kissed me the first night if he has a woman who looks like Jessica waiting at home for him, but it irritates me that he did if he’s not available. I’ve had my fill of being used by men lately.
We come face-to-face with them a few steps later. Zane is carrying a cooler, and Jessica has a bag in her arms.
“What’s up, Z?” Wyatt says. He’s all smiles, oblivious to the tension radiating off his friend or just choosing to ignore it. “Hey, Jessica.” He nods over at me. “You remember Willow?”
I smile at her a little too brightly. “It’s nice to formally meet you.”
“Yeah,” she says, not really returning the sentiment. She turns toward Wyatt, icing me out. “Is Benji coming?”
I meet Zane’s eyes, and he looks away. His jaw tics once and then twice.
“He should be here soon,” Wyatt answers. He reaches for my hand, and I let him take it. “We’ve got to grab a few things from the car.”
Zane’s eyes drop to our connected fingers as Wyatt pulls me past him.
“Jessica sure is nice,” I snark when we’re out of earshot.
Wyatt laughs loudly. “She’s a little territorial,” he says unnecessarily.
“You think?”
“Don’t worry about the ice queen. She never likes new girls we bring around the group.”
“Do you guys bring lots of new girls around the group?” I ask nonchalantly, attempting to dig for information discreetly.
“A few,” he admits.
I have a feeling it’s more than “a few.”
“Who brings the most?” I push.
“Who picks up the most women? Out of Zane, Benji, and me?” He unlocks the back of his Jeep and swings the door open. He lifts a cooler with both hands. “Z wins that award, hands down.”
I grab the bag I brought filled with graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows before shutting and locking the door behind us.
“Why does Zane need to pick up girls when he’s already got someone who looks like Jessica on his arm?”
“Jessica is just one of many to Zane,” Wyatt says flippantly.
“Just like the elk,” I mumble.
“What?” Wyatt asks.
“Nothing.”
We carry the items back to the picnic site and claim a table. I sit on top of it with my feet resting on the concrete seat. It’s angled toward the water so I can watch the sun dipping behind the mountains. Wyatt fishes two IPAs out of the ice and removes the tops, handing me one.
“Cheers,” I say to him, tapping the neck of my bottle against his.
He watches me with those light-brown eyes. We both take a drink. I tip my face to the sky and smile, enjoying the way the cold brew warms me as it slides down my throat. I’m sure it’s all in my head, but I already feel more relaxed.
“Thanks for inviting me tonight. I like hanging out with you guys.”
