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“Well?” he demands.
I chew carefully. “It’s not bad,” I decide.
That’s all the encouragement Finn needs to launch into a detailed recap of the fishing trip.
I let him talk. I feel bad for barely communicating this summer and for missing fishing today. This is usually our big weekend together, and it’s looked nothing like it typically does.
The s’mores fixings come out once everyone is finished with dinner.
I glance over as the marshmallows get passed around, registering the raised bumps on Cassia’s arms in the orange glow cast by the campfire.
I scootch forward in the chair, tugging my sweatshirt off and then tossing the ball of fabric so it drops into her lap.
“I’m fine,” Cassia says.
My response is just to sink back in my chair, barely registering the slight bite to the air. I think Cassia might roll her eyes, but it’s hard to tell in the dim light. She only hesitates for a second before she’s pulling the sweatshirt on. Then shocks the hell out of me by abandoning her spot to sit on my lap and lying back so her head is tucked beneath my chin.
My arms twine around her automatically, hugging her to my body. The warmth is nice. But it’s nothing in comparison to the feel of her pressed against me.
It’s bliss and agony.
My body is reacting to the close proximity, and there’s no way she can’t feel it. I shift so my mouth is right next to her ear.
“Sorry,” I whisper. “It’s been a while.”
“I knowexactlyhow long it’s been.” She pauses. “I’m not a cheater, either.”
My hold on her tightens.
I didn’t think Cassia asked for a break because she wanted to hook up with other guys, or that she would. But it’s been a nagging doubt in the back of my head all summer. My first glimpse of her in two months was laughing with another guy. Knowing nothing happened lifts a weight I didn’t know I was carrying.
Finn suggests playing 21—again. For someone terrible at math, he sure does love it.
I tilt my head back to stare up at the stars, my cheek pressed against Cassia’s hair. It feels right, holding her like this. It feels like a lot less time has passed than the months it’s actually been since we shared this easy connection.
Commotion echoes around us, but I’m oblivious to the activity, focusing on the woods instead.
I’ve always appreciated how nature simplifies things. How it strips away distractions and boils down to what really matters. Always preferred being outside to staying indoors. Sitting here feels similar to the old basketball court. It’s a snippet of peace amidst chaos.
I alternate between tracing patterns in the stars above and watching flames burn the pile of sticks down to nothing. It’s late and I’m exhausted. But there’s no inclination to move.
In groups of two or three, everyone else heads to bed. Finn is the last to leave, nodding at the bucket beside the stone circle. I nod back before he heads toward his tent.
“We can clear a group, huh?”
My head jerks at the sound of Cassia’s voice. She’s not asleep, like I assumed.
“I thought you were asleep.”
“Nope. I am comfortable, though.” She shifts so I can see a little more of her face. “Were you going to wake me up or carry me to bed?”
“Probably just wait for you to wake up. I’m comfortable too.”
She huffs a laugh and then slides off my lap, moving forward and raising her arms above her head to stretch. Cool air rushes between our bodies, the loss of her touch physically painful. The temperature has dropped significantly since I gave her my sweatshirt.
“Cassia?”
“Yeah?”
