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Warm fingers close around mine, taking the bar and easily opening it.
A thrill sneaks up my arm in response to the contact. This is the first time we’ve touched in…unfortunately, I knowexactlyhow long it’s been. Could tell you down to the day. Which is just as embarrassing as the realization I’m this affected by his hand brushing mine.
“Thanks,” I mutter, when he passes it back to me.
“You’re welcome.”
I finally meet his gaze, dreading and anticipating the moment our eyes connect. He’s even closer than I was expecting, his blue gaze intense and searching.
My inhale is ragged and unsteady. “How didyousleep?”
“Great.”
I huff a laugh. “Great. Good for you.”
He continues talking like I never spoke. “You were a couple of feet away, instead of eight hundred miles.”
My mouth goes dry, tongue turning to sandpaper.
I’m still mad at him—so mad.
Hurt—extremely hurt.
But those two primary emotions are beginning to wear through, revealing everything underneath.
Reminding me that thereasonI’m so mad and so hurt is he was gone, and I missed him in a visceral, painful way that kept me depressed even when I wasn’t consciously thinking about his absence. That scared me, honestly, because I’ve always known Holden has the power to devastate me but never experienced it to that extreme degree.
“You wearing a swimsuit?” he asks.
“Uh, no?” It comes out like a question, even though I’m certain I’m not.
“Well, unless you wanna skinny-dip, which I’m totally not opposed to…” His voice trails suggestively, my skin warming automatically in response to hearing that tone.
I glance away in an attempt to hide that reaction. “I’m not skinny-dipping.”
“Then go get changed.”
“What’s the rush? Almost everyone is still asleep.”
“They’re not coming.”
“What?” I look back at him.
“Unless you’d rather stay with the group?”
“Um, no.” I don’t have to think about it. Again, I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.
“Great. Get changed, and let’s go.”
I stare at Holden, trying to figure out exactly what’s going on. After last night, I woke up with very low expectations of what today might look like.
The two of us going off by ourselves did not cross my mind as a possibility, and I’m stunned it occurred to him.
He’s staring at me, one eyebrow raised expectantly.
“Uh, okay, yeah.” I hesitate for a split-second longer, then head back toward the tent.
My bikini is at the very bottom of my duffel bag, thrown in on a whim. I undress to swap out my bra and underwear for the swimsuit, carefully tying the strings behind my neck and on my hips before pulling my shorts and shirt back on. I hunt around for my water bottle but can’t find it.
