Page 38 of Wildfire
I want to kiss her.
She looks like she wants to be kissed.
It takes every shred of restraint not to lean in, especially when she’s looking at me like that. Sighing, I force myself to remember why I’m here and what I’m avoiding. “I just want to peacefully coexist with you and stay out of trouble, Aurora.”
She shrugs, dropping her hands into her lap as I stand. “That’s fine. I’m supposed to be working on myself or something anyway. It was really clear in my head, now it’s kind of fuzzy. I should probably get back to doing that.”
“I need to go before someone comes looking for me. I don’t want them to think it’s weird we’re here alone. I’m sorry again, I’m glad we’ve cleared this up.” It’s an oddly formal response to a personal revelation, but the longer I’m around her the easier it becomes to want to test her theory.
Thankfully she doesn’t call me out. I watch as she unscrews the orange juice and holds it up to me. “To our peaceful coexistence.”
Chapter TwelveRUSS
“WHY DO YOU LOOK LIKEthe golden retriever that got the bacon?” Xander says suspiciously, scrutinizing every inch of me.
“The what?” I watch Salmon’s and Trout’s ears twitch at the mention of bacon and it immediately becomes clear why Xander is their favorite this morning.
“It’s like the cat that got the cream, but relatable, y’know?”
“It’s just my face.” And the relief of not having to avoid someone I don’t want to avoid. “Grab that paintbrush for me?”
My roommate does not look convinced as he hands me the brush. “You were gone a long time taking Aurora breakfast this morning.” I imagine him adding, “And now you’re in a good mood,” and even though he doesn’t say it, the smug look on his face is enough to assume that’s what he’s thinking.
“I don’t think I was that long.”
“She’s so hot. I might see if she wants to pair up at the swimming training later,” he says carefully, in a way that tells me he’s baiting me. “What do you think about that?”
Not looking at him, I concentrate on making sure I have enoughpaint and paintbrushes, knowing I’ll immediately give myself away. “I think that’s a great idea.”
“You’re such a fucking liar, Callaghan.” He laughs. “Fine. Have your secret summer of fun. I’ll just be lonely in our cabin with my dogs.”
“Our dogs.”
He leans against the wall beside me. “It’s always the quiet ones.”
“I haven’t even done anything.” Don’t look at him. “It’s all in your imagination.”
“Oh cool, my bad. I’ll let Clay know he’s got a shot with her then.”
The words almost refuse to come out of my mouth. “Yeah, you should.”
Xander snorts, punching me in the shoulder gently. “Your secret is safe with me. They don’t call me an unproblematic king for nothing.”
This time I can’t help but look at him as my eyebrows pinch together. I take the bait. “Who calls you an unproblematic king?”
“I do.”
“Okay, unproblematic king. I’ll be near the tennis court if you want me.” Collecting my equipment, I head to my project for the rest of the morning. One of our responsibilities this week is getting the camp ready for the campers, and this chill morning activity is a nice change of pace from the constant training and icebreakers.
Nobody has asked me to share about myself, I don’t have to remember which order to tie something together, or what to do if someone stops breathing. I’m painting fence panels and dragging furniture and wiping stuff down and, other than Xander, nobody has been bothering me.
I feel good after my talk with Aurora earlier and I’m less worried about how I’m going to get through the summer with her.
“Birds are gross.” Turning toward the voice, I lower the hose I’m using to wash down a picnic table some birds have made their personaltoilet. Aurora looks more alive than she did earlier, carrying a thermos in each hand, with a shy smile on her lips. “I brought you coffee. If you want it, obviously.”
I’ve watched her do sweet gestures for people since we got here—filling up everyone’s water bottles, being the first to help people struggling during training, distracting Maya from her homesickness. Now I’ve earned the same treatment. “Coffee is good, thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” she says, handing it over. “I thought you might need it. I saw you running super early this morning; I forgot to mention it earlier. You don’t sleep much, huh?”
