3. Violet
VIOLET
I wait a good thirty minutes, until I assume Gavin will be sleeping, before creeping out of the tent in flip flops for Jordan’s SUV.
Holy moly, it gets cold up here at night.
I move as quickly as I can, rubbing my bare arms as I walk.
When I reach the vehicle, I open the cargo door and find one, lone blanket.
It’ll have to do. I hug it to my chest and rush back.
The campsite is dark and quiet. Everyone must be all banged out for the night.
I’m six feet from the tent when a scratching noise stops me in my tracks. I hold my breath and wait to see if it comes again. When it does, I whimper and then sidestep, moving closer to where Gavin is sleeping by the fire.
“Gavin!” I whisper-screech.
“What?”
“I heard something.”
“Don’t worry. If they know what’s good for them, they’ll eat me first.” He doesn’t so much as open his eyes.
The scratching noise starts up again and my heart races as I weigh my chances of sprinting to the tent safely. That’s when I see it—the flaps hanging open. Oh my god, I didn’t close them when I left. What if there’s an animal inside?
“O-okay, you can come in the tent,” I say, and nudge him lightly with a foot.
One of Gavin’s eyes opens for the briefest of seconds. “Worried about me?”
“No,” I say quickly. “But maybe staying in pairs is a good idea.”
“You’ll be fine, Vi. It’s probably just a raccoon or something.”
I love how he says that like running into a raccoon would be perfectly fine. Raccoons are scary, and I’d like not to encounter one in the dark, thanks.
“I think it’s in the tent.”
“How would it get in the tent?” His dark eyes open and he gives me his full, albeit sleepy, attention.
“I went to Jordan’s SUV to get a blanket. You took mine. Or yours. I needed a blanket and now there is a wild animal in my tent. Your tent. Oh my god, please just help me.” My voice is bordering on a whine and I’m full-blown freaking out.
“Relax,” he says and stands. His arm brushes mine. He pulled on sweats and a hoodie since I last saw him and he’s so warm and calm, so I don’t move away. He takes a step and I fall in behind him, staying close. He walks over to a chair and unzips his backpack.
“Are you getting a weapon?” I ask as he rummages in the front pocket.
He turns with his phone in hand and the flashlight shines in my eyes. I hold up a hand to block the light, but I can still see his smug grin.
“Why would I have a weapon in my backpack?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never camped before. I have no idea what people bring.”
He shakes his head, and I follow close again, my hands resting lightly on his lower back. I feel safer with him leading the way, but then I also can’t see anything, and not being able to see is terrifying.
He stops, and I run into the back of him, heart pounding. I squeeze my eyes shut and cling to him. The blanket in my hands acts as a barrier between us, but I can still feel the warmth pouring off him. He smells like smoke and dirt, but it doesn’t repulse me like I wish it would.
“What is it? A wolf?”
“I don’t see anything.” The light moves across the dark horizon.
“Did you check the tent?” I ask, still using him as a human shield.
“It’s all clear,” he says.
Clutching at his sweatshirt, I peer around him slowly. He shines the light into the tent to show me there’s nothing in there except my backpack and cell phone.
I release him and step out from behind him on shaky legs. “We must have scared it off.”
“We?” His brows lift.
“Fine. You.” I look around at the black sky. The moon is a tiny sliver up there tonight and the stars are hiding, making this campsite seem even darker than I imagine it would on a clear night. I don’t want to think about what is out there lurking around us.
A shiver rolls up my spine.
“You need more than a flimsy blanket out here.” His gaze drops to the one I’m still holding.
“This is all that was left in Jordan’s SUV.” I clutch the thin blanket to my chest, feeling very protective of it. It’s not its fault it wasn’t made for outdoor adventure.
Somewhere in the distance, an animal howls. I rush into the tent, fully aware that Gavin is laughing at me.
“All set?” he asks as he angles his body to leave.
I bite the corner of my lip. There is no way I’m going to get any sleep tonight.
“Maybe you should stay in the tent,” I say, not quite meeting his dark gaze.
His only reaction is a slight raise of one brow.
“Because it’s cold, and if you get eaten then people will probably blame me.”
“I’ll be fine,” he assures me and takes a step away.
“No. Wait,” I call. I take a breath before continuing, “Please will you sleep in here? I don’t want to be alone.”
“And you thought of me? How sweet.” Sarcasm drips from his words. He lets the tent flap fall closed and disappears.
Ugh.
“Jerk,” I mutter and lie down. I unfold the blanket and pull it over me. It covers about half of my body, but if I curl up into the fetal position, it’s perfect. It isn’t like I’m going to be able to sleep anyway, so I’ll just try not to freeze to death tonight. Goals: they’re important.
I’m just settling in when Gavin ducks inside with all his stuff.
Wordlessly, he zips us in. The sound sets a new type of anxiety spreading through me. I’m alone in a tent with Gavin. Did I mention he’s the worst?
He sets his backpack in the corner and unrolls the sleeping bag as far away from me as he can get.
The three feet between us isn’t far enough. Outer space isn’t far enough. With Gavin, there is no empty space between us. Every molecule is charged and agitated.
I toss and turn. My toes keep slipping out from the bottom of my trusty blanket.
And I can hear him breathing. Does he have to breathe so loud?
I’m moving onto my other side when an object collides with my face. I start to yell, but then realize it’s his blanket. Ohhhh. It’s so warm, a happy groan escapes, and I can’t even pretend like I’m going to turn it down.
“Do you want to use the other one?” It would probably cover half his legs, but it’s something.
He turns away from me, giving me his back, and puts his pillow over his head. “Go to sleep, Violet.”