4. Violet
VIOLET
I wake up in a cocoon of warmth.
I start to roll over only to realize several things at once. Number one, I’m trapped by a heavy arm tossed over my middle and there’s no longer three feet of distance between me and Gavin. Number two, he’s hard or has a flashlight in his sweats, and three, did I mention he’s hard?!
My movement must have woken him because he pulls his arm away in a flash and rolls onto his back.
“Sorry,” he says, voice full of gravel.
“It’s fine,” I squeak. Totally fine. I jump up, taking the blanket with me and wrapping it around my body as I move to my backpack.
Instead of pulling out what I need, I loop the bag over one shoulder and head outside.
I don’t care what time it is or how dark it is, I will brave the wild animals to get out of this awkward situation.
Thankfully, the sun is up. In the light of day, it seems silly that I was so freaked out last night. It’s peaceful up here. Serene, even.
Jenkins and his girlfriend, Taylor, are already out at the fire.
“Morning,” Jenkins says, lifting a coffee mug. He has the ghost of a smirk on his face.
“Morning,” I reply, ignoring the heat creeping into my cheeks. So we slept in the same tent and spooned, we still hate each other. I head off toward the bathrooms to shower and change.
By the time I get back, everyone else is up.
Daisy and Jordan are sharing a chair. She sits on his lap and cuddles into his chest. They really are the cutest. Liam and his boyfriend, Cole, are cooking something in a pot over the fire, while Gavin sits off to the side by himself. Much like he did yesterday.
I drop my stuff in Jordan’s SUV, so I won’t have any more tent run-ins with Gavin later and then join the group.
Jordan holds out a mug filled with hot coffee to me. I take it with a murmured thanks.
“What’s the plan today?” I am eager to go off in groups. Yesterday, I spent most of the day hiking with Daisy and Jordan, and more importantly, avoiding Gavin.
We’re leaving first thing tomorrow morning, so I just need to survive twenty-four more hours.
We’ll get off this mountain and go back to hating each other from a distance.
Or, well, I guess not too much distance since we’re neighbors, but a couple of thick walls between us ought to do nicely and keep us from killing each other.
“I’m not feeling well today,” Daisy says. Her voice is raspy. “I’m going to hang back at least this morning.”
The look Jordan gives her, the look Jordan always gives her, tells me there’s no way he’s going anywhere without her.
“We’re going to hike to the fishing lake,” Liam says, and he and Cole share a grin.
Jenkins glances at Gavin before saying, “The three of us talked about walking up to the ski resort. They keep the lift going and the views are killer.”
“There’s also a cute little restaurant up there and a fudge shop,” Taylor adds.
My stomach growls. All that hiking yesterday has me famished, but I don’t really know Taylor or Jenkins that well. And Gavin, well, I know him too well.
“You should go, Vi,” Daisy urges, then adds, “if you want.”
“I don’t want to leave you if you’re feeling sick.”
“I’m okay. I think sleep will help. If I get to feeling better, I’ll text you, and we’ll come meet up with you.”
All eyes are on me. Is there a polite way to say I’d rather stay here and read a book?
“Sure,” I say finally, “I’ll come.”
After last night, I think I can handle a short walk with Gavin.
The “short” walk to the ski resort turns out to be over two miles at a steady incline. Jenkins and Taylor are walking ahead of us, holding hands and flirting, while Gavin and I pull up the rear. He’s behind me, which is unnerving, because I swear I can feel him watching me.
But the weather is beautiful, and it really is pretty amazing up here, looking down on Valley and being surrounded by trees that reach up high into the sky and have more green than in all of Phoenix, where I grew up.
I pull off my sweatshirt and tie it around my waist. There’s a great lookout spot, where a few cars are parked, and people are taking pictures. Jenkins and Taylor stop for a few kissing selfies, and I pull out my phone to take one of myself.
“I could take it if you want,” Gavin offers.
I hesitate, but hand over my phone.
He looks up over the screen. His eyes are shielded with Ray-Bans, but I still somehow know his eyes are twinkling with humor. “Try to look happier. You’re standing in front of a gorgeous view, and you look like you just shoved someone over the ledge.”
“Oh, I wish,” I tease, but I pull out my best fake smile, one that I’ve honed over more than a decade of school photos.
He hands it back and then we stand together at the metal railing, looking out.
“You were imagining pushing me off, weren’t you?”
“No, too many witnesses.”
He chuckles softly and then angles his body, his hip resting on the railing as he faces me. “About last night?—”
I hold up a hand to stop him from continuing. “It’s fine.”
The sun suddenly blazes a thousand times hotter at the memory of waking up in his arms with his sizable dick pressed against my ass.
“Are you guys ready?” I ask, passing Jenkins and Taylor, and taking off toward the ski resort. I don’t wait for their answer.
I lead us to the top, stretching my short legs and pumping my arms. I’m panting and sweating when we get there.
We pass a restaurant and gift shop before reaching the ski lift.
As promised, it’s running and there’s already a line of people waiting.
The weather is perfect—blue skies, sun shining bright with a slight breeze.
We get tickets for the lift and Gavin and I end up side by side once again while we wait. I can’t seem to escape him.
At the front of the line, he holds out his hand, letting me go ahead of him.
This whole day was one terrible idea, and being trapped thirty feet in the air with my nemesis unequivocally proves that I should have stayed back at the campsite.
“I thought you had a date this weekend?” I ask, in a tone I was hoping sounded conversational, but it comes out accusatory.
“Didn’t work out.” He stares straight ahead. “Sorry I ruined your weekend.”
It’s true if I’d known he was going to be here, I wouldn’t have come, but we do share friends, now that Daisy and Jordan are dating, so it’s getting hard to predict when we might run into one another these days.
Plus, the whole neighbors’ thing. Over forty thousand people are enrolled at Valley University, but he’s the only one I seem to run into everywhere I go.
Since things ended between us, Gavin has dated plenty of girls. ‘Dating’ might be too strong of a word, but there have been no shortage of girls waiting in line to keep him company.
He’s the captain of Valley U’s nationally ranked basketball team, not at all hard to look at, unfortunately, and he can be sort of charming when he wants to be.
“What about you? Are you dating anyone?” He taps a pinkie finger on his thigh.
“No, not right now.” Not since him, actually. Not because I’ve been secretly pining away for him or anything. Read: Gavin is the worst. School is hard for me, so I have had to study my butt off the past two semesters to keep my grades up.
After the lift ride, we walk to the gift shop together and then split up inside.
I buy two pounds of fudge in varying flavors and then take my bag out front and sit on the curb to sample the goodness.
I bite into a square of chocolate and groan happily.
It melts on my tongue and chases away some of my irritation from this morning.
“So, Jenkins and Taylor want to walk up to some scenic spot.”
I jump at Gavin’s voice; he’s stealthy for such a tall guy.
“Okay.” I start to grab my stuff and get up, but Gavin shakes his head.
“They want to go alone.”
My shoulders slump. “Well, that’s not very friendly.”
“It’s their first trip together,” he says, as if it were him that had brought a girl up here, he would want to spend every minute alone, too. It makes me wonder what it would have been like to come up here with him when we were “whatever-ing.”
“Are we supposed to wait here for them or…”
He shrugs. “We could walk back or grab food, whatever you want.”
What I want is to not have to spend more time alone with Gavin. It’s too weird. Even when he’s not being the absolute worst, I know, deep down, he’s the worst.
I hold out the fudge as a peace offering. Like him or not, I’m stuck with him a little longer.
At the plea of my stomach, I opt for food before we head back to the campsite. The restaurant is busy, and they seat us at the bar. Two girls, possibly Valley students, though I don’t recognize them, are seated on the opposite side of Gavin.
I see them eyeing us up, trying to decide if he’s single or taken. At some point, they must decide he’s fair game, or just don’t care, because they start talking to him.
I scarf down the burger and fries while Gavin picks at his food and makes new friends.
It’s too loud and I’m too hungry to try and eavesdrop, but I can read the body language just fine.
The girl closest to him, smiles up at him like he’s the best thing since cashmere.
Why does everyone treat jocks like they’re God’s gift to the universe?
The four of us pay for our food at the same time. Now that I’m fed, I am ready to get back to the campsite and check on Daisy, then take a nap in the hammock Liam set up behind his and Cole’s tent.
The words, “Us too,” catch my attention, and I look up to find Gavin glancing at me with a stare that can only be described as worried.
“Oh my gosh!” the girl exclaims. “What are the odds that we’re staying at the same campsite?”
There aren’t that many campsites on Mount Loken, so I’d say the odds are good, but I keep my mouth shut as the four of us head down the mountain. I use all my new food energy (and the downhill momentum) to stay ahead of them. Leave it to Gavin to pick up two girls at lunch, while eating with me.
About halfway back, I have to slow down. My feet are killing me. Gavin falls into step beside me. “Are you okay?”
“Fine.” I pick up the pace again.
“Jesus, you’re fast when you’re angry.”
“How can you tell I’m angry?”
“I just can, but why are you angry?”
“I’m not.” I’m annoyed and tired, and I just want to be alone.
“It isn’t like I could tell them no, they can’t walk back with us,” he whispers.
“It’s fine, Gavin.”
“About last night,” he starts.
“Oh my gosh, this again?” I stop and face him. “I get it. You’re a dude and you couldn’t help it. I think you’re the worst. You think I’m the worst. Your dick just didn’t get the memo.”
His mouth closes, and his jaw flexes. “Yeah. Right. You’re the worst.”
I hate to admit it stings a little to hear him say it out loud, even if I already know it’s how he feels.
“Let’s just get back to the campsite and we can go our separate ways. Me, to take a nap, and you, to do whatever you want with those two girls.”
“Got it,” he clips.
We make it back down in almost half the time it took us to get up the mountain.
“Come with us,” the girls beg Gavin, when it’s time to go our separate ways.
“Yeah,” he agrees. His tone is playful and fun. He looks right at me as he says, “Sounds more fun than going back to my tent.”
I don’t wait around to watch. With a small wave, I head straight to my tent. Or Gavin’s tent. Whatever.