CHAPTER 5
***
Annie
Awkwardness hangs in the air like thick fog as we return to our room for the evening. The lighthearted evening we spent laughing with everyone shifts, leaving strangled tension in its wake. We stand at the foot of the bed, looking out at the sea of stars in strained silence. I can’t imagine how weird things would be if I’d confessed the truth—the first time I professed true love for Sam, rather than that of only friendship.
“You take the bed,” Sam says, breaking the silence. He gathers a blanket from the foot of the bed. “I’ll be fine on the floor.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I say, missing the easy connection Sam and I had before agreeing to this trip. “We can flip a coin or something.”
There’s plenty of room for us to share it, but the queen-sized bed suddenly seems small and intimate.
He shakes his head, resigned to give my comfort precedence over his own. “No, really. It’s fine.”
Reluctantly, I nod, accepting his chivalry. We take turns changing clothes in the bathroom, the door clicking shut as we navigate unfamiliar territory. When I return from changing into my pajamas, Sam is stretched out on the floor in a makeshift bed of blankets and pillows. He looks up at me with forlorn eyes, so uncomfortable, my heart pinches.
“Goodnight, Annie,” he says so tenderly, my heart aches.
“Goodnight, Sam,” I whisper. I climb into the lonely bed and pull the covers up to my chin.
I lie wide awake, listening to the gentle rhythm of Sam’s breathing while looking out into the starry night. The stars hold all our secrets, twinkling unspoken words and lingering hopes. Guilt and heartache weigh on my conscience. Keeping each other at arm’s length will only lead us further apart.
“Sam,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. “Are you awake?”
“Yeah,” he answers quietly. “What’s on your mind?”
I hesitate, taking a deep breath to gather my courage. “There’s plenty of room up here.” My pulse races, and the deep thud of my beating heart echoes in my ears. I sit up and pull back the covers. “Please come to bed.”
***
Sam
Surprise and relief ease my troubled mind. Annie’s invitation carries more weight than she realizes. Even if our relationship never blossoms beyond tonight, at least she still trusts me.
I sit up, hesitating for a moment to make sure she means it. Her earnest expression and open space beside her give me all the reassurance I need. I slip into the bed, careful not to disturb the delicate balance we’re creating, and pull the covers to my chest, feeling the warmth of her body beside me.
When we were kids, we never gave situations like this a second thought. We camped in my backyard, side by side in sleeping bags. We binge-watched movies on pallets made of sofa cushions, pillows and blankets on the basement floor. We gazed at the stars lying side by side in the grass, never awkward, hesitant, or self-conscious until that one night when everything changed.
We lie on our backs in silence, shoulder to shoulder, our arms brushing against one another. The delicate touch of her arm against mine sends a gentle charge through me. I focus on my heart beat, her hushed breathing, and the stars that surround us. It’s intimate in a way that surpasses friendship, yet the boundary that traps us is shrouded in silence and secrecy.
The covers rustle with the tiniest movement, and Annie slips her pinky around mine. A sense of peace settles over me as we lie in the dark with the stars twinkling around us. We’re stargazing together in a way we haven’t for years—perhaps ever. Lying beneath the starlit canopy is the romantic evening Annie described.
Maybe we’ve been living our perfect date all along.