Chapter 26
Aracely
Of all the activities I did at camp, night hiking had to be one of my favorites. It wasn’t one that we got to do very often, and like the pizza on the last night, that made it special. I remember being younger and taking a hike with Bash. Ella and Layla had wanted to watch a movie under the stars so it had just been the two of us. It had been the first time he had taken my hand and when we had gotten back from the hike, he had kissed me.
I wondered if Bash was remembering too as we bundled up and headed out to the lake. We had found some flashlights but after the rain, the clouds had cleared and the moon was high overhead. We almost didn’t need them but I was glad we did.
It was strange to think that I had taken the same hike with Bash less than two days ago. So much had changed since then. I felt like my whole life had changed. Bash loved me, he wanted to be with me, he was implying that he was going to stay in New York so he could. He hadn’t said it in so many words but it was what I was hoping for. Though I was considering what it would mean if he needed me to be in California with him.
While they were all concerns that I had, I was going to enjoy the night, the moment with Bash. Tomorrow was soon enough to discuss everything else. For now, I wanted to live in the fairy tale world we had created. I liked thinking it was just the two of us. As if the rest of the world didn’t exist. It would all change when we got back to the city but that was hours away.
Bash took my hand as we walked out to the lake. It felt different doing it as an adult and I felt a little bit more apprehensive. When I was younger, I had been excited about the dark, about the possibility of something lurking in the shadows. Now I wasn’t as confident. It helped having Bash’s hand in mine and I tried to enjoy how beautiful it was and reminded myself there wasn’t anything out there that could hurt me.
When we got to the edge of the lake, Bash pulled me to him and I went into his arms. There was a slight chill in the air and feeling his body next to mine warmed me up, in more ways than one. I pressed my cheek to his chest and inhaled his scent. Bash ran his arms slowly up and down my back.
“Do you remember the first time we took this hike?” he asked.
“Yes. Of course. We were, what, fourteen at the time. Layla and Ella were butthurt with me for taking the hike instead of watching a movie with them. But I didn’t care. You mentioned you wanted to do the hike so I signed up for it.”
Bash laughed and said, “Really? I waited to see what you had signed up for and did the same thing.”
I tilted my head and looked at him. “Are you saying if I had done the movie, you would have too?”
“If it would have allowed me to be with you, yes,”
“Well, that’s great to know now as I only went on the hike to be with you.”
“I would say it worked out pretty well for us,” Bash said and brought his mouth down. I wrapped my arms around him and held him close. His tongue moved around mine and I melted into his arms.
“That it did,” I said when we broke away from each other.
Bash’s mouth was still close to mine and he whispered. “I never thought I would get the chance to recreate our first kiss.”
“Do you want to?” I asked.
“We just did,” he said.
“This isn’t where we had our first kiss,” I said and moved away from him.
“No. It was here. We went on the night hike and I pulled you back so that we were behind everyone. You got all worried that Amy was going to find out and get mad at us. You wanted to go into town the next day and didn’t want to lose that privilege. I told you it was going to be fine, I just wanted to ask you something and I kissed you.”
“That was our second kiss. The first one was after another night hike. When we got near the arts and crafts building, you told me you wanted to show me something and then you kissed me.”
“That was our second kiss. And that was after the camp scavenger hunt.”
“It was our first,” I countered but I wasn’t sure.
Had our first kiss been out on the hike? It certainly sounded more romantic and it made for a better story. Before I could protest more, Bash kissed my neck and said, “We’ll just have to go back to the arts and crafts building and make out there, too.”
“You do have the best ideas,” I said.
At his comment of making out, I remembered he was right. Our first kiss had been on the night hike but it had been so quick, it felt like it hadn’t happened. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction so I didn’t tell him. His solution was better.
“But not yet,” he said and kissed me again.
It was much later that we walked back to the cabin. As promised, we made a quick stop to the arts and crafts building where he pushed me up against the wall and we made out like teenagers. It felt exhilarating. It was like we were reliving our youth but it was so much better.
Being older, being more sure of myself helped. But it was also how Bash was with me. He was different, he was more confident, he felt more secure in who he was and what we were. We had been so young when we had gotten together but I had always thought there was the promise of forever. When it hadn’t happened, it crushed me. I had that promise now and I believed him. I knew we were going to be okay, no matter what happened.
A feeling of sadness and melancholy filled me as we got back to the cabin. The last two days had been magical and I didn’t want them to end. Bash must have sensed my sadness because he pulled me to him as soon as we walked into the cabin and held me.
“Remember our last night here as kids? We promised to sneak out and stay awake with each other all night and watch the sunrise,” he said.
I laughed into his chest. “Yes. I remember that Amy was right there when I tried to sneak out the window and prevented me from going anywhere.”
“Zach did the same to me. I guess we weren’t as smart as the counselors.”
“They had been campers, too. They knew all the tricks.”
“I was bummed but I was glad we had snuck away a few nights before. That was one memorable night,” Bash said.
My cheeks grew hot at the memory of sneaking out and meeting him. I remember how worried Ella and Layla had been, but also how determined I was. It was where Bash told me he loved me, and it still had been a wonderful few hours. I didn’t want to dwell on how everything went south between us after that. That was then, this was now.
“That it was. I had hoped to do it again on our last night,” I said.
“Well, there aren’t any counselors now. There’s no one to tell us we can’t stay up all night and watch the sunrise together. Will you do that with me now? The last few days have been great. I don’t want them to end. I want to enjoy every last moment we have here together,” Bash said.
I leaned back and looked at him. His eyes were the same, his smile too, but I could see the love he felt for me looking back, too. I wondered how I ever missed seeing that because it was so evident.
“That would be wonderful,” I said.
“Why don’t you see if we have any more wine left and I will go and get a fire started,” Bash said.
“A fire. How romantic.”
“That is the plan.” He quickly kissed me softly on my lips and then went to make the fire.
I walked into the kitchen and got out two glasses and poured the last of the wine into them. I wasn’t sure if we had any more and I had drunk more than enough the last few days. When I got back to the living room, Bash had the fire going and had turned off all the lights. He had placed a blanket on the floor by the fire and a few pillows. It looked intimate, cozy, and the most romantic setting I had ever seen.
“This looks amazing,” I said as I handed him his glass and sat down next to him.
“You look amazing,” he countered.
I blushed and took a sip of the wine. “This is the last of the bottle we opened for dinner. I fear if we have any more, I’m going to turn into a lush.”
“Coming from someone who has been one, you have a long way to go. You like your wine, you enjoy it, but never to the point of excess. I don’t think you’ve gotten drunk while we’ve been here, have you?”
“Drunk off of you, but not the wine.”
“Aw, and here I thought I was the one with the cheesy lines,” Bash said.
“I have a few up my sleeve. This really has been the most amazing couple of days. I didn't know what was going to happen. I never thought it would be this.”
“And I hoped it would be exactly like this,” Bash said.
“Did you have this all planned out, some deep seduction to get me to sleep with you?” I looked at him over my wine glass as I took a sip.
“I want to say yes, that I had this figured out from the moment I picked you up, but no. I had no preconceived notions. I hoped we would talk, I hoped we would clear the air. I wished we would start getting back to how we had been together. I had not counted on it going so well, but I’m certainly glad it did. This is only the beginning for us. I want more of this, more of us, more of everything.”
“Me too. Why don’t you come here so I can show you just how much,” I said and pulled him to me.