Riverside Reverie

9. Campfire Songs

9

CAMPFIRE SONGS

L ux

After we got back to the campsite, the group had a quick swim to cool off before it was time to start making dinner. Jasmine had brought all the fixings for tacos, and I helped set up a taco station on the bench with Zoey and Rhiannon. Jasmine had pre-cooked the seasoned ground beef but was heating it up over the fire in a cast iron pan.

When the ground beef was warm, we made our tacos and sat around the campfire eating. I hadn’t realized how ravenous I was until I was consuming my second taco and still hungering for more. Luckily, Jasmine had made a lot of ground beef. Everyone was able to put away three tacos before we ran out of ingredients.

Once we’d cleaned up and all the dishes were washed, the temperature started to drop. Jasmine and I went to our tent to change.

“I think Theo’s into you,” Jasmine commented as I pulled on a pair of comfortable sweatpants. The mosquitoes were bad, and I didn’t want to deal with the bites.

I glanced at her and lifted a brow. “Oh?”

“What do you think of him?” she pressed, pulling her sweater over her head, and obscuring the coy smile on her lips.

“He’s nice,” I shrugged, grabbing my sweater. I tugged it on, pulling my hair out from under the collar and arranging it in a messy braid.

“And? Do you think he’s attractive?”

“Sure,” I tucked my phone in my sweater pocket and sent her a look. “But I don’t know why we’re talking about this when you promised you’d tell me about what’s going on between you and—” before I could finish my sentence, Jasmine had taken a step toward me and put her finger over my lips, silencing me.

Casting a glance at our closed tent as if she was worried someone would overhear us, she shook her head. “It’s complicated, and I’ll explain later,” she promised, assuring me with her eyes.

“What’s complicated about it?”

“He’s my friend, and technically my landlord,” Jasmine whispered. “We have a great friendship. I don’t want to ruin it with feelings.”

“But if you already have feelings for each other, how can you ruin it?” I replied in a hushed tone.

“Like I said, it’s complicated. You and Theo—there’s no complications there. Besides, I’m not the one that needs a rebound.”

“I don’t need a rebound,” I frowned, crossing my arms.

“No, but you could use a good distraction, or should I say, dick-straction!” Jasmine grinned.

I opened and closed my mouth, finding no lie in her statement. I could use a good distraction from all the drama and betrayal in my life.

“What if he’s not up for being a distraction?”

“Trust me, he is.” Jasmine’s smile turned knowing, and I narrowed my eyes at her.

“How do you know? Did he say something?”

“I’ve known Theo for years. I can tell he’s attracted to you, plus I may have given him permission to ravage you last night when we were talking, and the smile he tried to contain said it all. He’d be game for that.”

“Jasmine!” I said her name louder than I intended, mortified. The butterflies in the pit of my stomach took flight at the idea, and I tried to suppress them in vain. The idea was already brewing on its own within me, and each time I caught Theo looking at me, that desire grew. I didn’t need Jasmine encouraging that madness.

“I think you should go for it,” she told me. “Seriously, Lux. When was the last time you did something for yourself just because you wanted to?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, but you didn’t really want to come on this trip. I sort of pushed you,” Jasmine said with a cheeky grin. “Aren’t you glad I did?”

“Actually, yeah.” I glanced out the mesh tent window, trying to fight the smile. “Theo aside, it’s been the perfect escape.”

Jasmine nodded in agreement. “And if you go home with a few orgasms under your belt, you’ll be able to face Brinley’s bullshit without wavering. It’ll roll off you like water on a duck’s back.”

I looked back at my friend, shaking my head a little. “Interesting theory.”

“Why don’t you test it?” she challenged.

“Why don’t you test your feelings for Desmond?” I retorted, giving her a challenge of her own.

“Touché,” Jasmine sighed, looking out the tent window. Everyone else was gathered back at the beach, hanging around the fire. It was doubtful they’d be able to hear our conversation. “I can’t do that, though. Desmond is a forever kind of guy. And I’m, well…” she paused, looking conflicted.

“You don’t think you could do forever with someone?” I asked, surprised. Jasmine seemed to have such a solid example with her parents, so why the hesitation? I knew she hadn’t dated anyone seriously ever—but I figured that was because she was focused on her education.

“I don’t know. I don’t know if I’m even ready for that,” she worried her bottom lip. “All I know is I can’t risk ruining our friendship. I value it too much.”

“How would you ruin your friendship?”

“What if I get bored, or crave change? What if I let him down? What if he is forever, but I’m not ready for that yet?”

“Fair enough,” I frowned. It seemed like Jasmine had given it more thought than I initially suspected. She wasn’t the type of person to toy with other people’s emotions, nor did she make rash decisions. Jasmine made calculated choices. After all, she had been raised by a politician who’d drilled it into her head early on that her every action could be misconstrued later.

“Anyway, I don’t want to talk about that anymore. I want us to focus on you having fun, and experiencing all the things you’ve missed out on, okay?” Jasmine arched a brow.

“Okay, fine,” I sighed.

We went back down to the beach, pausing long enough to grab a few ciders from the cooler, sitting down in our chairs around the fire. Baz was perched on the cooking stump with an acoustic guitar on his lap, strumming the intro to a Counting Crows song.

“I love it when Baz brings his guitar,” Jasmine sighed happily.

Rhiannon grinned, her eyes raking over Baz with appreciation. “I know! I love a guy that knows his way around an instrument.”

“It’s not the only thing I know my way around,” Baz grinned at his girlfriend cheekily, and she blushed.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re skilled. Now deflate that ego and keep playing!” Rhiannon instructed, relaxing into her chair.

Baz’s smile grew wider, and he kept playing. When he started singing the lyrics to Round Here , I was surprised at how good he sounded. His voice rivaled that of Adam Duritz’s: it was gravelly and confident, working in perfect harmony with his guitar as he played with a skill I didn’t expect him to have.

He held everyone around the campfire captive, everyone except for Theo. Theo’s gaze was fixed on me, a smile lifting the corners of his lips as our eyes connected. I felt that swell of attraction in the pit of my belly, sizzling through my bloodstream.

I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like, to—as Jasmine so eloquently put it—use Theo as a dick-straction. I couldn’t deny it; the idea held a serious allure, and judging by the heat that smouldered in his irises when I bit my lower lip at the thought, Theo was thinking something similar.

But I’d never done anything so rash, and I didn’t know what steps to take to signal that I was interested in exploring the heat between us. I wasn’t brave enough to outright say something to him about it, and I felt frozen with my own uncertainty.

Baz finished the song, the last of the chords disappearing into the night, replaced with the crackling of the campfire and the subtle sounds of the night.

“That was incredible,” I complimented, still blown away by his unexpected talent. “Do you play professionally?”

“Thanks! And no,” Baz laughed, “Definitely not. Just something I picked up growing up with a family that loves music.” He set his guitar down and stretched.

“I keep telling him he should do something more with it,” Rhiannon wrapped her arms around him from behind, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“I don’t want to turn it into a job I’ll end up hating,” Baz shrugged, placing his hand over Rhiannon’s. “Besides, I’m not good at writing songs, I’ll stick to building shit and leave that to the real musicians.”

“You are a real musician to me, babe,” Rhiannon whispered. He turned his face towards hers, meeting her lips in a reverent kiss. I looked away, giving them privacy.

While Baz was distracted with Rhiannon, Talia hooked her phone up to the speaker ball and started playing background music.

The atmosphere around the group tonight was a lot more relaxed. After a day spent jumping off cliffs and paddling, everyone seemed tired. Everyone was still drinking, but at a more leisurely pace than the first night, and without the intent on getting drunk. Conversations seemed more relaxed too, the group breaking off into clusters.

Long after the sun set, Zoey got up and disappeared. She returned a moment later with a bag of marshmallows and a s’more kit.

“Who wants to make s’mores?” she asked.

“Hell yeah!” Kai exclaimed with elation, jumping up along with Desmond and Theo to look for sticks in the bush that would be suitable for marshmallow roasting. They returned ten minutes later with a handful of sticks. Theo took a pocket knife out and started carving the bark away, making the ends more pointed.

They were only able to find five sticks, so we had to take turns.

“I can’t remember the last time I had s’mores around a fire,” I murmured, taking the proffered stick from Theo. The marshmallow bag went around the group, and Jasmine grabbed a handful for us. “Not since we were in high school,” I added, looking at her with a wry grin.

“Oh yeah! I remember that,” Jasmine laughed. “You nearly set Camellia’s hair on fire.”

“Hey! That’s not true!” Jasmine gave me a look. “Well, I guess it’s sort of true,” I blushed.

The last time I roasted marshmallows was at Jasmine’s cottage during one of her parent’s yearly Canada Day celebrations when we were fifteen. The Kade’s Canada Day parties were something to marvel at. They hosted their Canada Day blow out at their cottage in the Muskokas, and Jasmine and her sisters were always able to bring a couple friends.

My family never did stuff like that. We didn’t have a cottage, although every few years, my parents would rent one for a couple weeks and my dad would take a much-needed vacation from the hospital. But we never did campfires—heck, I wasn’t even all that sure my dad knew how to start a campfire. He was a city boy through and through.

My mom was also a city girl, she had zero interest in anything outdoorsy—she said she hated bugs too much. They only ever rented cottages that also had pools, because my mother hated seaweed as much as she hated bugs. Essentially, it was a fancy and expensive change of scenery for a few weeks.

I blamed my lack of expertise of roasting marshmallows on my family’s inexperience with anything to do with nature. I’d panicked when my marshmallow caught fire, and tried to wave it around to put it out. Obviously, that meant that I was waving around a gooey flaming marshmallow that ended up flying off my stick and narrowly missing Camellia’s head by a few inches.

“Maybe I’ll roast them for you,” Jasmine teased, and I handed over the stick without complaint.

“That’s for the best. I don’t want to set the forest on fire, or our tents.” I said sheepishly, watching as she popped a marshmallow on the end of the stick and stood to hold it over the flames.

Theo chuckled, drawing my attention to him from across the fire. He was roasting marshmallows with ease. The man seemed to do everything with ease. Once his marshmallow was perfectly golden, he put together a s’more and offered it to me.

“Thanks,” I said, taking it from him. I wasn’t even all that hungry for it—I wanted an excuse for our hands to touch again. But the s’more was the most delicious thing, and I hummed with appreciation as the flavours exploded on my tongue.

Theo cleared his throat, forcing his gaze away from my face. His expression was…affected, and it stirred the desire that had taken up residence in me.

Jasmine nudged me with her elbow, waggling her eyebrows at me. She’d caught it too, so I wasn’t imagining it. I fought a smile, popping the rest of the s’more Theo had given me into my mouth.

Once everyone had a couple of s’mores and the remaining marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate were put away, Talia busted out a bottle of tequila and plastic shot glasses.

“Let’s play a game,” she suggested with a mischievous smile, her eyes glinting in the firelight. “Never Have I Ever?”

Zoey groaned. “I hate this game. It makes me feel so inexperienced.”

“You’re not inexperienced, babe. Trust me,” Kai teased, kissing her forehead. Zoey grinned at him and giggled.

Talia chuckled as she poured tequila into the small plastic shot glasses. She handed them out, and when everyone had their shot glass, she put the bottle down on the cooking stump and returned to her floaty.

“Alright, I’ll start,” she said, getting comfortable. “Never have I ever…Googled myself,” Talia began the game, her gaze going to Jasmine with amusement.

“Ugh,” Jasmine tilted her head back, polishing off her shot. Back in high school, she would sometimes Google her name to make sure the press wasn’t talking about her, especially back when her father was running for mayor for the first time. They were looking for any dirt on him and his family.

Rhiannon surprised me by tossing her shot back too. “What? Ever since Travis Channing’s wedding, I’ve been curious about what people are saying about my photography.”

“I don’t think that counts,” Jasmine said thoughtfully, standing up to refill her shot glass. “You’re essentially looking up reviews on your business, not Googling your name.”

“But my name is my business,” Rhiannon replied, tilting her empty shot glass at Jasmine so she could fill it too.

“Touché,” Jasmine giggled. “Well, I’m sorry in advance then. Never have I ever met a celebrity!”

Baz and Rhiannon both took a shot, and Jasmine handed Baz the bottle and went back to her seat.

“Hey, not so fast Jas,” I raised a brow. “What about that time we met Everly Daniels backstage?”

“Ah shit, I forgot about that!” Jasmine laughed, linking her arm around mine to take the shot like we practiced when we were in high school and trying to look cool. I laughed and took my shot, spilling a little of tequila out onto my chin in the process.

Baz passed us the bottle and we refilled. “Your turn, Lux.”

“Never have I ever…” I thought for a minute, my mind going blank. “Had a friend with benefits!”

“Woo, shit’s getting interesting now!” Talia grinned before tossing her shot back. Zoey and Kai also took theirs, and so did Theo, Baz, and Rhiannon. Once everyone’s shot glass was topped off, it was Theo’s turn.

“Never have I ever…been in love,” he said. It wasn’t surprising to me that Rhiannon, Baz, Kai and Zoey all took a shot, but Talia and Desmond also tipped their shot glasses back. Jasmine hesitated with hers as she watched Desmond, like she wasn’t entirely sure about herself, but she didn’t lift it to her lips. I didn’t lift mine, either. I knew I hadn’t been in love with Scott. Theo was watching me, though, and a small smile appeared on his lips.

“Never have I ever…kissed a friend’s ex,” Desmond grinned wryly, his focus on Theo. Theo shook his head, an ashamed expression befalling him, and tossed his glass back, taking the shot. I couldn’t help but wonder what the story was there. Had Theo kissed the person Desmond was—or had been—in love with?

“We were in grade seven, I don’t think it really counted,” Theo explained, catching my curious gaze.

“Oh, it counted,” Desmond assured him.

“Never have I ever…kissed someone I just met!” Zoey exclaimed. Rhiannon and Baz groaned, both tossing back their shots. Talia, Jasmine, and Kai also drank theirs. Theo’s eyes met mine across the fire again, and I swear I had this feeling that the next time that question was asked during a never have I ever game, I’d be answering differently.

The bottle of tequila was empty after that last refill, most of the group was really feeling it. I’d only had to take one shot of tequila, so I was feeling alright.

“Last question of the night!” Baz declared, shaking the empty bottle at Kai. “Make it a good one!”

“Never have I ever…gone skinny dipping!” Kai grinned. Every single person took a shot, but me.

“Really? Never ever?” Talia asked me.

“Yeah, never,” I laughed, feeling even more inexperienced.

“It’s so fun!” Talia exclaimed. “Let’s do it now, cross that off your Never Have I Ever list.”

“I don’t know…” I said, my face heating with embarrassment.

“Come on, Lux! It’s dark and Talia’s right, it really is fun!” Jasmine urged me, her eyes pleading with mine. She tilted her head a little to Theo, daring me.

I bit my lip, considering. “Alright, fine. Let’s do it!”

“Hell yeah!” Talia whooped, jumping out of her floaty and nearly stumbling into the fire. Baz caught her by grabbing the back of her shirt and yanking her away from the flames. Talia barely skipped a beat, propelling herself toward the water, taking her clothes off as she went.

“Are you sure it’s safe, with most of you guys as drunk as you are?” I asked with concern, eyeing Talia in particular. I think she drank to every question asked.

“Safer than the fire,” Baz pointed out, standing up and holding his hand out to help Rhiannon. Kai and Zoey were racing to the water to join Talia, who was already running in stark naked. Chapter Ten: Starlight Secrets

Theo

I could tell Lux was a little uncomfortable with the idea of skinny dipping from the way she hung back, apprehension clouding her expression—but Jasmine wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“Come on, it’s so much fun! Finish your shot and let’s do it!” Jasmine urged, handing Lux her shot glass. Lux hesitated for a moment, her eyes going to me. Then that look of determination played in her eyes, and she tossed back the tequila before shivering.

“Fine, let’s do it,” she said resolutely. Jasmine grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the beach. They paused at the shoreline, pulling their clothes off piece by piece while Desmond disappeared long enough to grab everyone’s towels off the line, since nobody seemed to be thinking ahead about after the dip.

I swallowed hard as Lux bent to pull her pants down. Then her shirt came off, and I had to turn around lest I approach the water with very noticeable excitement.

“Oh-la-la!” Talia called out with appreciation as Lux and Jasmine ran into the water. I couldn’t help but sneak a peek, the moonlight illuminating Lux’s perfect pale ass and her smooth back. That was enough to give me heart palpitations, I couldn’t imagine what the front view was like.

I waited for Desmond to return with the towels, thinking as many unpleasant thoughts as I possibly could before I finally headed toward the water. I started walking, shucking my clothes as I went.

We’d skinny dipped as a group while drunk a thousand times before, but there was something inherently different about doing it with Lux around. Maybe it was that I’d never been attracted to anyone in the group before; and I was immensely attracted to her. Knowing she was naked was ruining me in the best way.

Luckily, the jolt of cold water at my hips was enough to quiet the biological reaction I felt around her. I dove beneath the water, immerging myself fully. The shock of cool water chasing away the drunken haze I’d been in.

When I resurfaced, I was about an arm’s length away from Lux. The dark water obscured everything, but the look in her eyes when our gazes connected unveiled the desire brewing between us both.

We were surrounded by other people, but it was like we only had eyes for each other. Zoey and Kai, Rhiannon and Baz were certainly in their own worlds, not that I blamed them. I was having a hell of a time keeping my hands from tugging Lux to me, and she wasn’t even mine.

Desmond ran into the water, diving beneath the surface just as quick. I felt a momentarily pang of sympathy for him. This wasn’t his first time skinny dipping with someone he had feelings for, yet he made it look easy.

Talia swam beneath the water, grabbing Jasmine’s ankle and tugging her beneath the surface. When they resurfaced, laughing, it was game on. Jasmine swam after Talia in retaliation, leaving Lux and me floating somewhat alone.

“You slippery eel!” Jasmine shouted through her laughter. “Des, come help me get her back for that!”

Desmond shook his head at me as he passed, swimming after them both. There wasn’t a thing he wouldn’t do for Jasmine.

“They’re kinda cute together, huh?” Lux remarked, watching after them. “Jas and Desmond, I mean.”

“Yeah, they are.”

Lux swam a little closer to me, a look of conspiracy in her eyes. “Wanna hear a secret?”

“Yes, of course,” I grinned back, moving a little closer to her.

Lux cupped a hand over her lips. “Jas likes him. Like, likes him likes him.”

“Really? Did she say that?” I asked, and Lux nodded.

“But you didn’t hear it from me,” she mimed zipping her lips, that gorgeous smile still tipping the corners up. Her eyes went to my shoulders, resting on my collarbone, and she bit down on her bottom lip. “I have another secret.”

“Oh, yeah? What is it?” I asked, feeling affected by the heat in her eyes. She moved closer, the water sloshing over her exposed cleavage.

“Jasmine thinks you’d be a good dick-straction—for me.”

“A good dick-straction, huh?” I repeated, lifting a brow. We were surrounded by all that water, but my throat was drier than a desert.

She giggled, sinking lower in the water so that it covered up to her chin, then she nodded. Her greyish eyes luminous in the moonlight. “Yeah, but…I’ve never had a one-night stand.”

“Trust me, you wouldn’t be a one-night stand,” I swam closer to her, our bodies separated by mere inches. I knew I couldn’t have her once and be done. Her eyes widened, taking me in, and her lips parted. Lips that I wanted to claim as mine.

“A casual fling, then…” Lux stood up, the water obscuring my view of what were probably perfectly pink nipples, the same rosy hue as her lips.

“Mmhmm,” I murmured, keeping what I wanted to say locked down; that she couldn’t be a casual fling, either. She was the girl you kept, not the one you discarded after some fun. “What are you saying?”

“That I … want to try it,” she admitted, her eyes locked on mine. It was too dark to tell if she was blushing, but if I had to place a wager on it—I’d say yes. “A casual fling, I mean.”

“Is that so?” I was about to move in closer, to put my hand around her waist and tug her towards me so she could feel how into the idea I was, but then her eyes widened with absolute fear, and she let out a strangled screech, all but leaping out of the water and at me. I didn’t even have time to register her naked, trembling body in my arms.

“Lux, what the hell?” Jasmine called out, alarmed.

“Something touched the back of my leg, and it felt slimy !” she wailed, trying to climb up my body and out of the water. It put her breasts at perfect level with my gaze—not that I was complaining.

“It was probably a fish,” I reassured her. Lux’s eyes dropped down to my face, and she realized she had climbed halfway up my body to escape the unknown thing that had touched her.

“A fish? Ew, nope, I’m out,” she said decidedly, pushing off me and heading back to the shore as quickly as she could.

* * *

To my dismay, Lux went to bed not long after the skinny dipping ordeal.

I, on the other hand, wasn’t tired at all. I knew sleep would allude me, so I didn’t bother trying to rest. Not even when everyone else went to bed for the night. Instead, I brought an extra blanket up with me to the top of the cliffs at our campsite, spreading it out so I could lay down on it and look up at the night sky.

It was nearly 3 a.m., and I was still laying on my back. My arms were folded behind my head, and I stared up at the stars in the quiet solitude, thoughts too tangled and body too affected to fall asleep.

Lux’s words from the water kept replaying in my mind on some sort of tortuous loop. The feel of her body against mine as she’d all but climbed up me to get out of the water imprinted against me. It was like every part of my skin that’d meet with hers was on fire and burning for more.

My thoughts were interrupted by rustling at the bottom of the hill, followed by the sound of a zipper punctuating the quiet. A dark figure climbed out of Jasmine and Lux’s tent, pausing to close it before flicking on a flashlight, following the pathway west of camp.

Turning my head, I looked back up at the endless sky, letting the quiet sounds of nature move over me. Crickets, the occasional owl, the rustling of the leaves in the trees—followed by the telltale sign of someone returning.

The flashlight paused between the tents before going out, but the person lingered, seeing my shape on the rocks illuminated by the full moon. Intrinsically, I knew it was Lux.

She wore a dark, baggy sweater pulled up over her head, but I could tell it was her in the way she carried herself. Graceful and poised. I turned my head, listening to her footfall as she climbed the rocky hill. She stepped out of the treeline, her red tresses glowing when the moonlight spilled over her.

She stilled, catching the shape of me on the rocks, and waited until her eyes adjusted. “Theo?”

“Hey,” I sat up, tugging my hood down so she could better make out my face, and gave her a friendly smile.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize anyone was still up.”

“Don’t apologize,” I told her. “I couldn’t sleep, so I figured I’d watch the stars.”

“Mind if I join you?” she asked, somewhat timidly. “I can’t sleep anymore, either.”

My heart jolted in my chest, but I covered my reaction with an easy smile. “Sure,” I said, laying back down and resuming my position staring up at the sky.

Lux sat down beside me, hesitating for a moment before she laid fully down. I turned my head to look at her while she took in the sky, the stars reflecting in her deep irises.

The urge to get to know her was every bit as strong as the urge to reach out and take her hand. It would be so easy; all it would take was moving my hand a couple of inches to the right.

Instead, I forced myself to look at the sky. “Jasmine’s been trying to get you to come camping for years. Looks like she finally wore you down. Gotta say, I’m glad she finally succeeded.”

“I know,” she laughed, following it with a soft sigh. “I’m glad she did, too. I’m actually having a lot of fun.” She stole a quick peek at me. Had I not been so focused on her every movement; I would have missed it.

“You sound surprised about that,” I said.

“My family never did outdoorsy activities, not like this. My parents’ idea of camping is to rent a cottage with all the amenities, including a pool, so, no chance of fish brushing against my leg there. I never pictured myself doing this,” she laughed lightly, shaking her head.

I chanced another glance at her. Her complexion appeared crystalline in the moonlight, her red hair a beautiful contrast. Her chin was angled up as she gazed at the stars. She was heart-stirringly stunning, and I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her parted lips.

“What changed?”

She turned her head at my question, and blinked, her long lashes brushing against the tops of her cheeks fleetingly before those luminous eyes focused on me.

“To be honest, I needed to get out of my parents’ house for a bit,” she admitted. “I moved back in after graduating, it’s only temporary, but…” she pulled her gaze away, focusing again on the sky above us.

I chuckled lightly, nodding slowly. I could understand that. “Parents driving you nuts already?”

“I wish,” she frowned, turning her head back to look at me. I met her gaze directly, my breath catching in my throat at the emotion reflecting back at me. She smiled, covering the hurt. “My little sister’s welcome home gift was to sleep with my boyfriend.”

I whistled lowly. “Ouch. Why would she do that?”

“It’s a very long story,” Lux admitted. “My sister has mental health issues. Although she won’t admit it, or get help…” She sighed, glancing up at the stars. She didn’t seem judgmental of her sister, just deeply hurt.

“I’m sorry, that’s really rough.”

She paused, her eyes dropping to my lips before she forced her gaze to meet mine. “It is. I love her, but sometimes I can’t help but hate her for everything she’s put me through over the years. Then I feel bad, because you shouldn’t hate your own family, your own sister. There’s something inherently wrong with that.”

I felt bad for her. I couldn’t imagine having such a toxic relationship with Olivia. No matter the distance, my sister could count on me, and I could count on her.

“I don’t think you hate her,” I remarked, turning my head to look at her. “I think you hate the pain she causes, and the divide…but not her.”

“Yeah, that’s it,” she looked astonished that I understood, and I couldn’t help but feel good about that.

“And no offence, but your boyfriend—”

“Ex-boyfriend,” Lux corrected, eyes snapping back to mine.

“Your ex- boyfriend is an idiot,” I finished, grinning at her.

“I agree,” she smiled, her eyes hopeful. “I’m glad though. Now I can go wherever I want, do whatever I want. There’s nothing tying me anywhere.”

“Where are you planning on going?” I asked, unable to look away from her.

Lux had no issue breaking our gaze. She looked back up at the sky, letting a soft sigh escape. “Wherever. I’ve applied to jobs in so many different cities. I’ll go wherever they hire me. I have no attachments to anywhere in particular.”

“Well, that’s exciting. Here’s to wherever,” I said softly, appreciating her for a moment longer before looking straight ahead.

I felt her turn, felt her eyes on my face and saw her smile out of the corner of my eye.

“What about you? Are you happy with your career?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I’ve never met an environmental geoscientist before,” she said, a smile playing on her pretty lips. “How’d you get into it, anyway?”

“My grandfather was really into nature, so was my dad. My family did a lot of camping when I was younger.” I shrugged. “My dad was a miner, he’s retired now, but he always hoped I’d do something…more. I decided to focus on environmental geoscience because it’d give me the opportunity to be in nature, but also have steady work.”

“Do you often go out of town for work?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I leave in three weeks for Peru to run tests on the soil in one of the mines there. I’ll be there for at least a week, then I’ll come home and work from the office until after Zoey and Kai tie the knot. I’m in town for the wedding, but I’ll be on a flight to Vancouver two days after for a couple of days.”

She nodded. Her pinky finger found mine, resting on the rock beside it, and I wondered if her nerve endings sizzled with the contact too. “It sounds exciting, getting to see all those different places.”

“It is,” I admitted with a grin, my pinky brushing against hers.

We both glanced back up at the sky in time to catch a shooting star falling. Lux let out an audible gasp, reaching for my hand to grip it with excitement. “I’ve never seen a shooting star before!” she exclaimed with wonder.

“It’s said that when you see a shooting star, it’s the universe sending you a message, urging you to listen to the whispers of your soul,” I said, turning to her, seeing the astonishment in her eyes.

“Is that so?” she murmured, her hand still grasping mine. Her eyes held me captivated, daring me to make a move. “And what message is the universe sending me?”

“To take a chance,” I murmured. Rolling over, I pressed my lips to hers.

Kissing Lux was otherworldly. She tasted like the tail of a shooting star, sparks everywhere. I’d never experienced a kiss so filled with electricity that it left me near dizzy, my body vibrating like it had been struck by lightning. It was more miraculous than witnessing the northern lights. More colourful.

Resounding and amorous, the kiss went on and blessedly on until Lux shifted her body, rolling so she was half laying on me and half on the rock beside me.

Breathless, she lifted her head to study me incredulously.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” The question seemed to come out of nowhere, but the fact that she’d stopped the kiss to demand it had me grinning.

“Nope, currently unattached.” Except even as I said it, I tasted the untruth in my words—I was forming an attachment, a new one, to this beautiful illuminating woman before me. I wanted to know everything there was to know about her, and I wanted her to find out everything about me too.

And I definitely didn’t want to stop kissing her. Not yet, anyway.

Luckily, my answer seemed to be exactly what she needed. Her gaze went to my lips, and then she was kissing me again.