Levi
Fifteen
“Come on, man, it’ll be fun. What else were you planning to do today?”
There’s a beat of silence as a groggy Justin considers. It’s my own fault for waiting until now to tell him, but I wasn’t planning to go myself until a half hour ago when I got the text from Jessie inviting me along.
There was a playfulness to her message, in the way that she not-so-subtly reminded me that Oakley is going too.
Like I needed reminding. I had been torn on whether or not to invite myself along when they were talking about it the other day, but ultimately decided against it, heeding Eva’s advice to give the girl some space.
“I don’t know... sleep?”
“You can sleep when you’re dead. Some sunshine will do you good. Besides, Jessie’s going to be there…” I dangle the bait, and, sure enough, he bites.
Something went down between them back in high school, but despite my relentless prodding, neither of them were willing to divulge the details.
It was tumultuous for a while, both of them doing their best to avoid the other until they both realized you can’t avoid someone forever in such a small town.
Even so, their contact is minimal and nothing short of polite and guarded when they are together.
Maybe this can be the start of reconciliation for them. I’ve seen the way they steal glances at each other when they think no one is watching, the longing and hurt they think they hide so well.
“Fine. But you’re driving.”
I smile triumphantly. “See you in twenty.”
I grab the gray hiking pack off the kitchen counter and stuff some trail mix and water into the pockets.
Walking over to the back door, I dig around in Bandit’s basket of toys until I find his favorite ball.
I shove the ball and his leash into the pack and clip his collapsible water bowl to one of the outer loops.
Satisfied I’ve got everything I’ll need, I whistle for Bandit, and he comes bounding down the stairs, his tail wagging so fast that it looks less like a tail and more like a blur of brown and black fur.
I know firsthand how dangerous that tail can be if it hits you mid-swing, and I wisely remove myself from the line of fire as he comes up to my side.
We climb into the truck, and I roll the window down for Bandit, like I always do, as we make the drive to Justin’s house.
August in the mountains typically brings about the start of autumn, but despite it being late August, the sun is sweltering today, and a sheen of sweat already dots my forehead.
I never did get the air conditioning fixed, opting instead for rolling down the windows.
I love the feel of the fresh air on my face, but on a day as hot as today, the breeze does little to stop a bead of sweat from dripping down my spine.
I’m not sure if it’s from the heat or from the apprehension at seeing Oakley again.
Either way, I’m glad I remembered to generously apply my deodorant this morning.
I lay on the horn as I pull up to Justin’s house, and he slams his front door a little harder than necessary, waving his hand towards me in dismissal.
A scowl hardens his features, and I give another loud honk of the horn when he reaches the front of the truck.
He jumps, and I grin when he yanks open the door.
“Fuck you, man,” Justin says.
“You love me.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
I peel down the driveway and onto the open road. I look over at Justin as he yawns. His hair is sticking straight up in the back, and there’s a white spot on the corner of his mouth; there’s no doubt in my mind that, yes, that is, indeed, drool.
“Did you even look in the mirror this morning?”
“Come on, I had a half-hour’s notice!” Justin yanks down the mirror, trying and failing to smooth down his hair.
I lick my thumb—knowing I’m about to get major shit for this—and swipe it across the smear of dried drool.
“Dude, what the fuck!” Justin shrieks, and I guffaw as he frantically wipes at his face.
I’m in an exceptionally good mood this morning, anxious to get on the trail, and excited to see Oakley again.
“Can’t have Jessie thinking you don’t know how to take care of yourself.”
Bandit lets out his woof of agreement from the backseat. Justin whips around, his seatbelt locking and jolting him back as he glares at my dog.
“Not you too,” he says, sounding utterly betrayed. Bandit cocks his head in the rearview.
We approach the small parking lot, and it’s already packed with cars—everyone else clearly wanting to take advantage of the gorgeous weather, too.
I pull onto the shoulder, and the two of us climb out, Justin opening the back door to let Bandit out.
He springs ahead of us as we head for where the girls are waiting for us by the trailhead, but I let out a sharp whistle, and he recalls immediately.
Jessie and Oakley might be okay with Bandit running up to them, but not everyone feels the same way about a large German shepherd hurtling towards them, despite the gentle giant I know him to be.
Bandit circles my legs before returning to my right and walking alongside me.
I give his head a pat and mutter a low, “Good boy,” to him as we reach the girls.
I greet Jessie with a one-armed hug before turning to Oakley. I long to reach out and touch her, draw her into my arms, but we’re not exactly on that level yet, so I settle for a small wave that she returns with a blush. Justin groans beside me.
“This is already torture.” He sticks his hand out in front of him, and Oakley takes it tentatively.
“I think we might have gotten off on the wrong foot.” I loudly clear my throat and Justin shoots me a look.
“Scratch that. We definitely got off on the wrong foot. I’m Justin.
I can be a dick. Sorry about that. I hope there’re no hard feelings. ”
“Oakley. It’s all good. Nice to officially meet you.” She laughs, and the sound reminds me of sunshine and maple syrup—warm and sweet.
Beside her, Jessie shifts on her feet, narrowing her gaze at my best friend.
“Justin.” At the sound of his name from her lips, even dripping with all the disdain she can muster, he beams a cocky grin in her direction.
“Jess.” He makes a show of looking her up and down, and I have to tamp down the urge to smack some manners into him.
I know it’s technically my doing, bringing him here specifically with the intention of him spending some time with my cousin, but still.
It’s the principle of it all. “Nice to see you. You look good.”
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
“It’s no surprise, sweet girl. You always look good.”
“And on that note, it’s time to go.” Jessie rolls her eyes and spins on her heels, her mahogany hair cascading out behind her.
“Aren’t we waiting for a few more people? I thought you said you were giving a tour,” Oakley says as she follows after Jessie, who waves a dismissive hand over her shoulder.
“I only said that so you’d come with me. Besides, I’ve been here before, and you haven’t, so, technically, I am giving a tour.”
Justin and I follow behind the girls, who chat animatedly.
I catch bits and pieces of their conversation.
Jessie’s telling Oakley about some of the native trees and plants that can be found in the mountains here.
Bandit lets out a low whine, looking between Oakley’s swaying form and me, his eyes begging.
“Go ahead, bud.”
He takes off at a sprint towards the girls and sidles up to Oakley, who reaches down to pat the top of his head while she continues her conversation, like it’s the most natural thing in the world to have my dog beside her.
Justin whistles low. “You are so screwed, man.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think Bandit likes her more than he likes you.”
I send an elbow towards him, but he dodges it easily.
“Not saying it’s true, because it’s not, but I think I’d be okay with that.”
Justin chuckles. “Oh yeah. You’re totally screwed.”
It’s a three-mile hike to the waterfall and, after a while, the four of us fall into a comfortable silence, save for the sound of our heavy breathing and the occasional black fly buzzing around our heads.
Oakley still walks ahead of me, but I’m not complaining.
There’s an excitement that laces every eager step she takes, and the swing of her hips as she moves makes my mouth water.
I’m not necessarily staring at her ass, but…
Okay, I’m staring at her ass.
Round and firm. How could I not when it rivals every view around us?
Our pace slows as we take the final incline in the trail that will put us out right in front of the waterfall.
Bandit sticks close by Oakley’s side, her fingers brushing the top of his head with every step.
Something feral rumbles deep in my chest at the sight of her with my dog—and his unwavering loyalty to her already.
We round the final bend, and Oakley stops dead in her tracks and lets out a little gasp as she takes in the sight of the waterfall.
I wish I could see the look in her eyes as she witnesses it for the first time.
I remember the utter awe I felt the first time I saw the gushing crystal clear water and how small I felt in comparison to it.
Justin and I come up next to the girls, and Jessie is taking pictures of the waterfall on her phone.
Oakley gives herself a shake before pulling her phone out of her pack.
I watch her from the corner of my eye, noting the slight frown she gives her phone screen before swiping up on the camera app and snapping a couple of pictures.
“Do you want me to take one for you?” I ask, my voice low and gruff. I clear my throat, and Oakley turns to look at me, stirring the air around her and causing the scent of her lavender shampoo to wash over me. Her eyes are bright and full of wonder as she holds her phone out to me.
“Would you?” She stands in front of the waterfall, looking up at it for a moment and, while I know she’ll want one of it behind her, I can’t help but take a picture of her gazing up at it towering above her. She turns and gives a shy smile, and I take another.
“Come on. You can do better than that.”
She laughs, and my thumb taps the capture button. Bandit runs up to her, plopping his butt down on top of her feet, and I capture the sight of her head thrown back in laughter.
“Bandit! Here, boy!” Justin snaps his fingers over my shoulder.
Bandit ignores him and continues to stare up at Oakley with what can only be described as hearts in his eyes. He turns his head, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, and I snap another. Jessie throws her arm around Oakley’s shoulders, and I capture a few more.
“Alright, that’s enough. Now, for the fun part!” Jessie exclaims, bouncing on her toes in anticipation.
“Oh good. And here I thought the hike was the fun part.”
Jessie rolls her eyes at Justin’s remark. She may act annoyed with him ninety percent of the time, but I know she secretly loves his teasing. If only they both weren’t so stubborn.
Oakley’s phone buzzes in my hand, and before I can stop myself, I glance down to see a text from an unknown number lighting up the screen.
Unknown
This isn’t over. You can run, but you can’t hide.
My stomach drops and my thoughts race, my senses on high alert as the words roll like movie credits through my mind. My pulse thunders in my ears, and Bandit, sensing my rapid shift, returns to my side, looking up at me with a questioning look.
The flash of blonde hair catches my attention as Oakley moves to stand in front of me. I quickly lock the phone and hand it back to her without a word. I don’t want her to know I saw the message. It’s none of my business.
My body protests the thought, but I take a deep breath and bring myself back to the present, to the trail I’m standing on and the waterfall in front of me.
“You know what comes next?”
“Um, no…?” Apprehension drips in her tone as she looks up at me.
“Hell yeah! Initiation time!” Justin lets out a whoop and takes off running.
Jessie follows, laughing as she yells at him to wait up.
Oakley’s expression can only be described as pure fear as her blue-gray eyes peer up at me. This close to her, I can count the freckles that grace the bridge of her nose.
“Initiation?”
“Do you trust me?”
She considers it for a moment before giving a tentative nod. I shoot her a wide grin before turning around and jogging backwards after the others, throwing my arms out to the sides.
“You coming?” I call out to her.
A second of hesitation, a look of determination that passes over her face, and then she’s jogging after me, her smile growing wider with each step she takes.
Attagirl.