Page 48 of Trustfall

I hop off before she can move, grasping her waist and lifting her off the bike and onto the ground. She goes to remove her helmet, but I bat her hand away, undoing the strap and lifting it off her head.

“I can take it off by myself, you know. Do you always insist on doing everything for every girl who rides on the back of your bike?”

“No,” I say. Her face falls a little, and I can tell there’s a hint of jealousy, even though she’s the one who brought it up.

“You’re the first girl who has been on my bike, Em,” I admit. The intensity returns to her eyes. It’s the same intensity she had when I asked her if she wanted to ride with me. I think she’s going to comment about that, but she quickly changes the subject.

“Where are we?”

“Drake Falls. It’s my favorite hiking trail. Nate and I discovered it our senior year. He only came with me that first time, though. I started coming here once or twice a month after that. When I needed to clear my head.”

“Oh,” she says, her intense eyes boring into mine. “I never knew that.”

“I guess you wouldn’t have. We didn’t talk much back then.”

“Yeah,” she agrees. “Is there an actual waterfall?”

“Yep. It’s about an hour’s hike to the waterfall and another thirty minutes to the top. The view is amazing. I brought us some snacks and a blanket so we can hang out up there for a bit. You up for it, Little Wells?”

“Absolutely.”

“Good. After you.” I gesture for her to walk in front of me.

Two hours later, we finally make it to the summit. Emory wanted to stay and take pictures by the waterfall, so we hung out there for a bit before continuing up the trail.

“This is incredible,” she says, gazing out at the expanse of trees and rocky cliffs below us. It’s late afternoon, so the sun is starting to dip down, inching toward the horizon.

“Told you,” I say as I come up behind her, wrapping my hands around her middle. “Though I think I have the better view.”

She lets out a little giggle. “Are you trying to seduce me, Luke Collins? Because if so, you have to come up with a better line than that.”

I turn her face and place a soft kiss on her temple. Then I grab the blanket from my backpack and motion for her to follow me. There’s a little grassy area surrounded by a wall of trees. It’s hidden away from the central part of the summit, but you can still see the view from it. I spread the blanket out on the grass in the secluded area and start taking out the food. She takes her shoes and socks off and sits cross-legged on the blanket. I follow her lead, taking off my boots and sitting across from her.

“If I were trying to seduce you, you would know it, Little Wells.”

She gives me an eye roll, trying not to smile, as she kneels on the blanket. “Why did you call me that back then? The night before you left?” she asks. “You never used to. Even when the guys on the team did.”

“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “It just felt right in the moment.”

“Because you thought you would never see me again?”

“Maybe.”

“I had a crush on you,” she blurts. “From the moment you moved to town. You were this new, cool guy from out-of-state, and you had that little southern accent. I mean, all the girls had a crush on you, as I’m sure you know.”

I always had a feeling she felt something for me back then. It’s clear she wants me now, but she isn’t letting herself fully lean into whatever it is we’re doing.

“Had? As in past tense?” I clarify.

She rolls her eyes again. “Still TBD as to my current state of crushing when it comes to you.”

“Oh yeah? What can I do to solidify it?” I waggle my eyebrows suggestively.

She tilts her head back, a soft laugh emanating from her diaphragm, then lightly swats my chest. “Why don’t you keep it in your pants so we can eat first?”

“I still think about that night.” Now it’s my turn to blurt out a long-buried secret I’ve held onto for years.

Her carefree smile quickly fades. “What?”

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