Page 41 of Lakesides and Longing

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After they allwatched the fireworks together Paige and Blake headed back to Paige’s parents’ place. Paige climbed into bed, and Blake tried not to stare. Every day it was getting harder and harder to resist her. It was warmer here in Mackinac and Paige’s pajamas barely covered her.

“What’s with the sunrise thing?” she asked.

“Oh, it’s a tradition. Every trip we watch the sunrise together the last morning. It started several years ago when Hayden had an eight a.m. flight. We all got up to see him off, and a tradition was born. Now everyone basically heads home right afterward.”

“Well, don’t forget to set your alarm.”

Oh, she wasn’t getting away with that. “Me? You have to go too.”

He climbed in under his own blanket but stayed on his side of the bed.

“No, I don’t. It’s your stupid tradition.” He didn’t know how she couldn’t see that she was part of their group. They’d all embraced her.

“You’re one of us now. You have to come with.” He didn’t know how but he had every intention of making sure she was at the next fourth of July as well. He couldn’t imagine them without her.

She patted the sheets for her phone. “You might have to carry me out of here. It’s been a long couple of days.”

He gave her a grin, not able to help himself. “I won’t mind.”

She swatted his arm. “I think I left my phone downstairs. I’ll grab it.”

Blake’s head hit the pillow, and he must’ve been more tired than he thought because he was out before she got back.

* * *

“What the hell?”

Lights blinded Blake as he tried to orient himself. Paige jerked up off his chest and out of his arms. Lukas towered over the both of them.

Blake scrambled out of bed and was acutely aware that he was only wearing boxers. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

“It looks like you are in bed with my sister. I don’t know how that can look any different.”

“Oh, grow up, Lukas,” Paige shouted. That was not helpful.

“Grow up? Excuse me. I left my grown-up friend to take care of my grown-up sister and not screw her. Looks like I’m the only grown-up here who can control myself. But I’m done being a grown-up.”

If Blake had been more awake, he would’ve seen it coming, but he wasn’t, so when Lukas’s fist connected with his nose, his head snapped back.

He didn’t bother hitting back. He’d deserved it.

“Lukas!” Paige shouted. But he stormed from the room. Blake tried running after him, but Paige stopped him. “You’re bleeding and not dressed. Let me help you clean up and then we can go after him.”

Blake held a hand up to his nose. “Not we. Me. I’m the one he’s mad at, not you.”

Paige didn’t argue, for which Blake was grateful for and helped him clean his face. His nose throbbed with the pain.

“I don’t think it’s broken, but you’ll definitely have a black eye.”

That was a small price to pay. He pulled on a pair of shorts and tugged a t-shirt over his head, avoiding any contact with his face.

He’d planned on just packing up their stuff before they left for the sunrise, but depending on how long it took with Lukas, they could miss the first ferry. “Can you pack my stuff up? We’ll head home after I’m done with him.”

“What if he tries to stop you from taking me home?”

“We’re adults, remember? We don’t need his permission. But I would like his blessing.” It was time to stop playing games with Paige. He was ready to take this to the next level.

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