Page 24 of Bloom

Deep breath. Big smile. A hope and a prayer that I maintain even a tiny bit of composure. And then, I open the door and get out, only briefly getting caught up on the wide chest in my direct eye line before tilting my gaze upward. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Impossibly broad shoulders lift in a lazy shrug.

“Are you…” I trail off, briefly glancing around the empty lot. “Are you waiting for someone?”

When he nods, I deflate just a little.

“Shall we?”

I blink. “Shall we what?”

Hunter jerks his head towards the sign marking the start of the trail.

I stare at the sign. I stare at him. I dare to ask, so quietly it’s practically an embarrassing whisper, “You were waiting for me?”

He nods again.

“Why?”

“Felt like it.”

He felt like it. Simple as that. Said with a shrug and utter nonchalance, as if last week he wasn’t calling me a nuisance. As if him showing up at the trail I told him I was taking, wearing freakingshortsand a loose muscle tee I would dare to call cropped, is normal.

I swallow and try very hard to mimic his calm demeanor. “Cool.”

If I didn’t know any better, I would say his perfect posture softens just a little. “Yeah?”

I nod.

“You ready?”

I nod again, so freaking eager, but that’s not quite as mortifying as the double thumbs-up I flash.

Hunter might smile. I can’t be sure since he turns away so quickly, starting towards the trailhead and leaving me with this weird, indistinguishable feeling in my belly.

Whatever it is, I steel myself against it. I shush the voice in my head contemplating hopping back in my car and speeding away out of fear this will be the most awkward few hours of my life. Instead, I search for the bright side.

If I get lost, I won’t be alone.

If I hurt myself, someone will be there to help me.

If Hunter is here, ready to trek into the freaking wilderness with me, willingly subjecting himself to my unavoidable company for hours, maybe that means he doesn't dislike me quite as much as I think he does.

I think I might be losing my mind.

I'm not sure what's happening. Well, no, I know what's happening—I'm hiking with Hunter. Because hefelt like it, areason that becomes less and less satisfactory with every step we take.

I don't know what to do with myself. I feel... I don't know. Not awkward, but weird. Tense. Like there’s too much energy zipping beneath my skin, making me restless. I figure the whole exercise thing should expel some of it, but then I glance up, my gaze lands on Hunter, and it kicks up a notch.

We hike in relative silence, only broken by the buzz of nature, the crunch of the gravel beneath our feet, heavy breaths—myheavy breaths. Chest tight with exertion, I’ve long since discarded my sweaty t-shirt. I can’t even find it in me to be self-conscious; passing out from heat exhaustion seems infinitely more mortifying than stripping down to my sports bra.

Hunter, on the other hand, barely works up a sweat. He strides ahead of me, far enough away that I’m relatively sure he can’t hear how loud I’m panting, but not too far that it’s rude. Not far enough that I can’t clearly see brawny calf muscles or pumping biceps or a flash of lower back when he lifts the hem of his tee to wipe his face.

I drop my gaze.

Nope.

Not looking.

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