Page 79 of Class Clown

I understood why he was concerned about my reaction when he said, “The other day you told me I should go after the thing that will make me happy.”

I instantly understood what he was saying, and rather than pull away I relaxed my hands and wrapped my arms snugly around his waist, settling in, giving in. It was the best hug of my life, standing there in the frozen forest, my heart beating too hard. Its rhythm synched up with his and in answer to his words I wanted to rise up on my toes and kiss him endlessly. I didn’t want to fight this. It felt different, and right, and I pulled back to look him in the eye. He raised his head from mine to look back down at me.

“You’re it,” he whispered. “In case that wasn’t clear. If where I live is the only thing holding you back, then I think you should stop worrying about it.”

His words stole my breath. “I’m thinking about kissing you,” I replied. I licked my lips and his head dipped toward mine. “I’d like to respectfully ask you not to notify HR.”

“I promise.”

I pressed up as he moved down until our mouths met. His lips were warm and soft, two adjectives I’d never associated with Nico before this summer. The forest sounds disappeared as his mouth moved against mine and I responded. My hands chased up his back until my palms were flat against his shoulder blades and I was pressing him closer. He kissed slowly, like he wanted to savor something sweet and imprint it in his mind, and for the first time in my life I didn’t want to speed my way through it. I wanted to feel it too. Every press of his lips, every time his chest lifted with breath, the way his heart pounded against mine. His hands moved down my back until he was gripping my waist in strong hands. The kiss gained momentum and soon we were breathing heavily, pressing as close as we could, and I wondered why I’d thought I had to leave him alone, why I hadn’t trusted this connection. This man kissed me like he knew me, like he’d been waiting for me, and I sank into it until we both had to come up for air.

I pressed my forehead against his chest and he ran light fingertips along my spine as we both gasped into the stillness. The blanket had fallen to the ground, but I didn’t feel the cold. I smiled, slowly releasing my hold on him inch-by-inch.

I pulled back to search his face right as a flashlight cut across the trees above us. Startled, I yanked back, stepping on the blanket as I jerked my hands from his sides. It wasn’t a moment too soon, because a second flashlight whipped through and went directly across Nico’s face, and then mine.

“Nico and Ruby, we found you!” a chorus of young voices called out. “We win!”

They cheered and came barreling up the hill, but I only had eyes for Nico. He was standing with his arms to his sides, his hands fisted, his expression intense, and I understood that I was no longer going to be the only one calling the shots.

Chapter 19

Ruby’s Truth: If you’re going to be a chicken, you’ll probably get fried.

Avoidance, dear friends, is a tool I rarely use but when I do, I’m expert level. I’m so good that the person doesn’t even know they’re being avoided. The Mission Impossible game had been on a Wednesday night. It was now Friday afternoon and I’d kept myself especially busy, working my days around the schedule Nico had been following.

This was entirely because I didn’t want to have to talk about that kiss. The Kiss. Being held by Nico had been like home and I didn’t regret it at all. The problem wasn’t that we’d kissed, or that he’d said he wanted to pursue me. The problem was that I’d heard those things before and they’d ended. I couldn’t stand the idea that he might join the ranks by saying it was an accident, or we should take it slow, or that the summer was halfway over and who knew what the future held.

Nico felt different in every way, and because of that, I felt more vulnerable than I ever had in the past. I was truly worried that after our kiss he’d rethink things. Maybe he hadn’t zinged like I had. I wanted those moments to live in the magic of my mind for a little longer.

Had avoiding the conversation involved a lot of time in the health center? Yes. Because committed people commit. Like Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality.’

I usually looked forward to weekends when the campers left and the staff could kind of bum around for a while, but this weekend I was seriously considering driving down to Flagstaff and holing up at a hotel until this jittery feeling passed.

On the bright side, I had a special treat coming up. I’d spoken to Cole about having my friends come spend some time, and he’d given me the green light. Aryn and Meredith had arranged to clear their schedules and were coming, and I was beyond thrilled. I was so happy about them joining me that I didn’t have time to feel sad that Hailey and Lizzie couldn’t come too. You take what you get and you don’t throw a fit.

I tugged on my camp uniform and was brushing through my hair in preparation for the parents to arrive and pick up their kiddos, when Cole entered the health center wearing his own uniform. It was the only outfit he ever wore that wasn’t wrinkled, which I found amusing because it proved he chose to live the rumpled life.

“Ah, this is where you live now, huh?” he said.

“You boys got too stinky,” I responded with a grin.

“We definitely benefit from your scented lotions and body spray.” He agreed, taking a seat behind my desk. “What’s the real reason I haven’t seen much of you for the past forty-eight hours?”

I gestured around the room and then began the work of plaiting my hair. “This place has been hopping. Lots of people on site means lots of little issues that need attending.”

“Are you pouting because you lost Mission Impossible?”

I turned and gaped at him. “I don’t think being the last one found would be considered losing.”

He grinned. “True, but technically you and Nico were caught together, and I know you haven’t always liked him. Did you have a fight out there in the dark forest?”

My mind flitted back to that night, Nico’s hand wrapping around mine under the cozy heat of his blanket, while the trees cocooned us. His lips, so warm and eager pressed to mine. The feeling offinally. My cheeks warmed and I turned back to the mirror over the sink.

“Nico and I don’t fight.”

“Okay, well help me understand, then, why my sister has all but disappeared and my best friend isn’t talking at all.” He leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms behind his head.

“Nico has always been a quiet person.”

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