Page 94 of How You See Me
He winks and sets me down. “Okay. Race ya!” He jogs down the platform and stops beside a hideous yellow car, his foot perched on the hood.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
His gives me the hottest, yet devilish smile. “I would, and I am.” He disappears inside the kart, and I wish I knew which color he loathed so I could pay him back. But I’m loving the sunny day shining in him far too much and stick with my lucky pink kart.
This stop on our journey has accomplished more than one mission and released us both from our burdens . . . if only temporarily. But I pray for this peace to take root and never stop growing.
???
I didn’t finish close to the leaders in the second or third race, but I had fun. Not to mention, Hayes hasn’t stopped smiling yet, and not one drop of alcohol was involved.
I elect to give my arms and hands a break for the last race before closing and ride with Hayes. He goes slower around all six laps, relaxing into me and enjoying the moment. Wouldn’t it be nice to sit close like this during all the hours we spend in the van?
Holding on to each other around the sharp curves feels like a physical representation of our journey so far. We feed off each other, providing comfort, peace, and safety, and we pick up where the other leaves off.
We are stronger together. We fit. It’s that simple.
I just hope Jordan agrees and doesn’t add a speed bump at our downhill coast to push us off course. It’s a possibility I don’t want to think about and ruin our bliss.
On the walk to the van, I step on something hard, and it reminds me. “Hayes, stop.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” He zeroes in on every crevice and hidden area around us, on the hunt for whatever spooked me.
I grab his arm to set him at ease, then pick up the weathered piece of concrete I’d stepped on. Not what I was hoping for. “We forgot Ava’s rock.”
“Shit.” He checks his watch. “The park closes in fifteen minutes.”
“We better hurry.”
We split up to cover more area, but the prairie grass and clay dirt don’t provide many options. With our phone lights, we crouch close to the ground and move around the facility. I find several rocks but nothing smooth until I get down on my knees and crawl along the edge of the patio.
My hand flies to it like it might roll away if I didn’t snatch it up. I call Hayes over. “Will this work?”
He takes the rock, examines all sides, then twirls me around.
“I take that as a yes.” I giggle, his joy filling my heart, until he swallows the sound with a kiss.
“Let’s go find the campground and celebrate right.”
I feel more than joy, something intense and urgent, coming from him now. But we haven’t talked to Jordan about our situationship, and I’m wondering if we shouldslow down. Then again, his hard body pressed to mine has me wondering how he’d feel in a lot of other ways without all these layers between us.
“What do you have in mind, Cowboy?”
“I'd rather show you.”
???
Minutes after leaving the adventure park, I’m not snug in Hayes’ arms. We’re not exploring each other in tantalizing new ways in the back of the van. We’re not even kissing.
Instead, I’m standing in the cookie aisle of a sketchy, half-lit grocery store, clutching a box of graham crackers while Hayes scans the shelves with military focus.
I can't decide if I'm relieved we haven’t broken any bro codes yet or sorely disappointed. I can’t decide.
“Thisis how you want to celebrate?” I ask as we travel down the aisle.
“What better way than with s’mores?”
I could think of a dozen better ways off the top of my head—most involving far fewer clothes and his hands on my body—but his boyish, heart-stealing joy has the protest dissolving on my tongue.
