Page 36 of Artfully Wild
SKYLAR
“Are you going to tell me where we are going yet?” Jacob asks as we head outside.
Instead of answering his question, I keep walking to the side of his house until we can fully see the rest of his driveway that stretches the length of the house.
“Wait, you fixed it?” he yells enthusiastically.
“Technically, Axel did. And it does still need alotof work, but he gave it the all clear to drive at least. So, we are going to be the first ones. Well, technically, second, because I drove it over here.”
He walks over to the battered, old vintage styled RV that has definitely seen better days, but it’smybattered piece of junk and I don’t think I would trade it for anything. The rounded headlights are slightly cracked and the bumper has seen more scrapes from branches, wildlife, rocks and everything else that comes with driving thousands of miles on highways and staying at various campsites. The front of it almost resembles a classic hippie van from the ‘70s. There’s a picture on Dad’s bedside table of my mom in front of a bright orange and brown classic hippie ‘70s van—flared jeans with flowersdraped on the side, bumblebees stitched above them, along with a bright button up, tied at the waist—she owned as a teenager and has always been proud of because she loved that van so much. Her long blonde hair was wavy and wisps of it blew in the wind, the only thing keeping most of it in place was a thin headband that matched her shirt. She still has such a bohemian spirit.
The orange paint on the outside of my RV resembles hers almost exactly, except mine is faded and chipped in places. The frame above the tires is rusted, but once I get enough money, maybe from selling the store, I plan to fix every single thing so I have the option to go back to traveling.
This is what I traveled in before when I’d go to different places and paint. Staying in hotels was way too expensive and artists like me don’t make nearly enough money for that to even be an option, but this old girl got me by.
When it was time for me to come home, I enlisted Axel to try to fix up all the issues I kept at bay by watching tutorial videos on the internet—easy fixes and small parts here and there that I could replace on my own. But the repairs I needed to do became more of a hassle than I was ready to take on, so I promised myself that while I was home to take care of the store, I’d get the RV fixed up completely so I can travel again.
When I asked Axel about getting it ready to drive by today, he wasn’t entirely too thrilled with the idea of getting it running in a few days' time since he had other cars that needed his attention, but as soon as I told him what it was for, he dropped everything. If Axel is anything, he is a romantic at heart. Especially when it comes to the Waters family apparently.
From what I understand, he nudged Hudson over a cliff when he wasn’t sure what to do about his feelings for Avery. I just wish he would take his own advice and do something about a certain black-haired friend he can’t take his eyes off of when she tags along with me to Axel’s.
“C’mon,” Jacob says, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the RV. “Give me a tour!”
“Why are you so excited?” I laugh.
“What do you mean?”
We stop in front of the faded red door and I fantasize about painting it and the entire exterior light blue.
“I mean, why are you so excited to see the inside of a beat up RV? You’ve seen this thing a million times before.”
He doesn’t respond. He just stares at me like he’s never seen me before, or maybe like I’ve never seen him?
“What?” I ask, quietly, part of me afraid to hear what he is thinking.
“I…,” he starts and grabs both my hands in his. “There’s a lot I have pushed down over the years. My feelings for you. The absolute heartbreak I felt when I came home from college and you were still gone traveling. I was over the moon you were out there following your dreams, but coming home without my best friend here sucked.” He inhales deeply before he continues, emotion behind his voice. “When it comes to you, I have waited to act on my feelings for far too long and I don’t want to do that anymore, Skylar. In fact, I’m not going to. From here on out, I am going to show you how happy I am, howexcitedI am to not only see you move forward, but to one daythrive.I won’t hide anything anymore. And I am just so proud of you, little sparrow. You’re starting to fly again.”
He cups my cheek, swiping his thumb to catch the tear that must have fallen while he was talking. My eyes are big fat traitors.
“I never took you for a crier,” he teases and it lightens the tension he created between us.
“I never used to be so fucking sensitive. But you rubbed off on me, Sinclair.”
I give him a playful shove and his eyes go from mischevious to something I can’t quite place. Menacing sounds too dark.And intimidating isn’t right either. But there’s something in his expression that charges the air around us. The snow becomes static and when it melts into my skin, I feel the electricity from his gaze—lightning in a rain storm and I am holding an umbrella.
“Rubbing off on you has become one of my favorite activities.”
My whole body tenses at his words. I have never been spoken to likethatbefore. Not by anyone. And hearing it from him is…exciting. Daring. Something I need to hear more of.
I give him a half smile, playing into his game. “Mmmm, just wait until there are no clothes between us, Sinclair.”
He moves closer until his lips are hovering just inches away from mine, “Don’t be a tease, sweetheart.”
“You started it,” I argue back before he crushes his lips to mine, backing us up until I feel the coolness of the RV pressing against me. Jacob encircles my wrist in his hand, bringing it above my head followed by the other one, his fingers pinning both of them in place as his tongue parts my lips. His other hand is on my waist inching up the fabric of the shirt I tucked into my pants for warmth. I didn’t need layers to stay warm apparently. All I need are his hands on me. The heat from him reaches all the way to my toes, the chill in the air doesn’t exist anymore. The only thing here is him and me, our bodies tangling together as the snow swirls around us.
Jacob’s arm reaches out, feeling for the door and once he finds the latch, he lifts me in his arms, my legs naturally wrapping around him. Something I never thought I would do with him because of our agreement. Now I’ve done it a handful of times and I wish I’d done it more over the years. Slowly, he makes his way up the three small steps and through the narrow path to the bed in the back.
When I was a kid, I was amazed by how spacious RVs and campers were and I always promised myself mine would be justas roomy. The pathway to the back is wide enough that Jacob can walk through it without having to maneuver us sideways. When his knees hit the bed, he gently lowers me down and our kisses go from frenzied and eager to slow and steady. He’s kissing me like he needs my touch to breathe.
