Page 18 of So Worth More
I helped clean up and pack up snacks, trying to avoid being too close to him in the small kitchen. Occasionally our fingers would brush and I could feel the tingles from the innocent touch run up my hand. We moved around each other in a coordinated dance, not needing words to ask the other to pass things.
The spell was broken by the others coming in, pulling our focus away.
Sixteen - Andy
The area we were staying at was beautiful. Picturesque, with hills and valleys that we could roam for days. As a group, we explored a few of the trails, taking lots of breaks to accommodate Gem. It was the perfect day for being outside, mild with a clear sky. Soothed by the sounds of nature, we all lapsed into silence. Only our footsteps and heavy breathing broke the tranquility.
I’d noticed before that Will didn’t talk that much, seeming to prefer to observe the others than take part in conversations. I think he also needed to recharge after a while, like being around so many big personalities was taxing.
Often, I found him sketching on our breaks. He would perch somewhere and draw. Sipping water, or munching on an apple, he would trace the shapes of trees and rocks in his notebook. I was desperate to see what lay in those pages. I’d seen a few of his drawings before at work. He was gifted, utterly wasted in advertising. He should’ve been an artist like his mom apparently was. I noticed that he was calmer with his sketchbook in hand, a smile teasing at the corner of his lips.
We passed the day easily. The tension of the morning was gone now that Gem had been placated. When she was happy, she was a lovely woman, but I just didn’t see why Henry was staying with her. They didn’t make each other happy.
When we got back to the house, Gem went off to get ready for dinner. She and Henry were eating out again. Tired after a long day hiking a few of the nearby trails, I was glad we’d decided to do the same. I was relieved that we’d picked a bar with great food that came highly recommended rather than the upscale restaurant that Gem had picked.
The small town was a short car ride from where we were, so we decided to drive in and see what it had to offer. Dylan abstained from alcohol, and had offered to be our designated driver for the night which pleased the rest of us. Will happily passed him the keys to his SUV and sat in the back with me and Pete. As the smallest of the two, I ended up squished in the middle both times, and I was thankful that the journey wouldn’t take long.
The beers and the shots had clearly lowered all of my inhibitions because the next morning, as I woke wrapped up in Will again, I could clearly remember the way I’d cuddled up to Will before falling asleep. Also the sleepy, tipsy kisses that we had exchanged before passing out, thankfully far too drunk to go any further.
Fuck my life!I was being the shittest friend, constantly making moves on the guy when he’d made his feelings clear. I needed to stop using Will as my personal body pillow and get a grip.
Extricating myself carefully, I gathered up my things quickly, hoping not to wake Will. Wincing slightly at the quick movements that were making my head pound, I had a brisk cool shower, minus the jerkoff session because my dick did not deserve attention this morning. He kept getting me into trouble when I let him take the lead. Dressing quickly in khaki shorts and a blue t-shirt that was just a smidge too tight, I carefully tiptoed through the bedroom and downstairs in search of a bucket full of caffeine for this headache.
“Andy!” Gem’s voice speared through my head and I rubbed my temples as she approached me at the breakfast bar. “Sorry, I was wondering if you were into doing a slightly longer hike today? Maybe one of the mid-level trails? We did well yesterday with the ones that we did and Henry doesn’t want to go into town again.” She pouted. “What d’you think? Did you guys have anything planned? Maybe we should stay as a group?”
“Um, yeah? Maybe…I dunno if we really had firm plans. I’d made a list of stuff for us to do but it seems that a lot of the things on there are out of season now.” I paused to think over what we had discussed yesterday.
Pete had hoped that Henry would want to do stuff as a group, but that depended a lot on Gem. Here she was offering, so I really couldn’t say no. Me offering to adjust our plans yesterday had apparently made her thaw towards me. Not sure where I stood on that, but it was better than her being hateful, I suppose. “I think we were just going to hang out by the lake, but if you want to go on another hike then I could go for that.” Her face lit up and I couldn’t help but feel bad. She was trying to get on with us and desperately trying to make Henry happy.
“Will,” she called, seeing him approach us in the kitchen. I tuned out of their conversation, trying to concentrate on the really important task of getting my coffee perfect, until I heard my name. “Andy thinks it’d be good. Something for us to do as a group, don’t ya?”
My head raised and I met Will’s eyes. I could feel a blush run over my cheeks at how I’d cuddled up to him last night. Him passing out on me was a blessing. This moment would be a hundred times more awkward if we’d fucked. The blush darkened, I could feel the heat of it and Will’s smile and head tilt made it clear he knew I was thinking about the night before.
“You okay there, Andy?” he asked as he rounded the breakfast bar to stand by my side, his rumbling voice sent a shiver through me and he smirked. “You look warm.” he pressed a hand to my forehead. “Nope, no fever. Something on your mind?” He winked at me and the relief was overwhelming that he wasn’t going to make it a big deal. Resting a hand on my shoulder, he squeezed it as he reached over to get the coffee pot and get his fix.
Looking at Gem, who stood in the doorway watching us with fascination, he smiled and shrugged. “If Andy thinks it’s a plan, I’m in. I’m sure we can get the others on board, too.” Gem clapped with delight before begging me for help with packing up snacks and drinks for all of us.
Sure enough, Gem’s enthusiasm was infectious, and the others were up for a longer, slightly more challenging hike. We loaded up with a decent breakfast and made sure to get the right shoes on, Gem complaining about how ugly her hiking boots were. “You’d end up with blisters in sneakers,” I carefully reminded her. I didn’t want to undo the bridge building that I had done this weekend.
“Fair point,” she said affably. Pete quirked an eyebrow at the exchange and I gave a one-armed shrug in reply when Gem wasn’t looking, not wanting to question it.
We took two cars to the starting point of the trail, not wanting to add on a couple of miles on top of the mid-level hike. Pete rode with us again, all of us just assuming we would divide in the way that we’d arrived here. “What’s up with the personality transplant from Gem?” he questioned.
“No idea, but it’s about time,” remarked Will from the driver’s seat. I was in the back trying to put a little distance between Will and I. The others had been giving us looks this morning, so I think there’d been some crossed lines the previous evening. My memory was just a little vague on details on what’d happened after the first bar, and the shots. I didn’t drink a lot, often having a soda at the bar with the others, so I was a bit of a lightweight.
“I’m just glad she isn’t causing drama,” I chimed in. “This is our last full day here and I want to enjoy it, not listen to them fight. So if she’s decided she’s in a good mood, then great. Makes it peaceful, you know?” They nodded their agreements.
Since Will knew the area better than we did, our car was in the lead, with the other car following. We pulled up in the small parking lot and started to gather up our packs. Checking the route and the weather one last time, we set off.
The first little while was serene. We’d lucked out with mild weather for nearing the end of October. If it had rained at all, it must have been while we were sleeping, as there was hardly a cloud in the sky.
Brad, Dylan, and Pete were leading the group with Will and I behind them and Gem and Henry behind us. We’d walked a couple of miles, just enjoying the open air and the sounds of a river nearby, when Gem started to complain. I turned to Will to see him rolling his eyes as her words took on a decidedly whiny tone. “My feet hurt. Henry, wait up! You’re going too fast for me.” Henry’s pace didn’t seem to slow; in fact he seemed determined to pass me and Will so that he could walk with Pete, but Gem was insistent that he stay with her. She slowed, and taking pity on her, I suggested we take a short break.
“Gem?”
“Yeah?”
“You want me to look at your foot?” I knew how miserable blisters could be on an easier trail.
