Page 40 of Nerdelicious
This time, Annabel answers. “All I know is Jude met both of them at the library in Valdosta. Jude was still a teenager himself, only seventeen or so. Grace was eight and Beast was about thirteen—but tall enough to be mistaken for a man, even then. I don’t know what their past was before that, only that they were on their own.” She wrinkles her nose. “Jude won’t talk about it, even to me, insists it’s not his story to tell. They bonded with Jude because of Grace and her hacking skills, and also because they didn’t have anyone else.”
“What happened to Jude’s parents?”
Annabel pauses before answering. “They’re alive. But they don’t have a relationship.”
I nod, not probing further. I’ve already poked my nose in more than what’s polite.
We drive in silence for a while, each of us lost in our thoughts.
My own inner musings are stuck on a giant of a man with a soft heart and a past so dark that he can’t even speak. What has he been through? Part of me is incredibly curious and wants all the answers, but the other part of me thinks the knowledge might break my heart. And who am I to hold his secrets?
I’m zoning out so hard, I jerk when the car stops. We’ve arrived.
“Wake up, Gracie.” Annabel puts the car in park and leans back to nudge Grace in the leg.
She rubs her eyes, heavy with sleep, and looks out the window.
We’ve parked behind Fitz’s truck. Water sparkling in the sun through thick green foliage entices me out of the car.
Jude and Fitz are sitting at a wood picnic table in the center of the campsite, playing cards.
Annabel calls out, “Do you ever stop with the games and the betting?”
“The stakes are high, darlin’. If I win this hand, Fitz is cleaning my bathroom for a month.”
“Oh. Carry on then.” Annabel waves a hand and then opens the trunk for us to grab our bags.
A couple other tents sit between the trees surrounding the main area of the campsite. I don’t see Beast anywhere, though.
“Can we go swimming now? I already have my suit on.” Grace is practically dancing in place, all remnants of her nap blown away at the idea of beach and water and sunshine.
“Let’s unpack first and see if there’s anything else that needs to be set up. We have to find the towels and everything anyway,” Reese says before bouncing over to Fitz. She leans into him for a long hug. On the other side of the table, Annabel greets Jude with a kiss. Like they all didn’t just see each other last night.
The sky is blue, the birds are chirping, and the air is fresh with the scents of pine and clean sunshine. At this elevation, the heat isn’t quite as oppressive. There are a few other campsites in this circle, but the closest one is about fifty feet off and unoccupied. Our campsite is a wide area of packed dirt and grass. There’s a firepit and camp table in the center. Next to the table, I pick through a pile of camping gear, bags, coolers, and lanterns, looking for the bag with my tent.
We brought four tents in total. The couples, of course, each have their own and Beast is sharing a tent with Grace. I have my own little one-man pop-up.
That’s me. Cursed to wander alone forever like the Phantom Stranger.
“Has anyone seen—” Jumping at a gentle touch on my arm, I flap like I’m being attacked by murder hornets.
Beast is standing next to me, silent as a statue. I put a hand on my chest. “You gave me a heart attack. How do you move so quietly even in the forest? Never mind. What’s up?”
He motions for me to follow him and leads me past the table and around a few looming pine trees to where he’s already put up my tent in a spot of shade. The tarp peeks out from underneath, and the netted doorway is folded open. My sleeping bag is already laid out and ready to go.
“Oh, thank you.” It’s a good spot, far enough from the happy couples that I might not hear any frisky behaviors but close enough that I won’t have to worry about getting eaten by a bear.
He nods at me and then lumbers away, leaving me to toss my bag of clothes and toiletries into the little tent. I pull out my smaller beach bag packed with a towel, sunscreen, and a book. Inside the tent, there’s a lantern in one corner and an unopened water bottle in a storage flap sewn into the tent wall.
I smile at the little gestures of comfort. He’s so good at taking care of everyone in small ways, but if I learned anything from Jack, it’s that the small things matter the most. The big gestures are nothing compared to the minutiae of life.
Heading back to the main area, I pass Grace and Beast.
“Do you have to sleep right by the door?” Grace asks from inside the tent. “You’re so overprotective. What if I have to pee in the middle of the night? I’ll have to climb over you.”
Standing outside the door, facing her, he shakes his head and crosses his arms over his chest.
“Ugh you’re annoying.” The grumbled words are halfhearted at best. “Will you blow up my flamingo?”
