Page 9 of Campfires & Canines
"Don't you dare." Marigold's voice rises, half threatening and half laughing.
"I wasn't going to!" he whines.
Hazel laughs, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Onyx, Cedar, you guys are on dish duty tonight." I try to make it sound like it's a planned assignment and not something I decided in the moment. But if Onyx doesn't back off, I am going to seriously injure him.
"No way!" he starts to argue, but Cedar is already standing.
"We better get going. Bye, Hazel." He drags Onyx away.
"I'm sorry about him," Marigold whispers, leaning into Hazel.
"They're pretty funny." Hazel shrugs. She's a peacekeeper, I can tell. It makes me like her even more, but it also triggers my protective instincts. She would let others make her uncomfortable just to keep everyone happy.
The tables around us are clearing. Heath hasn't returned and the sun is dipping below the tree line. Under the canopy, it'll be dark already.
“I better get home too. Here, let me take your plates.” Marigold stacks our plates and cups before Hazel can protest.
“Thank you!” she shouts after Marigold.
When it’s only us at the table, she looks at me and then away, her lips pressing together firmly.
"Hazel, let me walk you to your cabin."
"That's okay." Hazel stands, stepping over the bench. "I can manage."
She reluctantly makes eye contact with me again. Flecks of gold drift in her irises, highlighting the warm brown.
"Hazel, just let me walk you. It's getting dark and the trees look different after sunset." I keep my tone even and nonthreatening. She looks up as if she didn't see the sky darkening.
"Okay." Her one-word answer is punctuated by her bottom lip rolling between her teeth.
We walk in silence, the voices of other families wafting through the trees. She steps carefully but still manages to stumble. I offer my hand but she ignores it. From the shy glances she gives me, I can tell she's embarrassed. But I can clearly see the brush and uneven terrain her eyes don't pick up. I would never expect her to move through the woods like I do.
She arrived a few hours ago, a mantra I repeat in my head. She needs space to recover from a bad breakup, not advances from a stranger. Besides, I have no idea how to flirt and am under strict orders to treat her with the utmost deference.
I can’t imagine what Heath would do if he knew the thoughts going through my head, the urges that keep rising in me, or the way my body sings this close to her.
She reaches the cabin steps and turns to me. For a second, I swear she's gazing at my mouth. I'm too close to her. It would take the slightest step to close the gap.
In the fading light, her eyes are darker. The gold-brown darkens into the color of earth, rich and deep. I can't seem to step back.
She gazes up at me and her pupils dilate. My breath catches - she's reacting to me like prey, like I'm dangerous. I've seen the expression on plenty of animals before.
I jerk away and stuff my hands into my pockets, my heart hammering
"Good night."
"Night, Slate." The right corner of her mouth tugs up into a half-smile before she closes the door in my face. Fair enough.
I have to get rid of this minor obsession I formed when she stepped out of her beater car and the sun lit her eyes into honey. The problem is, I have no idea how to stop.
3. Hikes & Hot Guys
Hazel
Inestle into the thick blanket on my uncle's window seat, bringing my hot cocoa to my lips. Its heat slowly radiates throughout my body. This is heavenly.
