Page 30 of Closer than Ever

Anna put her tools away in her toolbox and clipped it shut with a satisfying click. “It was nothing. I live for this stuff.”

Hayley laughed. “I’m sure you do. This is the perfect space for me to travel around in. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Hayley lingered on Anna before looking away.

“Good. So are you ready to go for our walk today?”

“Sure am.”

A few hours later they were walking through the woods towards a hidden loch that not many people knew about, nestled high up in the hills. Anna loved this walk but hadn’t been here in years. The last time was with Tiffany, who had complained the entire time. The woods were less dense than she remembered. It was so quiet around them.

“Is that the water?” Hayley pointed to a clearing in the woods.

“Yep. That’s it.”

They reached the water’s edge. The loch was calm and still before them. Hayley sat down on a rock. “It’s stunning. Off the beaten track, literally.”

Anna sat down across from her, on another rock. At the edge of the loch, they sat looking out at the water, not saying much. It seemed like there was something on Hayley’s mind. Her hair was tied back, making her look younger and more like the Hayley she used to know, like the Hayley who used to confide in her and who used to big spoon her in bed at night. She missed that Hayley.

“See those mountains there?” Anna pointed to the peaks beyond the loch.

Hayley looked up. “Yeah.”

“You can do a circular walk all along the mountain tops and see for miles around. The views are incredible.”

“Cool.” Hayley looked at Anna. “You sure you don’t want to come with me? Just think of all the things like that you could point out and show off your knowledge about.”

Anna laughed. “You want a tour guide?”

“Is that such a bad thing?”

Beside them, something rustled. Anna snapped her head around. A red squirrel was bouncing around and then darted up a tree near to them. “Look!”

“I see it!”

The red squirrel disappeared up the tree, leaving Anna and Hayley squinting up at the tree for ages after it trying to get another look.

“Red squirrels are rarely seen. The grey squirrels have been decimating the red population.”

“That’s so cool. That we saw it, I mean. Not that they are dying out.”

“Yeah.”

“I think it’s a sign.”

“A sign of what?”

“That you should come with me.”

Anna looked away. She was still making her mind up, in truth. At least Hayley seemed to genuinely want her to go. In some small way, Anna was enjoying how much Hayley kept asking her. But time was running out. Anna had to make her mind up soon, or Hayley would be gone again. “You are nothing if not persistent, aren’t you?”

“Yep, always have been.”

They held each other’s eyes for a few seconds longer than necessary. Being this close to Hayley for so long was disarming. She wished she could just be a normal friend to Hayley, not a friend who was harbouring hidden feelings. Whether they were real feelings based on seeing her again or just a hangover from the past, it was impossible to deny that they were there. Anna looked back out towards the still and relatively untouched loch.

“Your sleeve.” Hayley touched Anna’s bare upper arm, just under the sleeve of her t-shirt. “I’m still waiting to find out what it all means.”

This one simple touch caused instant tingles to spread down low in Anna’s body. Anna smiled, despite her inner turmoil, despite the war between her body and her mind. “Oh. Yeah.”

“A thistle”?Hayley rubbed her thumb over her lower arm?“Wrapped in a Celtic knot.” She slid her hand up Anna’s arm, higher still to just underneath her sleeve line. “Another thistle, wrapped in leaves, leading up to a wolf’s head.” She paused. “May I?”

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