15

Aspen

I had kissed guys before, but nothing like what happened with Blaise in my tent. No way, and I was embarrassed. But I also wasn’t embarrassed, because he was so nice about it all.

This morning, he’d still been nice about it, waking me up with more kisses and those fingers moving inside me once again.

He never pushed me. Not once.

After I came, he kissed me on the lips and said, “I’m running to the gas station. Be back with morning coffee and donuts.”

That was twenty minutes ago.

While he was gone, I went to the river to wash up. I changed clothes and began putting everything away. I knew Blaise would go back today, and I knew there’d be a fight if I tried to stay. So I was giving in, but it wasn’t because of him. To be honest, I didn’t know why I was giving in. Maybe it was because I couldn’t feel Owen, or maybe I’d lost the desire to camp after last night.

Whatever the reason, I had most of my stuff put together by the time Blaise pulled back up in his Wagon.

He got out, flashing me a smile—a drink holder with coffees in one hand and a bag of donuts in the other as he came down the trail. He took in the near-empty campsite with a slight frown before setting the coffees and bag on the table. “You actually giving in on the camping thing?” He straddled one of the benches.

I went over and hopped up, my feet coming down just beyond his opened knees.

He lifted one of the coffees for me. I took it, our fingers sliding against each other, and we shared a look that made my insides sizzle.

“I figured if I didn’t, you’d send up your brother and Bren.”

He grunted. “Shit. I never thought of them. They’d be perfect. They’re huge pains in the ass.”

I hid a grin, sipping my coffee and almost groaning, it was so good. He unwrapped one of the donuts and slid it over to me.

Seriously sweet. Who knew?

“Can I ask about them?”

He smiled, picking up his coffee. “I’m fairly certain you know them better than I do. Maybe I should be asking you.” His tone was teasing, but those words packed a punch.

“You don’t know your brother that well?”

“Cross?” He frowned. “No, just that he hates me.”

Oh. Damn. “He hates you?”

He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big thing. I’m still hung up on finding out the whole daddy lie, you know?”

“Oh.” I thought a moment. “Your brother was nice to me the night I helped them. He and Bren were. The tall one was okay, but the other one was kinda mean.”

Blaise’s eyes blazed. “What’d he say to you?”

“Nothing you haven’t.”

He scowled. “That pisses me off. I can be mean to you because I like you, but he can’t.”

“You like me?”

His scowl vanished. “I mean…” He shrugged. “I was thinking making you come last night and this morning kinda conveyed that message.”

“Yeah, but you don’t date.” Aw, crap. Here it was. I hadn’t meant to bring us here, but I guess I needed to know the parameters. Whatever that meant.

He got all serious, leaning forward. “I don’t date. I mean…” Regret crossed his face. “But I can’t say we’re only friends either. I’m…” He expelled a ragged breath. “Man, I don’t know. My last talk like this was with Mara when I said, ‘I’d like to continue boning you, but if you need an exclusive handle, I’ll walk.’ She was fine with it, but you’re not like that.” He watched me intently.

My throat felt tight. He was right.

I wasn’t like that.

I’d thought maybe I could be, but I couldn’t. Knowing he’d been with me last night and this morning, and that he could be with her tonight made me want to die.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not that girl,” I murmured.

“Well,” he said softly. “Fuck me then.” He leaned closer, his hand on my knee. “I don’t want to be just friends.”

“I don’t want to be another Mara.”

He flinched. “You’re not. I don’t know what this is, but I know you’re not that.”

Could he… What was he saying?

He looked away and pressed his lips together. “How about we shelve this? Come back to it later, and I promise not to touch anyone else until we know exactly what we’re doing.”

“Really?” But what does that mean?

He nodded, finishing his donut in one bite and standing. “I can’t promise a relationship; I know that much. But I can promise you I won’t touch anyone else right now. That’s all I can give you. I’m sorry.”

Well, damn. Seeing no other choice, I dipped my head in a nod. “Okay.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Okay?”

“Yeah. Okay.”

I was confused, but he wouldn’t touch another girl. Okay then. I tried to smile. “Why am I suddenly terrified?”

“Fuck if I know.” He picked up his coffee, finishing that too, and looked around. “Why don’t you finish packing everything up, and just point me at things you want carried to your car? I can do that much to help.”

So that’s what we did.

I finished packing up what was left, and then pointed.

He carried everything to Maisie, and after I had a hard time getting something to fit, he took over packing her up too. His phone went off the entire morning, but he ignored it. There was one last coffee, and I was grabbing the last bag when I saw him duck into Maisie, putting it inside for me.

Then he held his keys in the air, grinning at me, and I felt all sorts of heat between my legs. He watched me come over to him, his eyes darkening as he looked me up and down.

He whistled. “You do camping good.”

A stifled a laugh. That was funny.

“Thank you.”

He grinned, bending down to press his lips to mine. “Wanna race back to Fallen Crest?”

Fallen Crest. I felt a sudden wave of nerves. “Uh…”

His grin faded. “What?”

“About Fallen Crest—when we get back there…” I swallowed over a lump in my throat. “What’s the plan? Because your friends scare me.”

He shrugged. “They scare me too.”

“Blaise.” I was getting frustrated. “This isn’t a joke to me.”

“I know.” He tipped up my chin. “I pretty much gave you the one promise I can give. Can we see how things go? I won’t let anyone mess with you.”

I tried to ignore the sudden burst of tingles in my chest, but dammit—he was in there, and making me feel things I wasn’t ready to feel. I never thought I would feel stuff like this, or have someone like him wanting to kiss me. And that’s all he was giving me, I reminded myself. We were more than friends, and he wouldn’t touch someone else, but relationships took more than that.

I’d have to go back to my same existence and what? Wait for him to show up? Make visits?

Then again, maybe that’s what friendships were like?

“Okay.”

His eyebrows darted up in surprise. “Okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I don’t have friends in Fallen Crest. I’m out of practice for this stuff. All my friends at Hillcrest lived in the same building as I did, so it was different.”

He frowned. “Okay then, I guess.”

I’d started for Maisie when he caught my hand and pulled me in. His head dipped, and his mouth was on mine. A full minute later, he let me go, and my knees were shaking.

“That’ll last me a while. I’ll call later.”

He’ll call.

Okay then.

He’ll call.

I could do this… Couldn’t I?

But he said he’d call, so there was that. He was going to call.

16

Blaise

Zeke answered after the first ring.

“Yo! Where the fuck you at, bro?”

I grinned. Always the same from him. For some reason, that settled me.

“Hey, I need a favor.”

He belched into the phone. “Name it.”

“Nice.”

“Whatever. You missed the best rave last night.” He whistled.

I could hear voices, but they were fading, and a second later, they were gone.

“Talk to me. What do you need?”

“Where are you?”

He belched again, then laughed. “We had tacos earlier. Guess the peppers aren’t sitting right with me. But what do you need?”

“I’m not sure.” I explained about my mom and Griffith. “If he’s still there, I either need you to hold me back or be my alibi.”

I could almost hear him smiling. “Yeah, man. Anything for you. You want just me or should I grab Conway and Ashlome too?”

I paused, but there was nothing else there. “Hey, Zeke—”

“Water under the bridge, B. They never really liked me, so it’s all good. I can’t fault them since, you know, I love you too.”

There it was again, his unconditional bromance. “Right.” I was such a dick. All the shit I’d thought about him in my head…

“Dude, I can almost hear your wheels turning, so shut the fuck up. Okay? So you want both or just Conway? Or just yours truly?”