Page 25 of Hushed

“It’s too late. The stars heard it first from me, and because it’s doubled, they heard it twice as loud.”

“At least tell me you wished for something practical. Like pineapple pizza with ham.”

“Never say that again.”

I look back up at the sky. Levi rocks me softly, humming under his breath. Suddenly, I know what I want to wish for. Whatever it is he’s wishing for, I ask the silent, beautiful sky, I really hope it comes true.

Chapter eight

Levi

“Oh, how sweet!” Bastien says, turning around with his arms spread wide. “You’ve taken me bouldering. Without the shoes and the chalk. Who says true love doesn’t exist?”

“I—what?” I don’t know what to say to that, because I’m still processing the true love stuff. I look at the boulders around us and then look around the forest trail we’ve been on. I admit that there are a lot of rocks around here, and we’ve kind of gone high up in Rock Creek Park, but all I meant to do was waste a little time in the forest. Then I look back at Bastien, who is still grinning at me. He’s wearing shorts and has taken off his T-shirt for the heat. Beads of sweat glisten in his dark chest hair.

He unscrews the lid of the water bottle he’s been toting around. “I mean, that’s why you took me into the big scary woods, isn’t it? Because you would never try to have your wicked way with me in a public park.” He turns and surveys the large rocks in front of us. They’re easily a good fifteen feet tall. “Granted, I can see the appeal.”

“Of the rocks or sex in a public park?”

Bastien gives me a mischievous smile, scratches his chin, and looks over his shoulder. “I feel like I could tackle at least this fellow freehand. A few feet up, if you can spot me.”

I follow his gaze to the boulder in question. In Basic, I had to do a shit-ton of climbing, but it’s been a minute, and I haven’t exactly been anxious to scramble up walls and rocks since.

“Prove it,” I say.

“I’d want shoes for this. Chalk. Pads.” He traces the boulder and fits his hand into a seam I didn’t even notice and looks up, his fingers finding the next one. He puts his shoe into a crevice at the bottom and hoists himself up easily, finding the next purchase. “But, see? Easy peasy.”

It doesn’t look easy peasy. He’s starfished against the side of a massive boulder already. “Can you go all the way up?”

“Too dangerous without equipment. But I can maybe go a few more feet up.” He lifts himself again. His foot slips and I grab his hips, which are now level with my chest. He looks down and smiles at me. “And here I was trying to do this to impress you.”

“You do every day.”

There’s something that almost melts in his eyes, and we remain frozen in silence for a very long time, looking at each other.

“You want to come down now?” I ask, breaking the silence.

He turns his attention to the rock face. “Just one or two more feet up. There’s a little gap in the stone and if I can get to that, I’m golden.” He wipes his fingers on his shorts. “That’ll be far enough.” He pulls himself up, and I can see the corded muscles of his back flexing as he does. Frankly, it’s just about the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. I stare at him as he lifts himself onto a little perch I could barely see. He sits on it contentedly, his back to the remainder of the stone. His feet are now level with my face.

“So, how are we doing on time?” he asks.

I try to play this off as innocently as I can. “What do you mean?”

“For whatever surprise you’re planning for us that has us meandering around this park?” The dappled light that filters in gleams off the rich dark brown in his hair and bounces off his glasses.

Fuck. “What surprise?”

He rolls his eyes. “Since the moment I met you, you’ve been the most chill person about time. Now all of a sudden you’re sneaking glances at your phone and herding me like a sheepdog. You’ve planned something.”

I sigh. “I booked a horseback riding session.”

His jaw drops. He leans forward, which makes me nervous that he’s going to fall off the stone. “Horseback riding,” he repeats. “I thought we were going to see the planes later today.”

“I really wanted to do this with you more. Have you ever done it before?”

“No. You?”

“I can ride.” It’s something I’m low-key proud of.