Page 83 of Wildfire
Handing her the coupon, I watch her eyes widen in surprise. “I want to take you on a date. That’s what my birthday wish is.”
“A date?” she says.
“Yes. A real date.”
“With me?”
“With you.”
“Even though I gave you origami golden retrievers and an old moth-eaten book on presidents for your birthday?”
“Especially because of those things.”
The hardest part of being on everyone’s radar is going to be having no opportunity to sneak off tonight. She takes the coupon from my outstretched hand, her green eyes sparkling, and nods. “Consider your wish granted.”
BEING THE CENTER OF ATTENTIONis exhausting, and I’m ready for it to be over.
I pick at the frosting of my second piece of cake, soaking in the quiet now that all the campers have been taken to bed. Well, as quiet as it can be with my friends around. As soon as the cake was cut, presents were handed over, and “Happy Birthday” was sung, I finally got the rundown of how my birthday party came to fruition.
Before we headed to Meadow Springs yesterday, Aurora got JJ’s number from Emilia, and between them they coordinated this verylast-minute surprise. They set off this morning, arriving just in time to make the friendship bracelets now decorating my arms.
Henry said Honey Acres is worse than he thought it would be, and Bobby is upset Jenna is both uninterested and unable to remember him, while JJ is just happy to be reunited.
Orla agreed to the guys visiting on the condition they wear the visitor lanyards and they’re not left unattended anywhere on site.
“Should I be expecting you to move her in?” Robbie says, sitting beside the fire with me and Nate. “That room alters brain chemistry, clearly.”
“Why are you acting like Lola doesn’t sleep in your bed five nights a week?” Nate snaps back.
“You try telling Lola what to do,” Robbie argues back. “See what happens.”
Aurora has made herself scarce this evening, keeping herself busy making sure everyone is having a good time. I wish I could sit her beside me and let the guys get to know her, but it’d look suspicious, and I think if she wanted to do that, she would. A few of them have caught her on her own for individual chats, but I have no idea what they’ve said to her.
“She’s not moving in, don’t worry. We haven’t labeled it, so I suppose we’re technically friends who like each other.” The words feel weird coming out of my mouth, but what else am I supposed to call her? “She’s great, though. I really like her.”
They both start laughing at the same time. Nate smirks as he leans back in his chair. “I remember thinking Stas was my friend.”
“She actively disliked you and then she got Stockholm syndrome,” Robbie snorts. “She was never your friend.”
“Still got the girl, didn’t I?” Nate shrugs. “Y’know, Aurora offered to pay for everyone’s flights if it got us here. She was ready to hire a private driver. Either she’s about to be the best friend you’ve everhad, or you’re about to be the relationship Henry complains about living next to.”
Forcing away all the insecure feelings from earlier, I answer honestly. “I want both.”
The pair of them laugh, and I’ve never noticed before now how similar the two are, like an old couple who mirror each other’s mannerisms. Robbie sips his hot chocolate and Nate does the same, and they both give me identical smug grins. “Young love.”
Chapter Twenty-SevenAURORA
“ITOLD YOU HE’S Agood guy.”
Henry doesn’t say anything else as he drops into the seat beside me with his breakfast. Russ’s friends stayed in a B and B in Meadow Springs last night, but Orla said they could visit before leaving as long as they still had their visitor lanyards and it was during the morning cabin inspection, so the kids would be busy.
I concentrate on my toast, suddenly feeling nervous to have one-on-one time with Russ’s best friend. I mean, technically we’ve had one-on-one time before, but that was when I was unknowingly ditching Russ post hookup. “I know you did. I never thought he wasn’t.”
We both watch Russ at the table across from ours while we eat in silence. He’s laughing with Robbie and Mattie, two of the guys who made it their mission to get to know me better last night. I’ve tried to keep a safe distance, not wanting to smother him or overcrowd him when his friends are here, but it’s hard when I naturally just want to be near him.
The loud buzz of multiple conversations fills the silence until Henry slices through it, catching me off guard. “My room is next toRuss’s room in our house. It isn’t soundproof, so please don’t treat it like it is.”
I almost choke on my veggie bacon. “Sorry?”
