Via hurried in the other direction and shivered.
She should have grabbed Zac’s hoodie.
She used the light of her phone to navigate the grassy path toward the bench overlooking the water. It was outside the boundaries of the hide-and-seek game, which meant they’d be on their own. A figure was sitting there, and a set of crutches were outlined against the night. He was there.
The pounding in her chest eased, and her step lightened as she reached him.
“Hey, you came,” she said, a little out of breath from the slight climb.
“You thought I wouldn’t?” He sounded surprised as she sat down next to him. The wind pricked at her skin, and she crossed her arms. He quickly slipped off his own hoodie and put it around her shoulders.
It was warm and filled with his scent, and as his arm touched her shoulder, she found herself pressed up against him. Her mouth finding his.
That was better.
When they broke apart, he cupped her chin in his hand. “What’s going on?”
“It’s nothing,” she said, letting the warmth of him seep into her. She blinked, but when she opened her eyes, he was still studying her. “I was worried you might be sick of me. I know I was weird down by the lake.”
“You weren’t weird. That was my fault,” he quickly said. “Via, I don’t care about stuff like that. I want…this.”
“Me too.” She kissed him again, then pulled away, frowning. “So out on the lake, why did you look so…mad? Is something else going on?”
He leaned back against the bench and stared up at the never-ending skyscape. “My dad’s moving to Seattle. He was there buying a house. That’s why he cancelled our summer break.”
“No.” She gasped as his jaw clenched. Like he was trying to hold things in. “That sucks so much.”
“Yeah.” He let out a slow sigh. “Not much I can do about it though.”
“Did you know it was going to happen?”
“No.” The words were ripped from her throat, and her heart ached. Most of the time her parents were annoying, but they’d always been there when she’d needed them. And they always talked as a family. Did things as a family. Even if it was dumb things like going to a holiday camp for a month every year.
They’d never move without telling anyone.
Panic thrummed in her chest.
“Wait…you’re not moving there, are you?”
“No.” He turned back to her, eyes glowing in the darkness. “Even if he’d wanted me to, there’s no way I’d go. I’m staying in Cricket Bay, I swear.”
“I’m glad.” She swallowed back her rising dread and reached for his hand. It was larger than hers, and warm. She held it tight. “Were you hurt he didn’t want you to move with him?”
“Yes. No. I…I don’t really know. Before the divorce, he used to be okay. I mean, he and mom fought all the time. But with me it was still good. He used to take me to the observatory, and canoeing.”
“That’s why you were out on the lake this afternoon.”
“I guess.” He shrugged and looked up at the sky again. “It’s fine. It hasn’t been good for ages. Since the divorce he’s always busy, so it’s not like we hang out much anymore.”
“Have you spoken to him about it? Told him how you feel.”
“No. He called this morning, but it was standard. Guess what, buddy? I’m moving without you. Isn’t that great?” His voice cracked at the end, and Via threw her arms around him. His hands tightened around her waist, and he pressed his head against her shoulder. His muscles were bunched under his skin.
She hated he’d been fighting this private war. One the world knew nothing about. That she’d known nothing about. And none of it was his fault. The unfairness hurt her chest.
When they broke away, the tightness in his jaw had lessened.
“Hudson, you need to talk to him properly,” she said in a soft voice. “I’m the last one to give advice. You tried to talk to me for two years, and I wouldn’t let you. If you can learn anything from your girlfriend’s mistakes, it should be that.”
“Girlfriend?” His voice came out in a whisper. Via winced as heat hit her cheeks.
“Did I just screw up? I’m not very good at this stuff. I—”
“Via.” He growled and kissed her. Hard. When he pulled away, he cupped her face with his hands. “You’re great at this stuff, and there’s nothing I’d like more than to be your boyfriend.”
“That’s a very good answer.”
“Thanks.”
“So…about your dad. If it’s too hard, you could talk to your mom, or Ruth. She seems cool.”
He pulled away and considered. “I’ll think about it. But right now, I want to sit and talk to my gorgeous girlfriend.”
“Pity, because talking’s the last thing I want to do.” She grinned and let his scent wash over her. His arm slid back around her, and Via forgot about the rest of the world.
An hour later, her phone beeped to remind her of the time, and she reluctantly untangled herself and got to her feet.
“Thanks, Via,” Hudson said in a low voice as he reached for his crutches.
“It wasn’t a hardship.” She held up her phone to lead the way back. His crutches thumped dully against the ground, and night insects darted in and out of the light. In the distance was the sound of campers shrieking as they were discovered. The game was obviously still going on.
They walked the rest of the way back in silence, their shoulders nudging from time to time. When they reached the main clearing, she reluctantly slipped his hoodie off. The night air was cool against her skin, and she shivered.
“I’d better give you this back.” She tried to drape it over his shoulders. It was awkward with the crutches, and he flashed a smile as he let them fall to the ground so he could grab the hoodie and put it on properly.
“It smells of you.
