I brushed my embarrassment off my shorts. “Yeah. What’re you doing here?”
“I don’t know.” His eyes darted down my hiking outfit. “Where are you going?”
“Hiking.” I put my hand on the door, hoping he’d get the hint. “You never answered my question.”
“I thought we’d hang out, go over some songs.” He shrugged and slipped his sunglasses off his head and onto his nose. “So let’s go hiking instead.”
“I didn’t invite you,” I said, pushing him back with one hand while I closed the door. “I need some time to think and you don’t let me think.”
“Okay?” He dragged the word out. “Sorry?”
“I have a lot on my mind. I need to go someplace to think it out. Can’t you understand that?”
He nodded once. “I used to go sit under the Hollywood sign.”
I blinked. That wasn’t what I expected.
“Look, Cam, we need to talk. And we can clear the air. So let me hike with you. It’ll be fun.” He glanced over my shoulder. “Besides, you have enough stuff in that backpack to last several days. What’s one more person with you?”
I stared him down, but he didn’t flinch. His white Dodgers t-shirt hugged every inch of his chest, the humidity making it stick to his skin. I glanced down at his exposed calves. Who knew calves could be that sexy? Being around Dylan was not a good idea, but I really wanted to be around Dylan. Damn it.
“Fine,” I said. “But I’m not carrying your stuff.”
I went back inside and grabbed a spare pack, filling it quickly with a few necessities. I had enough survival gear in my own for two people, so I packed him the basics: water, filter, two water bottles, a tarp, flints, matchsticks, and food. When I came out, Dylan waited by his car.
“Where to?” he asked.
I’d planned on hiking the woods behind my house, but his car opened up the Ozarks. “Let me drive,” I said.
He tossed the keys. I put the packs in the backseat and climbed into the driver’s side. After adjusting the seat and mirrors, I clicked my seatbelt on and started the car. There was a nice, low rumble to the engine. I turned the radio to my favorite station and cranked it up. I wasn’t ready to talk just yet. We sang as I drove to White River Trails. The chances of us getting lost on these was slim, but it never hurt to be prepared.
I parked at the trailhead, turning off the engine. The sudden silence was as loud as the radio had just been.
“Can I ask you something?” He opened his door but didn’t get out.
“Right now, no.” I jumped out of the car. His question could wait until we were climbing the trail upward. The Ozarks weren’t the Rockies by any means, but they were still mountains. I picked the hardest trail of the three. We shouldered our packs and headed into the woods.
Dylan didn’t say anything for about ten minutes. Maybe the stifling heat got to him. Maybe the beauty of the trail did. Regardless it gave me a few minutes to think.
I felt like a shitty person. That was the bottom line. I’d let myself get lured away by Eddie. I’d let myself, insisted actually, that I drink too much too fast. I’d done all this on my own. My reasoning was flawed. And it didn’t matter why I’d put myself in that position. All that mattered was that I had. What Eddie did, that was all him. But I never should have put myself in that position. When he asked if I wanted to walk to the lake, I should’ve said no. That was on me. The rest, that was on Eddie. I stopped on the trail and turned to face Dylan.
“Thank you,” I said.
“For what?” His dark hair dripped with sweat and he looked positively miserable.
“For stopping Eddie.” I turned on my heel and started walking again. The white oak trees provided cover from the sun, but they also trapped the early summer heat. It was only June.
“Anything else?” he asked in a huff.
“Not really. It doesn’t matter now anyway. I have to deal with the consequences.” A couple of tourists passed us as they headed down the trail. The man looked like he was on the verge of a heart attack. The woman bounced down the path like she was in heaven.
“It does matter, Cam.” Dylan touched my arm and I turned around to face him. “I’d kinda like to know why you’re thanking me. Other than the obvious.”
My head dropped, and I stared at the trail. Pine needles dug into the dirt path, mixing with the gravel. I lifted my gaze and met his eyes. “It’s in the past. I have to figure out a way to make it up to her.”
“Why do you need to make it up to your friend? She shouldn’t be mad at you.”
I wanted to tell him it was his fault, but that would be a lie. It was all my fault. “My feelings were hurt. I wanted to numb them. I never should’ve walked to the lake with him. If I’d said no, if I’d faced the truth....” I shrugged again and turned around, heading back up the trail. Over my shoulder, I added, “Look how well my bad decision turned out.”
Dylan didn’t say anything for a long time. When he did, it was one word, “Sorry.”
“For what?” I asked, not sure if he knew that I was upset with him or if he thought that just the right answer to any uncomfortable situation.
“I guess for expecting you to just hang by my side at a party and not do any actual partying. I was kind of a dick now that I think about it.”
I stopped and he bumped into my back. “Yeah, you were. Especially if you thought I’d enjoy watching you flirt with Lola Tanter,” I said without looking back. “Regardless, I shouldn’t have used that as
