Page 93 of Little Do You Know

“You’re the one that woke me up at such an ungodly hour,” I retort, looking out the window. “Can you tell me why we’re awake even though the sun isn’t?”

“It’s a surprise. Besides, I woke you up nicely,” Thalia says, peeking over at me.

“You tricked me!”

“You made an incorrect assumption! How is that my fault?”

I fall silent because Lia definitely could have just shoved me awake. I might have preferred that. “How are you functioning?”

“Because I’m used to never sleeping,” she says it like it’s not a big deal.

I’m a night owl because my brain refuses to turn off, and my dreams are plagued with nightmares of the night my parents died. I was in the car with them and was the only one to walk away from the accident. Sometimes, not sleeping is better than hearing the sound of my mother screaming as the car flipped.

I shove the thought to the back of my mind, refusing to let memories I’m not sure are real ruin this moment Thalia is excited about.

“Hey, Lia?” I ask, looking over at her.

“What’s up?” She reaches over to intertwine our fingers, without taking her eyes off the road.I bring them up to my mouth, kissing the back of her hand briefly.

“Tell me about France. Why do you like it there so much?”

I want to think about something happy, and when Thalia talks about France, her happiness is infectious.

In the darkness, I spot the faint outlines of a smile on her face, thanks to the dashboard lights. I can’t believe I’m letting her drive my car when I can. “I love it. Every part of it. The food is better than anything you can imagine. There’s history everywhere you go, and it’s beautiful: the buildings, the language, and the scenery.” Thalia’s smile grows as she reminisces. “Everyone there smokes, but you get used to it. I never joined in, but I actually miss the smell of it.”

“We’ll have to go someday,” I say, inadvertently thinking far ahead in the future. I half expect Thalia to freak out at my mention of the future, but for once, she doesn’t.

“I’d like that. You’ll have your own personal tour guide,” she says, squeezing my hand reassuringly. “My favorite place is the Jura Mountains. I didn’t get to go this last time, but I wish I had. They’re just…stunning. I can’t get over how untouched everything is up there. The last time I made a trip to the mountains, I got a few shots of the wild horses that roam there. I thought I’d print a copy for you to take to Mimi next time you go.”

And it might be in this moment, hearing Lia talk about finding something she thought Mimi might enjoy, I realize I might be falling in love with her.I don’t give a shit if it’s too soon. I’ve had feelings for Thalia for years.

I sit there and listen to her tell stories of things that have happened in Paris, and other than Penelope visiting, I realize I know almost nothing about her time there. The angry part of me used to think Thalia was a spoiled brat for taking college for granted, but does she need it? Thalia was just flown across the ocean for her talent. It sounds like a career to me.

Whenever I found her name in the occasional National Geographic magazine I’d pick up at the store, I’d frame it. I would always tell Owen that his mom sent them for us to hang up, and thankfully, he never thought to ask about it.

We drove into the entrance of the state park I picked Thalia up from when Owen’s truck broke down on her a while ago. After pulling off and parking near an entrance, Thalia grabs a water bottle and hangs her camera around her neck. “You ready?” she asks giddily, and her joy is infectious.

“Can’t wait.”

It feels like we hike forever, and I’d be lying if I said my legs weren’t sore from practice last night. But as the sky slowly starts to brighten, I have enough light to look up from watching every step I take to enjoy the nice view of Thalia’s ass in front of me.

Except, I missed a root sticking out of the ground and tripped, crashing to the ground. Lia jumps, startled by my clumsiness. She covers her mouth, laughing happily as I climb off the hard ground. “I can’t believe I have to ask this, but please stop staring at my ass so you can try to focus on where you’re walking. It will not be my fault if you get a sprained ankle and can’t play in your next game.”

“That’s a hard ask, but I will do my best.” I brush the dirt off my jeans, not regretting my choice of where to look for a second.

“We’re almost there. I promise it’s worth it.” Thalia smiles mischievously. “Plus, weren’t you angling for an invite to go hiking with me a while back?”

I definitely was. “Can’t seem to recall that.” I play it off, which only causes her smile to grow.

She takes a drink from her water bottle before passing it to me. “Do you remember coming out here right after finals my sophomore year?”

“Yeah, it was before Owen and I committed to Duke.” It was a few weeks before Grandpa died right after my birthday. That whole summer feels like a daze. My priorities were football and Mimi. I ignore the grief, threatening to shove its way through the wall I put it behind. Grandpa wouldn’t want me to be sad about him. He lived a good life, and I learned a lot from him. “Are we going all the way?” I ask, vaguely remembering this hike is long only because I think I carried Thalia part of the way.

“That’s what she said.” Lia giggles, and I roll my eyes. “If you’re implying the trail, then no, we’re going off trail just past that tree.” There are so many trees that I’m not sure what particular one she is pointing at, but I nod anyway. Thalia steps closer to me to get her water back, stealing a kiss. “Now, if you’re implying sex, we’ll have to see about your attitude on the way home. You were awfully crabby earlier.”

My jaw drops in disbelief. “Because it wasn’t even five, Thalia!”

She intertwined her fingers with mine, pulling me along to the tree I guess Lia was pointing at. “Suck it up, buttercup.” She leads me through branches, coughing to cover up her laugh when one smacks me in the face. We step out onto an outlook, and I’m a little skeptical she might push me over the edge. I think it’s an excellent spot to hide a body.

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