Page 13 of Camp Help Falling

“What are you doing up here?” I lean over to glance around him. “Were you followed?”

Confusion crosses his face and he looks behind him, looking for the trail that all-but disappears unless you know where to look for it. “No. Everyone’s in bed.”

“Good.” I fiddle with my phone, and his eyes drop to the motion.

“What are you doing up here, Sadie?”

“I believe I asked that question first.”

“I followed you, if that wasn’t obvious.” Oliver’s easy-going smile is back and directed at me, making me fidget even more.

“Okayyyy.” I draw out the word, unsure of what to say to him next. It was so easy to talk to him before I knew who he was, before he was on my staff. Talking to him about camp stuff, teaching him what I know about being on staff, is one thing, but coming up with conversation outside of that while knowing I shouldn’t flirt with him is a whole different beast.

“What are you doing up here?” he asks again, stepping closer to where I’m still sitting on Cell Phone Rock. Before I can tell him, his phone buzzes in his pocket, and he fishes it out, the screen illuminating his face and reflecting in his wide eyes as he starts getting notifications as well.

I sigh and scoot over on the rock, patting the vacated spot. “Welcome to Cell Phone Rock.”

Oliver eyes the small space I’ve allotted him with raised eyebrows, as if asking me if it’s allowed. It’s skirting the line a little bit, but I pat the rock again. Oliver folds himself onto it, and I laugh at the difference between how we’re sitting. Me, with my legs almost fully extended to keep myself perched here, and Oliver, with his knees at near perfect right angles.

His arm presses fully into mine as he gets settled, and heat races up my spine. I try to ignore it, but he’s sitting so close—close enough that I can smell hints of cedar and spice beneath the tang of sweat. It’s…surprisingly sexy. Since when is sweating sexy?

Oliver flicks his notifications across his screen, clearing them away. “So this is Sadie’s big secret.”

My head snaps to him. “What?” My voice shakes a little as I try to get a grip on myself after that spiral into my attraction to Oliver.

He raises his phone and swipes another notification. “Sadie has cell service.”

“Right. Yes. Sadie’s Big Secret. And now Oliver’s Big Secret.” I bump his shoulder. It’s so natural with us sitting this close together. I stuff down all those thoughts about purpling and pin Oliver with a look. “I can’t have this getting out to the rest of the staff. I don’t need a whole bunch of teenagers trying to sneak up here during the day when they’re supposed to be with the participants.”

Oliver mimes locking his lips. “My lips are sealed.” He smiles and looks down at me, and I swear he winks, too, but that must be my imagination. The result of sitting too close to him for too long. Letting my mind wander too much.

He turns back to his phone, clearing out emails and texts, and I do the same. We sit in silence for a few minutes, and the longer I sit here, the harder it is to ignore the pleasant heat of his arm compared to the cool night air. And when he shifts, moving one arm behind me to prop himself up on the rock, I jump up.

“Right,” I say, lamely. “We should really get back to camp. Another early morning tomorrow.” I attempt to smile and make light of things, but Oliver’s face grows sad, and I’m afraid I’ve said the wrong thing. He sighs and looks up at me with a put-out expression.

“Another early morning without coffee. Yay.”

“Oh, it won’t be so bad,” I say, stepping closer to tap his knee with the side of my fist. But the sad eyes Oliver gives me cut straight into me.

And I know I won’t be going to sleep for a while yet.

“Let’s get back. Staying up too late won’t make tomorrow any easier.”

With one last sigh, Oliver stands and slips his phone into his pocket. He follows me to the secret path and we make our way back to the fire bowl and then down to the main trail. When we get to the intersection, Oliver goes right, and I go left.

“I’ll see you in the morning!” I call quietly.

Oliver raises a hand in a wave. “See you in the morning, Sadie.”

He rounds the bend toward the boys’ cabins, and I take off to the left, but I don’t stop at the cabin I share with the other female adult staff. I keep going, past the lodge, and to the parking lot.

Chapter Eight

Oliver

I trudge up to the lodge, prepared for another coffee-less, caffeine-less day, but stop in my tracks the moment I walk through the door. Austin bumps into me and mumbles, “Sorry,” as he steps to the side and past me to join the growing line for breakfast.

Stepping around the breakfast line, I slip into the small kitchen where Mom and Danielle are hard at work serving the participants who are just as groggy as I am. I follow my nose to the back corner.

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