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How long can I hide out in Nicholas’ bedroom before either of them notice that I’m gone? Because that’s my plan. Between Nicholas telling me that he wants me to stay with him here or for him to follow me back to Wild Woods HQ and Jacob showing up out of nowhere to play big brother, reality is starting to feel like a super tight squeeze.

At least my status as a main character in the made-for-TV movie is all but confirmed…

Even if I’m still not sure if this is a tragedy or not. I guess it’ll all come down to how well Nicholas and Jacob get along? Assuming they don’t kill each other in the next five minutes?

Nah. That’s not even in the realm of possibility…

I think.

Maybe.

Possibly?

Shit.

I was sitting at the dining room table, watching the expressions on Jacob’s face. I’d known him long enough to know what he was really thinking as he sized Nicholas up, as he took stock of him the same, analytical way he handled inventory closets and invoice slips. Jacob and I were pretty much the same age, but our dynamic had always been closer to big brother and little brother, him always looking out for me even when I told him I knew how to handle myself.

It was sweet in a way…

Although, right now, it was closer to terrifying. I felt like at any second, Jacob was going to openly declare that whatever I had with Nicholas was never going to work and it was time for me to pack my things and head back with him to Wild Woods HQ. And despite being a grown adult, I worried that I was so used to following his lead on the more important aspects of life that I would’ve packed right up and followed him out to the car.

His opinion just mattered way too much to me.

“So, Nicholas,” Jacob started. “What do you do for work?”

“I’m a fireman, actually,” he answered. “I’ve been doing it for almost ten years now.”

“Ten years? That’s pretty respectable.” Jacob nodded. “I’m guessing that means you love the work?”

“I do, yeah. Especially when it leads to me meeting wonderful people like Parker.”

“I’m sorry? Firefighting led you to meet Parker?” Jacob slightly tilted his head to the side, seemingly puzzled by the statement. “How do you mean?”

“He means that he saved my life by pulling me out of a cabin fire.”

“…Cabin fire?” Jacob’s expression lit up with alarm. “What cabin fire? You were staying at a cabin?”

“A dry cabin,” I clarified, leaning away from the table, leaning away from Jacob, too. “That’s the real reason I came out here, okay? I wanted to try my hand at a rougher wilderness experience, something I’d never really given myself the chance to try before?—”

“That’s because dry cabins are for serious campers, Parker,” Jacob cut me off, already in admonishment mode. “Do you know how many months it takes to prepare for something like that? I wouldn’t even go out to a dry cabin without making sure that I was?—”

“I had prepped for months, Jacob,” I corrected him. “I did everything I was supposed to do and it still went sideways. You know why? Because nature hates me.”

“Nature doesn’t hate you, Parker?—”

“I almost slipped off the side of a mountain today, Jacob. I think I know whether or not nature hates me, all right?”

“You almost slipped off the side of a mountain?” Jacob looked between Nicholas and me, growing more incredulous by the second. “Was this supposed to be a vacation or a suicide mission?”

“Nicholas saved me in both cases, by the way. The fire and the mountain,” I went on. “That’s what kind of person he is. He sticks his neck out for other people, whether or not he’s on the clock.”

Just then, Jacob’s face softened. “He saved you both times, huh?”

“Yeah, he did.”

Jacob let out a deep sigh as he relaxed against his chair. “Shit.”

“Something wrong, Jacob?” Nicholas asked.

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