Page 19 of (Not Really) Faking It With My Best Friend's Brother

Susan reached out and touched my arm gently. "We all make mistakes. At least we're on this adventure together! And honestly, getting lost in nature isn't the worst thing that could happen." Her eyes held mine with genuine warmth.

Despite being lost, her good-natured humor made me smile. "You always see the bright side of things, don't you?"

Susan grinned. "Of course! Like when I was twelve and full of wild ideas. I convinced my best friend to join me for a late-night adventure, sneaking out past curfew and into the woods behind our house. We had planned to camp out under the stars, but we got hopelessly lost in the thick trees of our neighborhood."

I raised my eyebrows, intrigued by this glimpse into her childhood. "Did you find your way back?"

"Eventually, but not before running into a skunk that we'd mistaken for a stray cat," Susan giggled. "We sprinted all the way home smelling like rotten eggs and had to confess everything to my parents."

I burst out laughing, picturing a young Susan in that hilarious predicament.

"Well, this hike can't possibly be worse than that," I said, amusement lingering in my voice.

Susan smiled. "Definitely not."

"Speaking of misadventures, when I was in medical school, my buddies and I decided to road trip to Vegas." I glanced over at Susan. "We'd gotten this old beat-up van that well... broke down halfway there, in the middle of nowhere."

Susan's eyes widened, her laughter filling the air. "The middle of nowhere? What did you guys do?"

"We ended up hitching a ride with an Elvis impersonator who was passing by. It was the longest, most bizarre ride of my life," I confessed, chuckling at the absurdity of it all.

Susan doubled over with laughter. "It's not funny," she managed between giggles, "but...Elvis? Seriously?" Her eyes sparkled with amusement, and her hand covered her mouth as if trying to contain it.

"Hey! The King's generosity saved us," I retorted, pretending indignation. My heart pounded in my chest, not from the memory but from the joy of hearing her infectious laughter. I felt like I could let my guard down and be myself. Out here in the quiet woods, it felt like we were the only two people in the world.

Our laughter subsided as we ventured on, eventually arriving at a clearing with a small, serene pond. Lily pads floated lazily across the still water.

"Let's take a break here," I suggested, sitting down on a fallen log. Susan joined me, both of us gazing out at the pond. Dragonflies flitted and danced above the water's surface, leaving tiny ripples in their wake.

We sat in comfortable silence, taking in the beauty. I snuck a glance at Susan, noticing how the dappled sunlight illuminated her face. She looked so at peace here.

The quiet was interrupted by the sound of voices and footsteps. We turned to see Ethan and his wife, Lizzie, emerge from the woods behind us.

"Well, well, look who we found," Ethan said with a grin. "Seems you two took a wrong turn on your hike this morning."

I felt my face grow warm. "We, uh, may have misread the trail signs," I admitted.

Ethan laughed good-naturedly. "It's easy to get turned around out here. We have been here before, and the camp leader asked us to come and check on y’all and make sure you weren’t lost."

"We should all hike back together," Lizzie suggested brightly. "Safety in numbers, right?"

Susan and I exchanged relieved glances. With Ethan and Lizzie's guidance, we'd make it back to the retreat center just fine. Our unplanned detour had led to an unexpectedly intimate moment between us, and I felt grateful for this blossoming connection.

Susan stood and brushed the leaves from her pants. "Lead the way," she said with an embarrassed smile.

As we hiked, Lizzie filled the silence by chatting about the different birds and plants we passed. Her enthusiasm was infectious. Susan pointed out a few varieties she recognized from books at the library, and the two delved into an animated discussion.

I hung back a bit with Ethan, watching Susan's face light up as she spoke. He followed my gaze and chuckled. "You've got it bad, man," he remarked, clapping me on the back.

I shrugged slightly. "She's something else," I admitted.

Before long, the retreat center came into view up ahead. Susan let out a dramatic sigh of relief at the sight.

"Home sweet home," she said with a laugh.

We thanked Ethan and Lizzie for rescuing us as we approached the main building. I held the door for Susan, and we stepped back into the bright, bustling lobby.

Just then, a man's voice called out, "Susan! There you are. I didn’t know if we needed to send out the rescue party."

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