Page 90 of Promise Me Sunshine

“No,” he says in a low voice. “They’re not.”

My gut tightens. This was not the answer I wanted. “Because you aren’t expecting anything from me?”

He quirks his face and turns to look at me again. “No.”

I hold his gaze, not yielding, and he gently kicks his shininto my foot. “Lenny, the stakes are low with you because you’re the most loyal person I’ve ever met. You’re fully on my team. Now that you’re here, I think there’s very little I could do to kick you out…I don’t have to worry about losing you. I can just…relax.”

“Oh.” I was braced for a letdown, but instead I got to hear one of the best things ever said. “That’s good,” I whisper, pillowing my hands under my cheek and continuing to watch him.

He nods. His eyes on the stars.

Chapter Twenty-Four

It’s sad to see the campsite packed and tidy.

“Let’s stay,” I say.

“Forever,” Jeffy says, and lays his head on Rica’s shoulder.

“Let’s go home and shower,” Rica asserts.

“I like Rica’s plan better. Shotgun!” Jericho races toward Jeffy’s car.

Rica takes a step toward Jeffy’s car too, and I’m involuntarily seized with the possible reality of being alone with Miles in his car, windows down and racing south.

“Hey.” Miles comes over. He’s screwing a baseball cap onto his head so I can barely see his eyes. “I’m…actually not going home tonight.”

“Oh. Really?” My windows-down fantasy dries up, leaving a thin cast of disappointment behind.

He adjusts his cap. “Yeah, so if you’re anxious to get back to the city you should ride with them. But…if you…Uh. I’m actually headed to my house up here. To check things out, turn off the water for the winter. If you…wanted to see it, we could stay the night there.”

“Oh!”

“It’s nothing fancy. But it’s nice and—”

“I’m in. Super curious to see your log cabin.”

He laughs. “It’s not a log cabin.”

“Nothing you can say will ever convince me it’s not. You obviously have a butter churn.”

“You’re probably going to be devastated when you see the vinyl siding, aren’t you?”

“You kids riding together?” Rica calls.

“Yeah,” Miles says. He doesn’t mention the pending overnight and neither do I. Jeffy and Jericho round the car and it’s hugs all around. And then they’re all piled into Jeffy’s Honda. Miles double-taps the hood like a dad.

“Dinner next week?” he asks through the open passenger window.

“Oh!” Jericho checks his calendar. “I’m free on Friday.”

“Me too!”

“Sure, I’ll be there.”

And then, magically, we have friends and plans with those friends. Miles and I watch as they drive away.

“So…” He clears his throat. “Let’s go.”

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