Page 22 of College-Virgin & Dark Bully Next-Door

“How long has it been since you’ve been out here?” I ask, stepping carefully to try and avoid making too much noise.

“Whenever I last went camping. Maybe at seventeen?” He guesses.

“How can you possibly enjoy any of Indiana from inside?” I shake my head.

Sure, it’s freezing, below freezing in winter. But right now, early summer, it’s perfect. Even if it’s sweltering. I can already feel sweat dewing at the back of my neck. I sweep my hair up in a pony and tie it high up.

“No one enjoys Indiana, Sky. They leave it,” he corrects, catching up with me as I turn off the path. He points at the cleared area, then groans and follows me. “Never the easy way.”

“If this were easy, this wouldn’t be your punishment.” I roll my eyes, then grin as I hop over a fallen tree.

Before Ash can follow me, I get down on my knees and brush away some of the dry leaves. Under, where it starts to get muddy, are plenty of bugs. I’m sure of it. I grab a handful of dirt and see some good quality bugs but nothing exciting.

I let them back in the earth and brush my hands off on my jeans. I sit back on my heels and look at Ash. He’s glancing around, obviously not sure about things. We continue going deeper in the woods, and I shove him. He shoves me back.

“So, what’s been going on, bumble bee?”

He keeps asking, and I don’t really know why. I do know that he wouldn’t keep asking if he didn’t care. But my eyes still flick to him. “Let’s take a break on that log there.”

When we sit down, I take a long drink of water. I pass it to Ash, and he arches an eyebrow. “Not afraid of my asshole quality being contagious?”

“It’s either take the risk of becoming a bigger asshole, or I have to drag your passed-out self through the woods,” I remind. “And I might be tempted to make sure your head hits every rock I find.”

“Threatening concussion?” He takes the water from me, and our fingers brush. “There are better ways to achieve that. Namely with a bed involved.”

“Aren’t you used to them with boxing?” I ask, ignoring his comment.

He leans back, and I can’t resist looking at his arms. They’re so thick now. Actually, all of him is. If he were just as ugly as he is on the inside, I wouldn’t even have an offer to consider. But it’s not terrible being out here with someone—

And just like that, a lightbulb goes off.

I know exactly how I’m going to get that internship.

Ash says something softly, too soft for me to actually hear. I rub the back of my neck and roll my head. “Ready to keep going?”

“Guess there are worse places to be if you want to keep going,” he says, giving me a more genuine smile.

We get a bit further, and he points out a bug. “This?”

I grin and snap a photo. “Milkweed bug.”

The red color is amazing on the tree. There’s actually a whole cluster, a cluster that Ash hasn’t noticed. A cluster that’s slowly crawling on him. I bite my lip and take another picture, then another.

“We’re not doing pictures of me yet,” he complains.

“I agree. But I figured I’d get the shot before you freaked out.”

“Why would I freak out?” he asks, then his throat tightens. “Sky! Why would I freak out?”

I let my camera drop to my belly and point at the bug. He gasps, but there’s a grunt in there, too, then he tries to brush them off, takes his shirt off and takes me down with him. We fall, roll, and slide down a steep little cliff and into a stream. I gasp as the chilly water soaks me through.

Ash lands on top of me, panting. I want to be mad, but when I see his panicked look, still trying to brush bugs off as he slips and falls back into the water, it makes me laugh. I laugh again when he gives me an incredulous face.

“What is so fucking funny, Bennett?”

“They’re harmless bugs, Warren.” I splash him.

He tackles me, and we end up wrestling in the water. I grunt and sit on top of him, victorious. I hold his arms down, but he rolls me easily before I can dangle spit over his face like I used to.

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