Page 61 of Between Here and There

Ryan, who’s finished his tent setup, settles down beside Bon. Rob follows shortly after, sitting next to Denise, who’s already helping herself to a thermos of hot tea. I lean back in my chair, taking a moment to enjoy the peace.

“Okay, sleeping arrangements!” Josh announces, walking over with an amused look on his face. I glance up, meeting his gaze, and he winks at me before continuing. “There are four tents, three of which are 2-person tents. So you guys—” he points to Haley, Kate, and Richard, “will share the biggest one. Then, the couples take one tent each.”

Wait. Did he just say couples?

My heart skips a beat, and my brain struggles to catch up with the words that just left his mouth. I look up at him in confusion, but my eyes betray me—my pulse is already racing. I’m going to be sharing a tent with Joshua. Just… the two of us? My mind can’t even process this, but my heart is already running ahead, imagining what could happen.

I glance over at Josh, half-expecting to see a smirk or a smug face, but he seems completely unaware of the chaos his words have just set off in my chest. He’s casually brushing dirt off his pants, clearly thinking about something else entirely. But I can’t shake the rush I feel at the idea of being alone with him in a small, shared space.

My cheeks flush, and though it’s an almost frigid eight degrees out here, I feel a warmth spreading that has nothing to do with the layers I’m bundled in.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Joshua

This is the third time I’ve attempted to brush nonexistent dirt off my pants. While setting up the tent, it didn’t occur to me that Emily and I would sleep together—I mean, sleep beside each other. And earlier, when the guys returned here, I stayed back to check the space of the tent, and, well, it’s small. Really small. So small that it’s impossible for us not to bump into each other.

Normally, this wouldn’t bother me. In fact, I thrive in situations like these. But now, after everything that happened with her, I can’t seem to wrap my head around the fact that we’ll be sharing a tent together. My mind keeps wandering back to the way she looked earlier, her cheeks flushed, hair tousled from the hike, that little spark in her eyes every time she laughs. Shit, this willnotbe good for me.

But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a strange kind of excitement about it. Like something big is about to happen.

I can’t make this more awkward than it already is, so I stride over to Emily and take a seat with her. Our chairs are limited, so the couples are sharing seats. Bon is on Ryan’s lap, whispering something as he laughs. Denise and Rob, however, look like they’re barely managing to tolerate the shared space; Rob’s sitting stiffly, his arm awkwardly slung around Denise’s shoulders, trying to look relaxed but failing miserably. Emily told me that he isn’t the biggest fan of public displays of affection.

“Hey,” Emily says as I reach her. “Come here.” She extends her hand.

The way she says it—soft and inviting—pulls me in without a second thought. I take her hand and settle beside her, squeezing into the small camping chair. We shift and adjust, awkwardly bumping elbows and knees as we try to make it work.

After a minute of fumbling, she huffs and mutters, “Oh, screw this.” Before I know it, she stands up, then sinks down on my lap as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Just like that, any walls I’ve managed to keep up start shaking. Yesterday, I could feel them cracking around her, but right now, it’s like a full-on earthquake, tearing down everything I thought I’d managed to keep under control.

“Is this okay?” she asks, her voice soft, a little unsure. Her eyes search mine, and for once, I can’t seem to find anything clever or witty to say. All I can do is nod.

Usually, I’d make a joke right about now, something light to keep things easy, maybe flirt a little. But looking at her now, watching the way she studies me with those soft eyes, it’s not funny anymore.

When it’s getting late and everyone is finished eating, Kate stands up. “I’m sorry, I want to see the sunrise, and I can’t do it without enough sleep.” She proceeds to go to their tent, and it isn’t long before everyone else decides it’s time to rest.

One by one, they all stand up, and Emily and I are left alone here, the tension louder than the rustle of the leaves and the gust of the wind.

“So, um,” Emily says as she stands up and fixes her scarf. “Are you… mad at me?”

“What?” I ask, incredulous. “Why would you think that?”

“You’ve been awfully quiet, and you didn’t even make a single remark about our sleeping arrangement,” she says. She pauses, twisting the end of her scarf between her fingers. “If it makes you uncomfortable, I can trade with Richard.”

I reach out, gently catching her hand before she can pull further away. “Emily,” I say, letting her name settle in the air between us. “I’m quiet because ever since I found out I’d be sleeping beside you tonight, I haven’t been able to think about anything else.”

Her eyes soften, searching mine, and I feel my pulse quicken under her gaze. The dim light casts soft shadows over her face, her cheeks touched with a hint of color, maybe from the cold, maybe from something else. And here, under the vastness of the stars, she’s even more beautiful than ever.

She takes a small, tentative step closer. “I didn’t know it had that effect on you too,” she whispers, her voice barely audible.

“It does,” I say. “So please, don’t trade with Richard. That would be an awful downgrade.” I chuckle. Even I am surprised by my honesty, and how easy it is to admit to her that I’m flustered by what’s about to happen. She smiles and we walk toward our shared tent.

Emily enters the tent, and I follow suit. Somehow, it feels even smaller than it looked from the outside, with the walls sloping inward, creating a cozy, almost intimate space. There are no sleeping bags—just the soft, padded flooring lined with thermal insulation to keep us warm through the night.

She sits down on the floor and removes her bonnet, scarf, and one other layer. “Finally, warmth,” she says. She still has a sweater on and a shirt underneath.

It’s too warm for me, but she’s too comfortable so I don’t say anything, except I remove my jackets so I’m left with a t-shirt. She massages her feet and legs through her socks.

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