Page 17 of Red Rabbit
“When did I say that?”
“You said that’s why we clean them away from camp.”
“That doesn’t mean the bears won’t come investigate. They’re curious.”
“Will it come back?” I asked nervously.
“Maybe.”
“That’s not very reassuring.”
“I’m not trying to be reassuring.”
“Would you shoot it if it came into the tent?”
“No.”
“What?!” I looked over at him but I could only see a dim outline.
“A 9mm won’t do much to a bear. It would be a waste of a bullet.”
I clutched the blanket under my chin as my ears strained to hear any sound outside the tent and I heard Graham sigh.
“Usually the bears don’t want anything to do with people,” he said.
“Usually?”
“I was trying to get you to relax.”
“Super helpful,” I said sarcastically. “I didn’t survive a fucking plane crash just to get killed by a bear.”
“Those odds are pretty high.”
“Yes, but now I’ve been in a plane crash and now a bear was just outside the tent, so—I feel like my odds have shrunk suddenly.”
“Maybe you should play the lottery.”
“Your sarcasm is not an attractive trait.”
“Good thing you’re not attracted to me then.”
I fell silent because that was very much not true. I wasn’t about to tell him that although I think he already knew. The way he could get to me with just a few words or a look was ridiculous and embarrassing. He made me feel things Tyler never did and he hadn’t even touched me.
8
GRAHAM
Kaelin’s shoulder touched mine the entire night and as much as I told myself to move away, I didn’t. I don’t think either of us slept well and I don’t think it was entirely from fear of the bear.
She came with me to the fishing hole again to collect blueberries for breakfast. I hated to admit it but I spent a ridiculous amount of time watching her. She was never what I expected her to be and she looked at everything like it was a problem to calculate and solve. I watched her discreetly make a few adjustments to my fish trap I grudgingly admitted were smart and I could tell it took a lot for her to stay out of the smoker build. I was working on it now and I saw her stare at my work multiple times with a skeptical look on her face.
“I’ve always been jealous of people who can build things out of wood,” she said.
“Not the creative type?”
“I didn’t say that.”
I looked at her and she shrugged.
