Page 20 of Pictures in Blue
Sunshine
Then find me another partner because I like to talk.
Maybe I like to listen.
CHAPTER EIGHT
AVERY
What in the hell is happening?
All I wanted to do was find out if Sky found someone for me to go hiking with and she decided to take it upon herself to manipulate me into texting her grumpy ass brother.
Why would I want to spend the day with someone who has no interest in being anywhere near me? I mean, the feeling is mutual, but I’d much rather navigate my own way through the trails than spend it with a man who clearly doesn’t want to be around me.
Or does he?
His texts suggest otherwise. He’s the one offering and he wouldn’t offer unless he wanted to, right?
“Ugghhhh,” I let out the longest groan of my life.
This trip wasn’t supposed to be complicated. In fact, it was supposed to be the most uncomplicated thing I’ve ever done, besides the whole figuring-out-what-to-do-with-my-life part.
Clearly, the universe has other plans. Flannel wrapped plans. I was looking forward to focusing on the nature around me. The trees, the water, the crunching leaves.
But now it seems the scenery will include a six foot mountain man, with forearms that are apparently a weakness of mine. An image of him wearing his red flannel, with nothing underneath and a backwards baseball cap, completely in his Luke Danes era, comes to mind.
I shake my head, immediately chasing away what that one image does to my body and toss my phone on the chaise under the window. I’m done with it for tonight and I don’t trust myself with it anymore. I burrow further into the blankets and fall asleep with visions of flexing veins and long dark hair pulled up into a bun.
The soundsof rain splattering against the window and a flash of lightning wake me. I squint against the light as it strobes in through the windows. I forgot to close the curtains last night, but the sight of rain is comforting and today might just be a day I stay in bed and enjoy being lazy.
I snuggle into the comforter, the text conversation from last night cycling through my thoughts and the idea of seeing Hudson again both excites and terrifies me.
Before I fall down that particular rabbit hole too far, my phone starts buzzing. I groan and quickly escape the covers to snatch it before diving back into the warmth I left behind.
Charlotte’s contact picture fills the screen and I answer on the third ring. Her face fills the screen, white foam cascading down her chin.
“You could have waited until you were done with that,” I tell her.
Her head disappears and I am stuck staring at the ceiling as I listen to her spit out her toothpaste, gurgle with water and splatter it in the sink.
“Dude, could you be any messier? You got it on the camera.”
“Sorry. There’s no polite way to do that.” She smears a towel across the phone, blacking out the picture. “Sooooo, how’s it going?” When I don’t answer she grabs the phone and stares at me. “What’s wrong? Why’re you looking at me like that?”
“Because,this,” I gesture around me. “is allyourfault.” I point an accusatory finger at her.
She laughs like she doesn’t understand how it’s all her fault. But it is. She’s to blame for all of it. The trip. The town. The mountain man currently setting up a tent in my brain prepared to camp out for yet another day. “What happened?” She asks.
“I don’t even know.”
“Explain,” she pushes.
So I do. I tell her everything that transpired from the last time we talked. I tell her about the texts and Hudson’s obvious flirting and annoyance. All of it came from Mr. Mountain Man himself.
“What did you say his sister’s name was again?”
“Sky.”
