Page 17 of Honeysuckle
“A lot of your comebacks sound like third graders at recess.” I rolled my eyes. “If their stupidity is your only reason, I’m going to start forcing you. But if there’s another reason…”
“There’s not. I just don’t want to partake in your cult festivities.”
“Right.” I laughed. “Cael told me about your theory.”
“It’s not a theory, it’s an observation. If you’re just going to mock me, Tuck, I’d rather paddle in silence,” he said.
“Yeah, you would,” I snapped. “And stop calling me that.”
“Why?” He hummed. “Does it bother you?…Tuck.” Josh’s teeth clicked together as the ‘k’ rolled off his lips.
“You only do itbecauseit bothers me.”
“If you didn’t want to be stuck in a canoe with me, why volunteer? I’m sure Cody would have been a less painful option,” he said.
“You don’t get to always take the easy way out,” I said to him, and watched all the muscles in his back tense. “Did I hit a nerve, Logan?” I teased.
“It’s cute you think it’s that easy,” he responded after a tense moment.
“I’ve seen you get worked up for less,” I said, trying to keep my tone light. I wasn’t looking for a fight with him; Iwantedhim to open up to me. to tell me what was going on in that mess of a mind, but I would take whatever the hell this was.
At least he wasn’t throwing punches.
“Or is it only fun when you aren’t on the receiving end?” I asked him.
“I can take a joke, Tuck. You just haven’t said anything funny,” Josh said, but I could hear the smile in his voice and I hated that it trickled down my spine in a warm line. I got a budding urge to keep up the banter just to hear that sound again.
“I’ve won funniest teammate back to back,” I said.
“Did Arlo make you all homemade trophies?” He teased, his shoulders shaking with a small laugh.
“No,” I grumbled, “Van did.”
“Are you serious?” That had his head whipping around to look at me.
The sun caught in his dark brown eyes, and for the first time ever I saw color there that wasn’t cold and endless. Amber swam beneath the surface, swirling in waves that drank in the sunlight pouring down on us. His skin was stained with freckles and, in the light, I could see more of those tiny white scars that littered his complexion.
Wind kicked up the curls that rested against his neck and I swallowed tightly, nodding because it was all I could manage as I worked to dampen the sparks lighting fires in the pit of my stomach.
“I’ll show it to you if you survive spring camp,” I managed to get out after a moment of him staring at me.
“You guys really are a cult.” He sighed and carefully turned back around in the canoe.
“Keep this up and you’ll win grumpiest Gus,” I teased.
“Shut up, Tuck,” he growled to get the last word, and I laughed before returning my focus to paddling.
If there was anyone that could break down Josh, it was me. I could do this. I just needed to figure out how. Alone, one-on-one, he wasn’t so bad. Maybe he wasn’t so overwhelmed or something, but he was different. The jokes were softer, the conversation enjoyable. He wasn’t protecting his throat like a dog backed into a corner.
He exuded confidence like a ray of light. Both on and off the field there was a rare time when any of us saw cracks in Josh Logan’s armor, but sitting here in the canoe, just the two of us, I was reminded that he was just a kid like the rest of us, trying to navigate his life without fucking it all up too badly.
By the time we got to the island half the team already had their tents up and a few of them were goofing around with a ball as the rest fought with poles and fabric. The sun was high in the sky but it wouldn’t be long before it dropped and brought the chill with it.
I hopped out, getting my shoes wet and wandered to the front of the canoe, yanking it with both arms up to the shore so Josh could get out.
“Thanks,” he said under his breath, and started to unload what we had brought.
I brought the tent over to the last free spot in the awkwardly arranged circle and pulled everything out, getting mere moments of silence before Cael wandered over, squatting down to my eye level.
