Page 47 of Hate You, Maybe
A wave of understanding slowly dawns across his face. “No, I mean, that’s …fantastic,” he says. “While you two are out on the trail, I can catch up on some work.”
“Then everyone’s happy.” I press my mouth into a tight smile and nod toward the bathroom. Another silent message. “And weren’t you about to hop in the shower? I think we agreed I’d wait for my turn in the morning.”
He stares at me for another long moment.Come on, Dexter. Catch on.
“Otherwise, I’ll shower tonight,” I say. “And you can just stay here and talk to?—”
“Shower!” he says. “Right. Yeah. I hate smelling like campfire.” He quickly rummages in his duffel bag again, pulling out a pair of shorts, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and a toiletries kit.
When the scent of his body wash or cologne, or something even more delicious, sweeps across the room, I shift my focus back to Tori. “I’ll just walk you back to your cabin then.”
“I can make it on my own,” she says. “I’m right next door.”
“Yes, but.” I scrunch up my nose, lowering my voice. “I just want to give Dex some privacy.”
“I won’t be long,” he says, already moving toward the bathroom.
“Take your time,” I tell him, slipping my feet back into my boots. I leave the laces untied and don’t bother with socks since I’ve got Band-Aids on the blisters now. “Let’s go.”
I follow Tori across the porch, my loose boots clomping down the stairs, as she tells me about the trail run she expects us to go on tomorrow morning.
“It’s only three miles,” she says.
Only.
I reach for her elbow. “Tori.”
She stops and turns to face me, squinting in the dark. “What’s the matter?”
“The thing is—” I gulp—“I don’t actually run.”
“Ah.” She nods, her gaze quickly dipping up and down my body. “I’m not surprised. You didn’t exactly strike me as the running type.”
Terrific.
“It’s that obvious?”
Instead of answering, she lets out a long sigh. “I can totally skip a day or two of cardio. I was just trying to figureout a way to get some time alone with—” She darts her eyes back at our cabin.
“Dexter?” I widen my eyes like this is news to me. “Really? I had no idea!”
“Good,” she says. “Because I’m trying to be low-key about my interest.”
“Totally.” I bite back a smile, nodding. After all, I’m about to lie to this woman, and for that, I feel bad enough already. “But here’s the thing.” I lower my voice like I’m about to reveal a big secret. And I am. In fact, what I’m about to tell her issosecret, it isn’t even true. “Can I trust you?”
“Of course.” She glances around, her eyes popping wide. “With what?”
“You see …” I whisper, “there actuallyissomething going on between Dexter and me.”
“What?” she squawks. “But you said?—”
“I know what I told you,” I interrupt. “But that’s only because Dex and I don’t want Bob and Hildy to know we’re together.”
“Ooooh.” She bobs her head. “Is that why you made such a big deal about not wanting to share a cabin with him?”
Oof. Right. I did do that.
“Exactly.” I nod solemnly.
