Page 11 of Wrecked
“My favorite spot. I can’t tell you. Or I’d have to kill you.” He winks as he turns away, expecting me to follow.
I trail after him, excited to be getting out on a Saturday. More excited to be getting out with Nate Westin, even as my nerves rapid-fire across my body.
Once we exit the building, I begin walking in the direction of my car. It’s not fancy, but I was able to afford a little junker from all my waitressing money last summer.
“This way. I parked on the other end.”
“Oh…I figured I’d just follow you.”
“What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you drive yourself?” He grins, taking my hand and leading me toward his truck. I’ve never held hands with a boy before. His hand iswarm and soft and fits perfectly in mine. I know this is just an innocent gesture, but it feels…nice.
We reach his truck, and he opens the passenger door for me. He helps me up onto the lift, still holding my hand the entire time.
“Your chariot…” he jokes, waiting for me to get situated before closing the door. I take a quick look around. All the bells and whistles. This truck probably costs my family’s entire yearly income.
Seconds later, Nate gets situated in the driver’s seat, pulling away from the school and chauffeuring me to some unknown location. I have to admit, saying it like that makes this seem like areallybad idea. But I quickly realize that I don’t feel afraid when I’m with Nate.
“What do you want to listen to?” He hands me his phone with his music app pulled up. I scroll until I find a song I’ve never heard before and press play.
Nate’s head whips over to me, his eyes looking between mine and the road. “Interesting pick.” He laughs, but I can tell by his reaction this song means something to him.
“I’ve never heard it before, but my mom used to listen to Elvis.”
“Used to? Did she pass away?”
“Oh, um…no. She just doesn’t listen to much music anymore.” I don’t want to tell him the truth. Most days she’s passed out on the couch before noon. He nods his head, but it’s clear he’s lost in his thoughts. I can’t help but wonder what triggered his response to this song.
The rest of the car ride is relatively quiet, both of us stuck in our heads. After a few minutes, Nate pulls off the side of the road and onto a slab of gravel.
“I don’t think we are supposed to park here,” I say, confused. There is nothing around us, just a bunch of trees.
Maybe I shouldn’t feel so safe with Nate.
“Nah, it’s fine. No one comes out this way. Come on, let’s go.” He gets out of the truck, grabbing our backpacks, and walks over to the passenger side. He opens the door and offers me his hand, helping me out onto the gravel.
He keeps my hand in his as he walks toward the tree line, pulling us into the woods.
“Is this where you are going to murder me?” I tease, hoping to ease some of the tension that song brought on.
“I can’t tell you that right now. We are still too close to traffic, and someone could hear you scream.” He says it with his best poker face, but I can see how hard he is trying to fight his smile.
“Funny.” I deadpan, trying to fight my smile too.
“Come on, not much farther.”
We keep walking, fighting through trees and bushes on the pathless trek to…wherever he is taking us. There is a clearing up ahead, but I can’t see much beyond the trees. Nate grins as we get closer to what I am assuming is his intended destination.
“Perfect study spot.” He smiles wide, his dimples capturing my attention instead of the place he’s pointing at. I force myself to tear my eyes away and look at our new study hall.
“Wow.” I gasp, staring at the sparkling body of water nestled between the surrounding forest. The lake appears like a tranquil mirror, glistening from the rays of sunlight shining down from the clear blue sky. The hues of nature are reflected on the mirrored surface, the images distorting as the water ripples with the light breeze. “What lake is this? I’ve never been here before.”
Nate pulls out a blanket from his bag and spreads it across the grassy bank. “It’s in the back of my grandma’s property. She passed away years ago, but we kept the house in the family. I like to come here when I just need a place to get away.”
“That sounds nice. Having some place to get away.”
He stares at me for several seconds. His eyes flicker betweenboth of mine as if he’s trying to read my mind. “You can come here, Pip. When you need a place to get away. I’ll share mine with you.” He looks down and hides his face before continuing. “My little sister struggles with anxiety, so I looked up some things that could help her. It’s this thing called the five, four, three, two, one method. I…I could teach you, if you want.” He keeps his eyes averted, trying not to embarrass me. My eyes fill at the thought that Nate recognized something in me that my own family has not.
“I’d like that,” I whisper, suddenly overwhelmed with an emotion that I don’t quite understand. Nate Westin just became something to me in this moment. I just don’t know what that is yet.
