Page 130 of Love Bleeds Red
I figure now’s a good a time as any to bring up the me and Leon situation. I shift on my feet and pretend to stare intently at a flashlight in the bin.
“You know me and Leon aren’t together… not anymore. We’re just friends.”
Jasper smirks and shakes his head. “Okay… since when did friends look at each other the way you two do?”
“What? We don’t.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t realize it years ago.” He pulls out the tent, and starts checking it for holes. “Bailey, you should have seen that guy while you were gone. He was absolutely devastated. Like fucking miserable. Me and D would secretly invent plans just to get away from his scowling mug for a little while.”
My face heats and stomach flips. “Really?”
“I know I give him shit because you’re my little sister, but I guess I’d be okay if you guys got together. I know he loves the hell out of you.” His eyes soften. “And you love him too.”
This conversation is getting away from normal Jasper and Bailey territory and into mushy emotional feelings land, a place the two of us don’t visit often. I can’t help but smile at his admission anyway.
“Are you going to stop giving him shit then?”
His brows furrow into an “are you crazy?” look. “And deny myself the satisfaction of getting under Leon Colter’s skin? No way. Plus, he kept it a secret all that time. I think I deserve a few more weeks of torment.”
“I can live with that,” I say, feeling extra devious. “We should prank him tonight. Maybe pretend you and him have to share a sleeping bag? I’d love to see the look on his face.”
“We can definitely come up with something better than that.”
I guess we’re going camping.
I’ll giveJasper credit where it’s due, this little remote spot in the Catskills is pretty gorgeous. I’m still not thrilled about the no bathroom situation though.
It’s mid-afternoon and we’ve got our camp set up beside a small lake that reflects the surrounding pine trees like a mirror. I have to admit it’s peaceful, even through Jasper and Falin’s bickering.
“Okay, but seriously,” Falin says for the third time, holding her phone up toward the sky like she’s making an offering to the gods of cell service. “How is there literally zero service out here? What if Fairfax gets released on bail and I miss it?”
“That’s kind of the point of camping, Trouble,” Jasper calls from where he’s attempting to assemble kindling and wood in the fire pit. “Disconnecting from the world.”
She drops her arm and sighs. “I know. I’m just super invested. It’s hard to step away.”
Leon looks at her from the back of the car, where he’s methodically organizing our supplies for some unknown reason. We’re only here one night, but he’s acting like he’s setting up a prepper stockpile for the end of days. “If anything major happens, the world will still be there when we get back tomorrow.”
She grumbles something under her breath before sliding her phone into her leggings pocket and disappearing into the tent.
I’m sitting on one of our camp chairs, watching Leon work. It looks like he’s got everything sorted by meal, weather event, or first aid supply. At least he’s organized… even if it’s a bit much. “Leon,” I say, unable to hide my amusement any longer. “We’re camping for one night, not surviving a zombie apocalypse.”
He pauses, holding a can of beans in each hand. Who even packed canned beans? “You can never be too prepared. Especially out here.”
Jasper perks up from his game of log tetris. “Oh yeah, speaking of being prepared—Bails, did you tell him about that one species of bear?”
I catch Jasper’s eye and realize we’re apparently starting the torment Leon plan early. “Oh right, the... what are they called again?”
“Midnight Howlers,” Jasper says with complete seriousness. “They’re native to this area. Surprised you never heard of them, Mr. Encyclopedia.”
Leon sets down the cans in their specific spot and gives us his full attention. “Midnight Howlers?”
“Yeah, I can’t believe I forgot,” I jump in, trying to match Jasper’s grave tone. “They’re like a cross between a black bear and a wolf. Super rare, but really aggressive.”
“They hunt in packs,” Jasper adds, getting really into the story now. “Kind of like the raptors inJurassic Park. Oh, and they’re nocturnal. That’s why they’re calledMidnightHowlers— they make this really creepy howling sound right before they attack.”
Leon’s eyes narrow. “I’ve never heard of them.”
“Most people haven’t,” I add. “They’re pretty much unique to the Catskills. Something about the ecosystem here made them evolve differently.”
