Page 133 of Love Bleeds Red
“Don’t you dare say beans,” Falin interrupts. “I have to share a tent with this man. I don’t need it to explode from noxious fumes.”
“You mean your noxious fumes?” Jasper teases. “Your farts are way worse than mine.”
“I do not fart,” Falin says with mock indignation.
Jasper snorts, almost losing the sip of beer in his mouth. “Okay… and I’ll be the next President of the United States.”
Bailey shakes her head, laughing, and comes to join me at the car. “In the other cooler, there’s a pack of hot dogs. We could just roast some of those for now.”
“Good plan,” I say. “Just so you know, I wasn’t going to open the beans. Those are just an in-case-of-emergency option. I agree with Falin.”
“And I third that thought,” she says. “I unfortunately grew up with him and had to share many a tent back in those days. Do not recommend.”
I grab the hot dogs from the cooler while Bailey finds the package of buns. It’s all so normal—the kind of thing I dreamed about for all those months without her. Cooking together, sharing a meal, being able to see her smile anytime and anyplace. It makes my damn chest ache.
“Should we find some sticks to roast these on?” Bailey asks.
“Already on it,” Falin calls from the fire, holding up several long branches she must have collected earlier. “I came prepared.”
“Look at you, my nature goddess,” Jasper says, grabbing Falin by the waist and tugging her into his lap. They laugh and go back and forth with their typical flirty banter, low enough that their words don’t reach Bailey and me. I never wanted to admit it in the past, but being around them as well as Blake and Damon when they were like this, it was hard. I would get in a shitty mood, and I was probably awful to be around. But now, the only thing I feel is happiness for my friends. And maybe a little envy too.
We settle around the fire, spearing hot dogs onto the makeshift roasting sticks. The conversation flows easily between the four of us. Jasper tells stories about camping disasters fromtheir childhood, Falin describes some of the more ridiculous places she’s had to sleep during her various adventures around the world, I remind everyone that this is essentially my first time camping and get teased to hell for it. Bailey laughs at all the right moments, adding her own memories from childhood.
I watch her in the firelight, how the glow of it makes her eyes sparkle, how she naturally leans in toward its warmth. She’s sitting next to me, our chairs are close enough that our knees bump occasionally. I’m conscious of every small contact, every light graze. I wonder if she is too.
“Remember that time you tried to impress that girl from your English class by cooking over a fire?” Bailey asks Jasper, grinning as she rotates her hot dog. “What was her name? Melissa?”
“Marissa,” Jasper corrects. “And I still think it was unnecessary for Dad to call the fire department. The fire wasn’t that big.”
“The fire department?” Falin almost chokes on her bite. “Oh my God, what did you do, dummy?”
“It was just a little out of control,” Jasper says defensively. “The wind picked up and maybe I used too much lighter fluid?—”
“You used the entire bottle,” Bailey cuts in, laughing so hard she’s tearing up. “I remember watching from my bedroom window, horrified that you were going to burn the house down. There were flames shooting three feet in the air! I ran outside and screamed, ‘There’s a literal fire!’”
“Poor Marissa,” I add, grinning as I imagine the whole scene playing out. “What did she do when the sirens started?”
Jasper laughs and shakes his head. “She... may have hidden in the bathroom and called her mom to pick her up.”
“Didn’t she avoid you for the rest of the year?” Bailey asks, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
“Maybe I didn’t want to be her friend anymore either, Bails. You ever think of that?”
“Right,” Bailey says. “Because you had so many girls falling all over you then.”
Falin reaches over and pats Jasper’s cheek. “Don’t worry, baby. You’re much better with fire now. And I promise not to hide in any bathrooms… unless you’re in there with me.” She winks and kisses his cheek.
We eat our hot dogs and share a bag of chips. Jasper and I finish off another beer while the girls crack open a few seltzers. This night feels nostalgic despite never camping before. It reminds me of summer, spending time at the Shea’s, back when things were simpler. When our biggest worry was whether Jasper would hog all the good snacks.
As we’re finishing up, and a quiet settles around the fire, Falin stretches and leans into Jasper. “You know,” she says casually, “I’m getting kind of tired. All this fresh woodsy air.” She makes a clearly fake, exaggerated yawn.
“Already?” Jasper asks. “It’s still early.”
“I know. But I’mreallytired.” She draws out the word. “Maybe we should turn in early tonight.” She gives him a meaningful look that even I notice but it goes completely over his head.
“But we haven’t even made s’mores yet,” Jasper protests. “I bought all the stuff.”
Falin suppresses a sigh and tries again, running her hand up Jasper’s arm. “S’mores can wait. I was thinking we could... you know... get comfortable in the tent.”
