Page 30 of I Can't Help It

Is this my way of trying to distract him from our sleeping arrangements dilemma?

Yes. Yes, it is.

“Yeah…” He runs his fingers along the balcony’s handrail. “I guess so.”

Man, I wish those fingers were touching my skin again.

“I’d probably be more relaxed though if you’d just agree to take the bed,” he continues, now looking at me. “So, maybe—”

“Let’s do a little exploring,” I interrupt, going back into the room. Our room. “I want to go look around.”

SOMETHING IS THERE

Ava

Well, I dragged Luke downstairs, then I led him outside using one of the back exit doors. And now we’re studying a free-standing bulletin board that shows a map of the grounds, as well as a list of available activities.

“Look at all of this!” I exclaim, reading over everything. “Nature trails, bike riding, archery, scavenger hunts, canoeing—”

“Ava, we need to discuss our…problem.”

He just can’t help himself.

I feign innocence. “What problem?”

“I don’t like the idea of you being stuck on that couch,” he says as I start to walk away from the board. “Where are you going?”

“I want to see the creek. You coming?”

Granted, these boots aren’t really made for the great outdoors, but I’ll manage.

Luke comes beside me with his hands tucked into the front pockets of his light-colored jeans. “You won’t be as comfortable on the couch.”

“Neither will you,” I point out, giving him a sassy look. “And we’re not supposed to be talking about this, remember? Let’s just enjoy some exploring.”

“But—” His protesting stops when I widen my eyes at him, and he nods instead. “Yeah, okay, let’s explore for now and talk about sleeping arrangements later.”

VICTORY!

However, I keep any kind of celebratory dancing to myself.

“So,” I say as we continue to walk, “how many of the outdoor activities will we be doing?”

“I chose a few of them.” He offers a shrug. “The lodge has lots of indoor activities too, so I wanted a good balance. Plus, there’s the festival activities.”

“When does the festival actually start?” I ask, glancing around. “I don’t see anything set up for it.”

What I do see is a couple holding hands and whispering to each other as they stroll over to a sitting area. Is it really necessary to remind me that I’m not an adorable couple with the amazing guy beside me?

“Ava? You okay?”

His voice is so sweet and so sincere, but all I want to do is shake him by the shoulders while demanding to know if he has feelings for me.

And I could do that, in a less aggressive manner, but it just doesn’t feel like the right time.

Especially with us sharing a room now.

At that moment, I swear a lightbulb appears over my head.

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