Page 79 of Hooks In

“One of the greatest boybands of all time.” I roll my eyes at him. Seriously, does he know nothing about music? “One Direction is legendary. How do you not know them?”

He shakes his head with a sigh, looking out the window again.

I ignore his broodiness, humming along to One Thing, until I turn down a quiet, dark, dirt road.

Ty peers out into the dark as the streetlights fade away behind us. “Are you going to murder me?”

I put the Jeep in park when I reach a clearing and huff out a laugh. “Oh, Ty.”

He just stares at me as I turn the Jeep off and hop out. He gets out as well, and glances around at the woods surrounding us. When he looks to me, I smile and open my arms wide.

“Ta-da!”

I can’t quite make out his expression in the dark, but for some reason it seems to be confusion.

“What?” he asks.

I point up to the sky, and he tilts his head back. But he just drops his head, again asking, “What?”

“Ugh.” I tip my head back with a groan. “The stars, you idiot! Your favorite relaxing activity.”

He somehow looks even more confused. “Where the fuck do you keep getting this idea I like looking at stars?”

“You told me.”

“No, you said that. I said nothing.”

“Exactly.” I point at him. “You lead me to believe that’s what you were doing. How else was I supposed to know what your favorite relaxing fun time activity is?”

I can see his jaw ticking, even in the dark.

I smile back at him. We have so much fun together.

“Let’s gaze.” I hop onto the hood of my Jeep, tapping the spot beside me.

He sighs, but joins me.

We lay back on the hood, gazing up at the sparkling stars. It’s a clear, cool night and it looks like every single star is out.

But my eyes immediately slide to the moon.

A waxing crescent moon. The first lunar phase after the new moon, when one is supposed to take their first steps towards making their wishes come true.

“The waxing crescent moon rises before noon,” I say, keeping my eyes on it.

Ty doesn’t say anything, but I hear him move his head to look at it.

“And sets before midnight. So, this is actually a setting moon.”

We’re silent for another moment as we both look up at it. I let those familiar, comfortable feelings settle inside me as I take it in, the light entering the darkness once again in its cycle of life.

“This phase of the moon is supposed to symbolize moving forward with new light,” I say. “Lighting a fire under your ass to do what you need to do, with ambition and energy.”

Ty subtly adjusts beside me. “Well, you’re just a wealth of knowledge.”

I snort a laugh, raising my arm to place it under my head. Then I face him, ready to move forward, and share something huge.

“I have a secret.”

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