“You okay?” he calls over.
“Perfect! Your turn, city boy.”
I hear him muttering something about “ridiculous” before he pulls himself up and over with surprising grace.
“Not bad for a hockey player,” I tease.
“Piss off,” he says, but he’s grinning.
“Hey! You two!” A photographer has spotted us from the side of the house. “Nick! Julie!”
“Shit, run!” he says.
We grab the bag and sprint toward Autumn’s idling car. She already has the back door open, and we dive in like we’re in an action movie.
“Drive!” Nick shouts.
Autumn peels away from the curb as photographers start running toward us, cameras flashing.
“Thanks for being our getaway driver,” I pant, trying to catch my breath.
“What are best friends for?” Autumn grins at us in the rearview mirror. “Besides, this is the most excitement I’ve had in weeks. Very Bonnie and Clyde.”
“Less murder, more paparazzi,” Nick says, pulling me against him.
“Same level of drama though.” Autumn laughs. “Riverside?”
“Please,” we both say in unison.
“How bad is it?” Autumn asks, glancing at us in the mirror.
“Bad enough that my mom took me off the schedule,” I explain.
Autumn gasps. “In October?”
“And Craig’s trying to start shit,” Nick adds.
Autumn’s hands tighten on the wheel. “That asshole had better stay away.”
“He’s irrelevant.” I squeeze Nick’s hand.
“We just need some time to breathe. Oh, did we forget Zane?” I ask as we travel through town.
“He drove himself,” Autumn explains. “It’s easier to separate in situations like this.”
Nick whispers in my ear, “I’m sorry about all this.”
“Don’t be,” I whisper back. “I’d jump a hundred fences with you.”
As Cozy Creek disappears behind us and we head toward the cabin, I realize that despite the chaos, I’m exactly where I want to be.
I’m next to Nick, heading toward a week of privacy, with my best friend making jokes about our ridiculous escape.
And in a weird way, I’m grateful for it all.
19
NICK
