I drop my eyes, clear my throat of the dust from the walk up. “About that. Turns out my mom and dad planned another trip. They… just left.”
She doesn’t say anything. My hand raises, rubbing at the back of my neck. “Sorry, Ken. I know we planned dinner. It’s not you. It’s just…,”
“Them.” She sighs, slipping her fingers into mine and squeezing. “I’m sorry. What should we do instead?”
I tilt my head to the other end of the clearing, toward the path that leads up. “I could do a sunset. If you’re okay with that?”
Her eyes light up. “I need to change.”
“I’ll wait.”
Barely two minutes pass before she bursts pack through the door. She holds up two bottles of water, and I point to the bag on my back. “Stick ‘em in.”
“Always so prepared.” Her words are faintly teasing as she unzips the bag and slides them in.
“Can’t take too many chances in the forest.” Words I’ve had repeated to me all my life. “And I’m not taking any chances with you.”
“Charmer.” She slips her hand into mine again, the feeling natural as we set off at a slow pace. “What time is sunset?”
I check my watch. “Ninety minutes. Plenty of time.”
Our feet crunch against the autumn leaves as we walk. Both of us are quiet, but there’s a peace in the air between us that I find myself clinging to.
“You know,” Kenny murmurs finally. “I was so pissed when Rick told me where we were moving.”
I’m not the only one who’s been pulled around. I glance back at her before twisting to check the trail path. “You came from Charlotte, right?”
“Right.” She tests her balance, stepping up onto a log as I hold her steady. “Plenty of construction there. I think Rick pissed off the wrong person, though. He had us packed up and out of there in an hour.”
“Not many to piss off up here.”
“I’m sure he’ll manage it,” she grumbles. “But I'll be eighteen soon.”
The thought of her leaving… it hits much harder than my parents ever have. “What about college?”
“Oscar’s helping me with applications. What about you?”
“I considered it.” Up ahead, there’s movement, and I pause, my hand sweeping out. “But I like the forest. I’d probably end up doing something up here anyway. There’s a pathway I can follow to get accredited, if I want to. Maybe set up my own offer one day, run my own tours.”
My head tilts. When Kenny shifts, moving past me, I thrust out my hand. “Pilot up ahead.”
“What—,”
“It’s alright,” I murmur when she stiffens, following my gaze. The tan and brown hourglass markings are unmistakable.
“Max.” Kenny backs into me. “Thatis a pretty big snake.”
Up ahead, the copperhead lazily uncurls from its position coiled up on the path. We nearly walked right into it.
“He won’t hurt you.” I slide my arm around her waist, ready to yank her out of the way, just in case. “He’s just goin’ about his day, Ken. Not doing any harm.”
She makes a small noise. “But they’re poisonous.”
“Yeah.” I keep my voice low, studying the snake carefully. “Not lethal. Treatable. But he’ll only strike if he feels threatened. We’re a good distance away. Just hold off for a minute and he’ll be on his way.”
Her breathing grows choppy, her body heavier against mine. Distracted, I glance down at the warmth beneath my hand. My thumb glides over bare skin where her white tank’s ridden up. “Sorry.”
“If you’re trying to take my mind off our scaly friend, it’s working.” There’s laughter in her voice, even as it wobbles. My mouth twitches as I drop my head. Kenny sucks in a breath as my lips brush the soft outer shell of her ear. “Max.”
