Fuck,go away.
“Hey,” Gemma says after a few minutes, turning the music down. “Are you okay?”
“After that kiss? No. No, especially when I know it doesn’t mean I get to have you anytime I want still.”
She chuckles. “Yeah, you’re right. But I meant… areyouokay? You said you needed to clear your head.”
“Ah… it’s just… it’s this damn song,” I lie. “I couldn’t go to sleep last night.”
“How can I help?” she asks.
Stay with me tonight.
Shit. That’s a bad idea.
I shrug. “Kissing me again might cure everything, actually.”
Quiet laughter leaves her. “Tell me about the song. Do you need to talk it through?”
“You want to talk music?” I ask.
“Bonnie, I will talk about the life cycle of worms if that’s what you want to talk about. I may not understand everything like the guys, but I can listen.”
“Are you sure? I get very passionate about music.”
She glances my way. “I’m counting on it. I want to hear everything on the hike. I thought we’d just do a shorter trail today because it’s hot as fuck. Unless you want to go to the sign and back.”
“I don’t think I brought enough water for that. And Darcy said they would meet us at the observatory a little later.”
Gemma switches hands on the wheel. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I really didn’t mean to blow you off.”
I shake my head, even though I wish like hell she had been there.
I wish she had been with me.
I wish she had heard the guy on the phone.
I know I should be telling her about it. I should tell her everything.
Yet, I can’t bring myself to mention it.
“Hey—” Gemma says, getting my attention. “You zoned out on me.”
“Hm?” I blink out of the daze. “Oh. Maybe I was just trying to see if you’d kiss me again.”
Gemma snickers. “Don’t make me regret that.”
“I prefer the fantasy that it’s all you’ll be thinking about today,” I counter.
She shakes her head and switches hands on the wheel again. “Just talk to me about your music. What’s holding you up?”
I smile at her one more time, and as I begin to ramble, I fuckingramble.
I’m still talking when we park, when we get out of the SUV and grab our bags, when I follow her toward the trailhead. I don’t even know that my conversation stays on music as I think I deviate every few minutes at the sight of something that catches my attention, igniting yet another conversation that some how circles back to the music.
I am a hot mess express today.
And it is fuckinghot.
