Making certain her foot is supported in my left hand, I wrap two fingers from my right hand around the thorn. “I’m going to pull this out on the count of three,” I warn her. Her fingers dig into my shoulder in anticipation.
“Just do it already,” she pleads.
Swiftly I count to three and yank the thorn free.
She yelps softly, then chuckles. “That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”
Without speaking, I stand, striding to the spot where her clothes are piled. Scooping them into my arms, I walk them back over to her.
I look away into the darkened trees as I hand them to her. “My name is Brady Sterling, by the way.”
“I know. I looked in the guest book my grandma keeps.” She says it simply, in a very matter-of-fact way.
So she is connected to the owner, like I thought. It’s a family-run operation.
I keep my gaze averted as she dresses. After a minute, she says, “My name is Addison West.”
I look back at her and see her hand extended. We shake, and when she looks into my eyes, I notice her guard is back up, but it’s not as strong as it was before. It’s still visible in her eyes, but it’s no longer plain on her face.
“I’m sorry it has taken me so long to introduce myself. Three run-ins is a long time to wait.”
Addison tucks her hair behind her ears. “Yeah, well, it’s not like I gave you any real chance to tell me your name.” She starts for the trail, and I follow, falling in step alongside her. “In my head, I’ve been calling you Cabin Seven.”
I tuck my hands in my pockets and laugh. “I’ve never been called that before.”
Addison sneaks a glance at me. “What have you been called?”
I think for a moment, but ultimately I’m unable to come up with anything. I shrug. “Mostly bad names, I guess. No real nickname.”
Addison laughs, and I feel disappointed she’s not looking at me right now, because I’d really like to see her smile.
“How do you know we’re going the right way?” I ask. She’s navigating the path as though it’s the middle of the day and not almost night.
“Years of experience.”
“You grew up here?”
“I spent summers here. With my grandma.”
“Seems like a nice place to spend time.”
“You’re from Phoenix?”
“Technically. I grew up in a suburb called Agua Mesa.”
“What are you doing here?”
I’m not sure how to respond. Normally, Lennon and Finn are the only people I’d talk to about my issues, but not this time. Not when they’re the ones causing the problem.
Addison chuckles. “So, you lose the ability to speak when I ask you why you were wearing a wedding ring that didn’t belong to you, and you can’t tell me why you’re here? Sounds like lady trouble.”
“Something like that.”
“I think it’s exactly like that.”
Now I’m the one chuckling. “Maybe.” It’s not an easy story to tell, and the words themselves don’t paint the situation accurately.
Addison doesn’t respond, and after a minute she points ahead, to a spot where light from Sweet Escape filters through the trees. “Here we are.”
