I know it, and my brothers know it. I overhear one of the guys asking Nick for his last name. Nick stumbles over it. He almost says McDonald. But then, he recovers.
“Rosewood,” he says casually like he’s been saying it his whole life.
I know the stakes are high. I know I can’t get close to anybody right now. Maybe not for months.
And yet, here I am.
Because I’m drawn to Colton the way I’ve never been drawn to anyone.
I make myself sit far away from him at the bonfire and try not to make eye contact, but I can’t stop sneaking looks at him. He’s the brightest light I’ve ever seen. He’s charismatic, and friendly, and real. All the other kids gravitate toward him, and he’s nice to everyone.
So much so that I find myself getting jealous of the other girls. I push that ridiculous feeling aside. Colton and I are certainly not a couple, and besides, he’s not even flirting back with anyone. He’s just being friendly.
But despite my best efforts to remain neutral, he has the ability to make me crazy with lust. Even when he’s teasing me.
“Hey, Sparky,” he calls out at one point.
I stick my tongue out at him. “Last I checked, my name was Skylar.”
He chuckles. “Okay. Sparky Skylar.”
“Jackass,” I mouth as I glare at him.
He winks, those baby blue eyes of his sparkling with wickedness. I wish I could storm over to him and kiss that smirk off his face.
Wait, what?I can’t believe that thought just crossed my mind. And I’m not even drinking.
One of the kids snuck some beers out of his RV, but Ben and Nick would never let me get drunk. Not that I have any desire to; all I desire is sitting across from me, shadows from the flames of the bonfire dancing across his face. His blue gaze finds mine again, and I don’t look away fast enough.
The corners of his mouth tip up, and I know he’s caught me staring.
The girl next to him is talking to him, but he hardly even answers her. His gaze stays on me, and when Nick and Ben tell me they’re leaving, I know I don’t want to go with them.
“Let her stay with us,” Iris, the girl next to me, begs Nick. “We’re going to stay up all night and talk about boys.”
My brothers look at each other, clearly having a silent conversation. There are two other girls left at the bonfire, plus me. Colton is chatting with two guys on the other side of the circle.
“We won’t get into any trouble,” I assure Nick. “We don’t have anywhere to go.”
“Let her stay,” Ben says. “She deserves one good night, right?”
Ben grabs the remaining beers and proceeds to empty them into the trash. “No more alcohol for anyone,” he says firmly.
“Remember our rules,” Nick says in my ear as he hugs me. “Be careful who you trust.”
“How could I forget?” I say to him. “I’ll be fine. I promise. Good night.”
“You have your own key?” Ben confirms.
I hold it up to show him.
He and Nick leave then, and I’m alone at the bonfire.
For the first time since we went on the run, a rush of happy adrenaline zips through my veins.
Things are fun at first. Colton and the guys joke around with each other as Iris and her friend, Amy, tell me about the boys they have crushes on back home. They don’t ask me any questions, which is just fine with me.
But then the girls insist on a game of truth or dare. My hands immediately go clammy. The truth is not something I’m necessarily even allowed to share, and the precarious situation my family is in has blurred the lines for me between right and wrong anyway. I’m learning that telling the truth isn’t always the way to go, and sometimes a lie can flat-out save your life.
