Claire exhaled against her. “Yeah.”
Delilah nodded. “So let’s do it.”
She went to pull back, probably to get her own swimsuit, but Claire yanked her closer. She kept her eyes open as they kissed, soft and slow. Once they parted and turned away from each other so they could change into their swimsuits while keeping their hands to themselves, Claire could’ve sworn she saw a spark of something that looked a lot like happiness in Delilah’s expression.
“IRIS IS GOINGto kill me.”
Claire glanced at Delilah as they walked along the trail toward the springs. She wore a black bikini top that put all of her tattoos ondisplay, along with a pair of high-waisted denim shorts and her boots. She looked soft and badass all at once, and Claire couldn’t stop staring at her.
It was a problem.
“Why?” Delilah asked, her own eyes on the pine straw.
“I left her alone with Spencer and Astrid,” Claire said.
Delilah winced. “Yeah, she’s not going to thank you for that. Not unless you somehow managed to further Operation Shit Boot from afar.”
Claire groaned but then stopped abruptly, her hand flying out to land on Delilah’s arm.
“That’s it,” she said.
“What’s it?”
“Operation Shit Boot.” She turned to Delilah, and what felt like a Cheshire cat grin curled her mouth.
“What about it?”
Claire flapped her hands around. “We need to... I don’t know. Further it.”
Delilah lifted a brow. “Are you talking about shenanigans?”
“Yes!” Claire clapped her hands once and then pointed at Delilah. “Exactly. Camp shenanigans.”
“Like pouring honey all over his sleeping bag or something? Because I’m here for that.”
Claire frowned. “Well, not exactly like that. I mean... he’s sharing a tent with Astrid. I want to drive him nuts, not her.”
“We could feed them both a sleeping pill and then pull his air mattress out onto the springs like in that movieThe Parent Trap.”
“Oh my god, I love that movie.” Claire tapped her chin. “I don’t think he has an air mattress though.”
“And the water’s not exactly dragging distance,” Delilah said.
“Give him some sugar water for the bugs?”
“You know how he hates bugs.”
They laughed, but nothing they’d mentioned felt feasible or, well, mature. But Claire didn’t care about maturity right now. She cared aboutthis. Delilah and her under the trees, plotting like teenagers to help their friend. It felt like something more than just planning a prank—it felt like getting something back, something fun and light and meaningful that they never got to have as girls.
Something Claire never even thought to try for.
But she could one hundred percent try for it now.
“Maybe we should consult the oracle,” Claire said, taking Delilah’s hand and lacing their fingers together as they started walking again.
“Ah, the all-knowing,” Delilah said, smiling. “Now if Astrid could draw the praying mantis card, that would be ideal. Just bite his head the hell off and be done with it.”
Claire laughed. “I seriously doubt she’d draw the apple.”
