I nod in agreement and we make a move for it. I don’t necessarily care whether or not a group of strangers see us walk out of the same showerstall, however, out of respect for a very confused Brad, it’s best if we don’t draw attention.
We turn off the shower and quietly make our way to our clothes. I lightly push him off balance and he stumbles into the wall, making him laugh. He exaggerates a shushing motion which only makes me bite my tongue harder to keep from laughing too loud. He hurriedly dries off, not doing as well at it as he probably would’ve if we weren’t rushing. I slip on my shorts, omitting a shirt and Brad does the same thing. The sun is so hot out there that I’ll probably dry off in minutes, anyway.
The men are still talking over the stalls about some sort of plans they’ve got for tonight so we take this opportunity to quietly slip out.
“Me? That was all your fault.” I laugh, stepping backward. “You were the one who—”
“Shit, watch out!” Brad lunges, hands gripping my shoulders just in time to stop me from crashing into whatever’s behind me.
“Oh! Sorry,” I apologize.
I turn to see two young women, around my age. My eyebrows shoot up the moment I realize, I know one of them.Very well.They’re coming out the women's side, dressed in bikini tops and short shorts, carrying a couple washroom bags tucked under their arms.
“Oh my gosh! Noah?!” One of them, I know as Dakota, smiles brightly, her brown eyes jumping back and forth between both of us.
“Dakota! Holy…shit, what are you doing here?” I let out an awkward laugh, scratching the back of my neck.
I glance at Brad and am shocked to see him avoiding their eyes. Does he find them attractive? Would I care if he did? Anyone with eyes could see they’re beautiful.
“Dakota and I used to go to high school together,” I explain.
Brad nods his head slowly, following along.
“Used to go to school together,”Dakota teases, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Noah, you’ve always been such a jokester.” She laughs, shaking her head. “Did you two just get here? We haven’t seen you around.”
Her eyes wander slowly down our wet bodies, taking in the scene. Dakota and I lost touch after high school, but it’s clear she’s grown into a striking woman. Her legs seem to stretch forever, with tan skin warm, bronzed, and radiant. Her long black hair flows down to her waist, some strands braided with beads at the ends. Tiny, delicate tattoos snake up and down her arms, small details she’s added since we were fifteen.
Honestly, she looks just my type.
And yet…
“We came up yesterday. Kind of been doing our own thing out here.” I shrug.
The other girl laughs. “Yeah, the outdoors are great for that.” She’s shorter with long blonde hair. Her eyes flicker over to Brad. “But they’re even better when you’ve got good company.”
“Yeah,” Brad laughs nervously. “Well, we better get going—”
“Oh, I’m so rude.” Dakota gasps. “I’m Dakota, and this is my cousin Jodie.” She smiles, tucking her hair behind her ear. “We go portaging here every summer for two weeks. Kind of turned into a tradition.”
“Two weeks?” I stare, struggling to imagine living out here in the wilderness for so long. “Bet you could get into some crazy adventures out here.” I nod, thinking it over.
“With this bunch? Oh, you have no idea.” Her mouth quirks up at the side. “Why don’t you guys join us for a bit? We’re heading up to Devil’s Ledge soon. We’re going to do some cliff jumping.”
Brad scoffs. “Ah, would love to. But can’t.” His hand rests on my shoulder. “I’m responsible for getting this guy back home in one piece.”
I’m not too sure why but the way he said that twists my stomach.
“Oh! I’m sorry, are you two—”
“Step-dad,” he blurts out before she can even finish her sentence.
The label slaps me harder than I expect.
My brows furrow as I look at him. “Oh, yeah?”
He shushes me and returns his attention back to the girls.
My jaw tenses as I look away. After what we just did together, that’s the last thing I would’ve expected him to say.
