6
Indie
Play With Fire (feat. Yacht Money)
Age Twenty
Iturntheengineoff and step into the warm summer air.
It’s not as heated in the evenings, but it’s a vast difference from the chill that usually whips in the air every other month, and with how much the nerves are setting my skin on fire, the light breeze is a welcome feeling.
Saint randomly texted me this morning asking if I wanted to go on aminihike. I almost cried.
Freaking out between him wanting to do something together, and the fact he’s asking me to do a physical activity.
A hike during the summer makes me want to vomit.
The only thing I’m grateful for is the fact we’re meeting at the golf course, and the trail here isn’t one that I might collapse and wither away on.
Well, not from anything strenuous, anyway.
The one thing I can guarantee that might give out is my heart after seeing him for the first time after his graduation.
Alone.
It’s been two months since university broke up, and every year he heads off for the first few weeks to work with his dad. This is the first anyone’s heard from him.
My gaze scans across the parking lot, instantly spotting him as my eyes draw to him like a lodestone.
Saint is parked near the beginning of the trail, leaning against his car as smoke curls around him.
I used to hate smoking until I saw Saint with a cigarette behind his ear.
He’s dressed in dark cotton shorts, a white T-shirt and his cap on backwards. The sight of that alone turns my bones to liquid. Nerves enlighten my entire body, and I force my shaky legs to walk towards him, fighting the urge to knot my fingers together.
As soon as I’m a couple of feet away from him, his gaze slides to mine, eyes running up the entire length of my body.
The motion has me feeling like the sun just slid an inch closer to earth.
He told me to wear something I wouldn’t cry about if my feet started hurting, so I’m wearing shorts, a crop top and sneakers, but I instantly feel completely naked under the heat of his gaze.
My voice surprisingly comes out steady when I speak. “Are we really going on a trail? Or are you planning my murder? In fact, are you looking for me to help you hide a body? I’m down for a favour, Saint, but criminal law wasn’t my major.”
Internally, I curse myself for my nervous rambling, but a dark rumble of a laugh comes from his chest and fills the air, and he wipes a hand down his face.
“For fuck’s sake. Let’s walk.” He pushes off the car, stretching his hand out to motion onto the trail.
We walk in silence for the first part, but it’s surprisingly not uncomfortable. Despite my awkwardness that’s come over the last year, along with its guest appearance earlier, we know each other really well, so I have no reason to be nervous.
I think that’s why I’ve felt shy around him, because my feelings are so strong, and everything between us has mostly been platonic.
I’d hate for this to ruin our friendship and make him feel like he could no longer be in my life.
“How does it feel to graduate? Are you moving out of your dad’s house?” I ask him instead of clogging up my brain with thoughts, and we take the turn to head up the hill.
“Thankful to never see a fucking textbook again, that’s for sure. But no, I don’t have any plans yet.”
Hope strangely blooms in my chest. Saint’s father has his own private security company, something to do with hiring out bodyguards I think, and he’s always travelling.
