“I could just listen.”
I shake my head. “How about you spend some time communing with nature and try to find the inner self you decided to bury back before you decided it would be a good idea to live without a soul?”
He’s quiet for a long moment.
“You think I’m soulless?”
The small question is like an icy blast through me, but I force myself not to back down, not to apologise.
I shrug. “Why does it matter what I think?”
Dakota frowns. “I don’t know, but it does.”
He turns on his heel, shoving his fingers into his pocket, and walks away from me, leaving me feeling distinctly uneasy, like I’ve said something mean.
Meg slides up beside me. “Shall we shank them all and bury the bodies?”
I snort a laugh. “You know Desi would rat us out in two minutes; you just need to say ‘lie’ around him, and he starts sweating.”
“Hoes before bros,” Meg sings.
“That hurts, Megzy,” Desi calls out. “Really hurts. What happens to all the vows of undying love you gave me?”
Meg blows Desi a kiss. “Sorry, babe, but I loved her first.”
Desi flicks his middle finger up at her and continues clearing the area of rocks and sticks.
“Ready to do this?”
Meg holds out her fist. “Loser gets the water.”
I roll my eyes. “Best of three.”
She bounces on her toes and leans forward. Rock, paper, scissors is a terribly unfair game, but I’ll beat her one day. It probably won’t be today.
“Ready, set!”
I keep my fist closed, and she slaps an open palm on my fist.
“One to me!” she purrs and flutters her lashes at me.
“Again,” I snap.
This time, I go paper, she goes scissors and pretends to cut my hand. Her laughter drives me crazy, and I want to tackle her until it stops, but she’s Meg, and I love her.
I still love her, even if I do have to get water.
I scowl at her. “How do you always beat me?”
“You’ve got a tell.”
“Oh?”
“Your eyes flick left if you are going rock, and you look at your fist for scissors.”
“Bullshit.”
“I shit you not, my first love. Now, hurry to the river and bring me back some water.”
