I’m so close to Colton I have no doubt he can feel me shivering despite the blanket he draped over our legs. The night breeze feels stronger on this side of the island than back at our old base camp. I wish I had my jacket from my backpack, but getting it would mean passing by Sir Hiss himself, and that’s not going to happen.
“A little,” I say as another tremor passes through me.
In one smooth movement, Colton’s hand wraps around my back and tugs at my waist, pulling me closer to him, and I instinctively rest my head against his chest.
“Better?” Colton asks.
I hum, feeling like I’ve just indulged in a spoonful of warm fudge. “Much better.”
I snuggle into Colton, and he trails the soft pads of his fingers up and down my arm. The motion is soothing and manages to replace the recurring image of a snake under the bunk bed with thoughts of butterfly wings grazing my stomach and making me feel like I, too, could grow wings and fly. But then I hear the cold-blooded killer slither farther under my bed and my happy butterflies end up getting eaten by a pair of sharp fangs.
“I’m not going to lie, I love this show, but I’m really glad this is our last night on the island.” I sigh, dreaming of my pink-and-yellow air-conditioned room back home, the feel of burrowing into my large minky blanket that Ji and Paige got me for our high school graduation, the smell of lavender outside mybedroom window, the feel of clean, hot water rushing over me from my showerhead. And above all, the absence of snakes.
“Me, too. Though, it’s going to be weird going back home. I almost feel as if I’ve been living a different life out here. Some of it not so great …” Colton tilts his chin down to look at me. “And some of it very good.”
I feel the soft press of Colton’s lips against the crown of my head and my insides melt like butter on a hot biscuit. A smile lifts my lips. “I couldn’t agree more. Though in just one day, you could be on your way to the future of your choosing.”
He chuckles, breathy and hollow, as if he hasn’t let himself fully imagine that outcome yet. He curls a strand of my hair around his finger. “And you, you could have The Red Curtain. You can finally start Something to Glow About.”
“Something to Glow About,” I repeat dreamily, trying to envision it all going according to my plans. My mind fills with thoughts of its grand opening, seeing the kids come to the classes, building them a safe place where they can grow and gain confidence.
But along with my imaginings comes a twinge of panic. What if I’m not enough for those kids? What if I don’t succeed? What if I lose The Red Curtain in this last challenge?
“It’s going to be amazing.” Colton’s soft words brush the tip of my ear, silencing the naysayers inside of me. “In fact, I think I’ll be your first client.”
I let out a small chuckle. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yep.”
“You’re about seven years too old for the program, but I’ll let it slip this once.”
A moment of silence follows my words, and I wonder what he’s thinking.
“What would you tell me?” he finally says.
I lift my face off his chest to look straight at him.
“What would you tell me if I walked into Something to Glow About? How would you recommend I improve my life?” he amends.
I take in a deep breath and find a spot on the roof to stare at as I gather my thoughts, thinking of the Colton I’ve known for years and the one beside me now, both the boy and the man.
“I’d tell you to believe in yourself. I’d tell you that whether you become a lawyer or a senator or a garbage man, you’ll be extraordinary. But right now, you can’t see it when you look at yourself because your dad is standing in front of you. I think you’ll find that if you stop living life just to please him and start living your life in a way that makes you feel fulfilled, a life where you can give back to others using your talents in a way that brings you joy, you’ll truly see the person you can become. And you’ll be all the happier for it.”
Colton swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing. And then he’s got my hand in his. Gently, he pulls the inside of my wrist to his lips, pressing a warm kiss against my skin. “Missy, I hope you know the profound effect you have on people. It’s why I’ve watched so many gravitate toward you over the years. You’re truly an advocate for others, often seeing more in them than they ever have in themselves.”
“That’s sweet of you to say,” I breathe out, feeling unworthy of the praise. How could he possibly think that about me after all my years of tearing him down?
Colton must see right through my doubts. “I don’t think you ever knew this, but before you came to our school, I was pretty shy.”
I straighten. “What? Colton Downing, you’re not being serious.”
“Completely.” He brushes his hand down my arm, and I lean into him, relishing the way his fingers trace patterns on my skin.“You gave me confidence. It may have been the result of intense competition between us …”
We both chuckle, knowing full well how competitive we’ve been over the years.
“But you’ve always driven me to step up, to be better, and to not settle. And now is no different.” Colton pauses, seeming to mull something over in his mind. “I want to lead my own life, Missy. A life that’s out of my dad’s shadow.”
I look up at him at the same time he tilts his head down at me; our faces are just inches apart.
