I breathed in, breathed out, and smiled.
“Okay.”
* * *
We traveled along the coast for quite a while. The sun was warming my cheeks as the breeze played with my hair. Luke was driving, and I was seated next to him, a decision made after a ridiculous game ofNot it,which was essentially the opposite ofShotgun. That instantly put me in the mandatory position of a DJ.
Luke made it clear that today I was solely responsible for the music. However, that was a responsibility I didn’t want to take on. How was I supposed to know what kind of music everyone would like? I glanced at the other passengers and scrolled through the available options. The moment I pressed play, Luke shot me a look.
“What?” I asked. I should’ve known better by now.
“Oh, you like Kanye and his ‘Gold Digger’?”
My smirk betrayed me. “Nice try, Ridley. C’mon.” He cocked his head to the side. It was frustrating but kind of nice. How much he actually was getting to know me.
I grabbed the phone and switched to some classic Sheryl Crow. I closed my eyes, letting her convince me that if it makes me happy, it truly can’t be that bad. The words flew through me like good music usually did.
“Good girl,” Luke murmured, low enough for me to hear, and the words sank into places they shouldn’t, swallowing the desperate thought of hearing those two simple words in another context.
We drove for half the morning, anticipation making me restless. The only thing I was told after begging them for any information was that there would be three stops and it would take all day. Which calmed me in no way, shape, or form.
Finally, we parked in the middle of the woods. I realized this was the first stop when Luke handed me white sneakers to replace my heels. We were in Buçaco National Forest, one of the most breathtaking places I’d ever seen. Towering trees stretched overhead, nearly blocking out the sky.
“My mom used to bring me to the forest,” I said, taking in all the beauty around me.
“I know. I remember,” Luke replied with a reassuring smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to a forest,” he added, surprising me.
“What? How can it be that you’ve never been to a forest?”
“I was academically raised. My parents didn’t think much could be gained from spending time in nature. I was mostly surrounded by charity events, opera openings, and books. A lot of books,” he said, reminiscing about his childhood, a hint of sadness in his voice. That ache was familiar. I wanted to give him some space to talk. “That’s why I love these trips. So many places I’ve never seen. So many sights I’ve never... enjoyed.”
He glanced at me, and we shared a smile.
“It’s a shame it took you so long to get here,” I said, brushing my fingers over the tree bark. “But the good news is, you haven’t missed anything. The trees are still here. Just look at this. It’s magical.”
The leaves rustled above us, dancing in the wind. Others had moved ahead, leaving Luke and me trailing behind. We followed them lazily until I decided to get my beautiful white sneakers dirty and veer off the path.
“Did you know trees can talk to each other?” I said, glancing over my shoulder at Luke, who stood about twenty feet away. “They have this fungal network in their roots that connects them. If a tree is attacked, or experiences drought or disease, it can warn its neighbors so others can change their behavior.”
Luke tilted his head, something unreadable in his eyes.
“What?” I asked, but he just kept staring into my eyes from afar.
“They’re a different color now,” he murmured. “Green.”
I frowned, not quite following.
“How are they...” he trailed off, still watching me, gaze steady. Almost too steady. And then something shifted. Uncertainty hardening into focus, like a line had been quietly drawn, and he was on the edge of a choice. A decision to be made.
Before I could ask, he moved toward me, excruciatingly slow. I’ve seen this look before.
“I don’t think you should do what I think you’re doing,” I said quietly. He kept coming my way, his shoes dipping into the green moss.
“Why?” he asked, a grin spreading across his face, as if he knew I wanted him to do exactly what he was doing.
“Because I don’t want you like that,” I lied. Oh my God, so obvious. He saw right through me, his smile so wide now Joker could be jealous. “Because you’re not my type,” I tried again.
“Hmm, well, maybe I can do something about that,” Luke said, closing in on me. The air between us grew thick.
