I could’ve killed him.
Devin looked up, his eyes red and puffy, and all I wanted to do was hold him again.
He didn’t want to get back in. I could see that,everyonecould see that.
“If you don’t go back in now,” Brad said. “You’ll lose your nerve next time. I’m not being a dick.”
I wasn’t convinced of that. I wasn’t convinced he even believed it himself.
Devin looked at me, eyes pleading, and while I couldn’t help pull him out of a white-water river, Icouldhelp here.
“No,” I said, standing up. “He’s done.”
Devin—and everyone else—visibly relaxed.
Brad threw his hands in the air and stalked off, and Marta hesitated a second before following him.
Good. The further away he was from Devin, the better.
“I twisted my ankle,” Devin said softly. “Hurts.”
“Which one?” I asked, looking between the two of them—equally muddy and impossible to assess like this.
“The left,” nodded to his left ankle, quiet and miserable.
“Can I?” I asked, reaching out to touch. I wasn’t exactly a doctor, but I’d taken a free first aid course in college, and that had to count forsomething. It was the best I could do.
Devin nodded and sat quietly as I wiped the mud off him, checking for cuts. The sitting quietly was good, I thought—if he’d yelped, that would’ve meant he’d hurt himself worse.
“Looks a little swollen,” I said, trying to judge between his two ankles. “Does it hurt when I touch it?”
“A little,” Devin admitted. “Not as much as when I put weight on it.”
“Okay, well… that sounds… not broken?” I looked up to Julie for confirmation, though I wasn’t sure she knew any better than I did.
“Not broken,” she confirmed. “You might’ve just wrenched it. It hurts, but you’ll be okay.”
Julie’s confidence was reassuring—to Devin, too, who straightened up a little.
“I can limp my way back to the van,” he said. “If you’ll take me back?”
“Obviously,” I said. “But you’re not limping your way there. You get a free piggy-back ride.”
I could carry Devin’s weight. I’d already lifted him once, I knew exactly how heavy he was now, and I knew for sure that I could carry him on my back.
Keeping my balance going back down the hill we’d climbed was another matter, but I’d justhaveto. Devin was counting on me.
Like Aiden said, I would’ve walked over hot coals. A couple hundred yards of steep, plant-choked path was nothing compared to that, right?
Devin’s mouth fell open. “You don’t have to do that.”
“That’s what boyfriends are for,” I said firmly, even knowing I didn’t really have to keep up the act anymore. I couldn’t have faked that concern for him. Everyone had to know it was real.
I wanted Devin to have all the care and affection I could give him, really dating or not. All I’deverwanted from Devin was to be allowed that. I couldn’t do much for him, but I could dothis.
“Okay,” Devin agreed, biting his lip shyly.
“I’ll bring the kayak,” Chris volunteered. “I’m not giving you a piggy-back ride, that’sdefinitelyboyfriend territory.”
