“Look up, Firebird.”
I follow his gaze and let out a gasp. All the way up there, tucked away among the branches, is the biggest tree house I’ve ever seen.
“Did you make this?”
“Sure did.”
“It’s amazing, Lewis.”
He had told me about his cabin stuff before, but I was imagining some kind of shack. This right here is a palace.
“Wait till you see inside.”
“We might have a problem.” I point from my cast to the treetops. “Did you forget?”
“I’ve been hauling your ass through the forest for the past ten minutes… No, I didn’t forget!”
“Hey, youwantedto carry me!” I pout. “You know what? Figure it out.”
“One step ahead of you, baby—I’ve got a whole rope and pulley system I use for wood.”
“No.” I shake my head. “I want you to carry me up there yourself.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“It is.”
“Challenge accepted. You’ve put me through worse,” he adds.
“And there’s a lot more of it to come.”
I snap my mouth shut, but it’s too late—Lewis knows exactly what I’m saying.
“I really, really hope so, Hitman,” he says softly.
“Careful, Conley—you’ve got that puppy-dog look again.”
“Sorry! Carrie’s tips must be getting to me…”
“You asked Carrie for advice?”
“Yeah.” He grins. “I asked all the guys for advice, come to think of it. But I want you to know that all the good ideas are my own.”
Knowing that he asked his friends to help him fix things between us makes me melt a little.
“Do me a favor, will you?” I ask. “Never ask Carrie for help again. Like, ever. She’s insane—and so is her boyfriend.”
Speaking of which…
“What did Donovan say when he found out that…” My voice trails off.
I still can’t bring myself to say it.
“That what?” he presses.
“You know…”
It’s the same conversation from earlier—just flipped.
