“Can you be any louder?” I ask, my voice a stern whisper as she tosses her bag onto the dresser with a heavy thunk. “Mira’s asleep.”
“My bad,” she says, removing her earrings and bracelets, setting them on the bedside table.
“I’m assuming the party is over then?”
She nods, distracted, and I make a mental note to ensure no one left the fire burning, Derrick’s safety speech notwithstanding.
She plops down onto the mattress, patting the space beside her. “Do you want to come to bed?”
I ignore her advances as I grab my keys and wallet from the table. “I have something I gotta take care of.”
“At this hour?” she asks, pushing herself off the bed. “I thought we might be able to talk a bit.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” I assure her for the millionth time.
Rolling her eyes, she makes her way into the bathroom, turning on the faucet. Closing the door, I leave her to complete her thirty-minute nighttime skincare routine as I sneak up to the second floor.
I knock on Vanessa’s door twice before she opens it.
“Hudson?” she asks, wiping her sleepy eyes as she greets me in a pink pajama set. Behind her I can see Jocelyn scrolling on her Kindle and Angie asleep on the floor cuddling a pillow. Adrian gives me a wave, eating from a bag of potato chips.
“Sorry, I know it’s late but I need your help.”
“What’s up?” she asks, yawning.
“I was wondering if you knew where Mira left her camera bag?”
“Umm. I think she tossed it in one of the trash cans by the Activity Center.”
“Thank you,” I reply, retreating to let her go back to sleep.
She gives me a soft smile and goes into her room, while I head straight towards the Activity Center. Mira’s bag is exactly where she left it. Except now it’s covered in blue Sloshie and discarded baked beans. Pulling it out, I unzip it and begin cataloging the items inside. Once I have all the information I need, I pull out my phone. Two glorious bars greet me as I type into the search.
There’s a store four hours away with everything I need in stock. It’ll take all night, but if I stop at a gas station and load up on energy drinks I can make it. Pulling out the company credit card, I place the order for next-day pickup and start driving.
19 Mira
“Ahhhh,” I groan, rolling over and removing the water bottle digging into my back. Light streaks across the room through the blindless windows as I reach for my phone to check the time. It’s almost noon. Whatever sleep I was able to manage through the drunken night was dreamless, leaving me with the sensation of having just closed my eyes.
I open the bottle and take a swig, trying to wash away the rancid aftertaste that’s lingering in my mouth. The memory of Derrick’s tongue against mine immediately inspires an urge to brush my teeth. But then another memory comes into focus. Hudson’s face illuminated by firelight. Of him getting me into bed safely. And the words that echo in my mind.
“I really, really like you too.”
Present tense.
How could he say that to me, and then go to sleep next to his girlfriend?
I tell myself not to rationalize his actions. Because if this year has taught me anything, it’s that some people have no shame. Peeking over the edge of the guardrail, I expect to find them cuddled up together, but the bed is empty, the sheets crumpled and mussed, and I wonder if they spent the evening tangled up in them.
I push the image from my mind as I lie down and pretend to be asleep when the door opens.
I can tell it’s Hudson by the scent of his shampoo, the earthy aroma soothing my nervous system as he passes by. I hear the rustling of a paper cup being placed on the windowsill beside my bunk, the smell of fresh coffee wafting through the air, and I open an eye and see my name scribbled along the side.
“Thought you might need that,” Hudson says, standing a few steps away from me. He’s dressed more like himself this morning, in burnt-orange shorts and a boxy white t-shirt with the Great Smoky Mountains screen-printed on it. There’s stubble on his face, having forgone his morning shave, and I’m reminded of the man I knew at Finn’s. Who exuded confidence even when he had no idea what he was doing. Who always made me a priority no matter how busy it was. Who I couldn’t imagine going a day without seeing.
I grab the cup, bringing the warm, aromatic liquid to my lips. The simple, sweet cinnamon balances the robust richness as I moan into the cup before realizing it’s my exact order.
“How did you know?”
