“Right. She’d hate that.”
“I figured this was more her style. And these kids…” He let out a breath, his expression shifting into a reverence that twisted my organs in a knot. “Every one of them is in a similar situation. And they’re good kids, Vi. They were handed a shit hand, just like you and Phoebe.”
I wanted to kiss him. No, I wanted to shove him in his hotel room and drop to my knees and make him feel good because hedeservedit. This man cared so much, despite how hard he pretended he didn’t. He offered to drive home the teenager who opened his mail because she had a blister, and he humored her grief-stricken sister with the patience of a saint, and he devoted his life to making the lives of LGBTQ+ youth easier.
He wasn’t an asshole. Not even close.
“Anyway,” I said, so I wouldn’t move in closer, “I just wanted to say thank you. And invite you to swim, but you already answered that one.”
He scratched the back of his neck, offering a sheepish smile. “She snuck some of those kid floaties into the snacks we bought at the gas station earlier, thinking I didn’t notice. She’s a piece of work.”
“She’s the best.” I smiled and took a step backward, inclining my head in invitation. He followed without hesitation, letting the door shut behind him. “You’re wearing the floaties.”
“I’d rather drown myself.”
He fell in beside me. I’d missed him, I realized. I felt at home beside him and it had been so long since I felt anything, anywhere. Why did it have to be him?
We stopped in front of the elevator. Dex coughed.
“Stairs,” I blurted, and he was nodding before the word fully left my lips. “We should take the stairs.”
Fifteen
LARAMIE, WY
I hated nature, but not nearly as much as Dex did.
“Fuck,” he said, stumbling over a tree root. Regaining his balance, he threw it a dirty look. “How much farther?”
A mosquito buzzed insistently around my head and a bead of sweat slid between my boobs. Up ahead, Phoebe shouted over her shoulder, “Half a mile!”
Phoebe wasn’t the outdoorsy type, but our dad was. He loved camping and fishing and hiked every worthwhile trail in the Northeast. I figured a hike in the gorgeous Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest was a homage to him, so I ignored my burning hatred for the supposed great outdoors, put on a sports bra, and feigned enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Dex spent the last two miles grumbling under his breath and scowling at birdsong.
My heart hummed with fondness.
I ignored that too.
“You okay?” I asked him, slowing my pace so he could catch up. He nodded, swiping a hand across his sweaty forehead. Instead of his usual uniform, he’d opted for a white tee, shorts,sneakers, and his Ray-Bans. Several times, I’d deliberately allowed him in front of me so I could commit every angle to memory.
“I hate this.”
“Shocker.”
“Hiking,” he added belatedly. “I hate hiking. It’s pointless.”
“I think there’s supposed to be a pretty amazing view at the end,” I replied, to which he rolled his eyes.
“There are hundreds of photographs at our disposal. We don’t have to work so hard for it.”
“You’re such a whiner,” I said. “I had no idea.”
“I’m not whining.”
“I don’t like this any more than you do,” I said, lowering my voice even though Phoebe charged ahead, out of earshot. “But it’s a beautiful day. The sun’s out. We’re in Wyoming and it’s gorgeous. Not much to complain about.”
On cue, a mosquito landed on my arm and I slapped it hard enough for the sound to echo through the surrounding trees. Dex looked at me, my own thinly veiled skepticism reflecting back in his sunglasses.
“Right.”
