“You know every horror movie ever made punishes hubris, right?”
“The more you talk, the more I think I might actually be in a horror movie.”
Biceps be damned. I sigh. “If the fire doesn’t kill me, being with you just might.”
“No picnic for me either.”
“Iam a joyful sunflower,” I announce, channeling Gram. “You’re a wilted pansy.”
“Name-calling? Really?”
“The name-calling hasn’t even?—”
We step back into the parking lot, and whatever joke I was about to make dies in my mouth.
A thick white haze balloons over the tree line across the lake. It’s not the dark, cinematic smoke I’d pictured. It looks like exhaust from a demon train, polluted and rolling through the trees toward us. Even from here, the acrid tang prickles my nose.
“Hurry,” Ash says, all business now, and I sprint to Buck, where I fumble the keys into the lock.
I grab my blanket, then hesitate, eyes flicking to my half-finished canvas and paint box. With a sigh, I take those too. If he gets to drag his future around, I’m taking mine too.
“You’re kidding,” he says as we break into a jog down the road, away from the creeping smoke.
“You’rekidding.”I echo. “Thought we were about to be picked up?”
I’m not sure why being around Ash makes me regress to playground teasing, but it annoys him. For some reason, that’s making me feel better.
CHAPTER 10
ASH
“Jenny, thank God you answered,”I pant, phone jammed between my ear and shoulder as I jog along the dirt road snaking south from the campground.
The map on my screen confirms what I already knew: we’re nowhere near anything. Calling my best friend in San Francisco isn’t exactly a rescue plan, but I’m out of better ideas.
“Tell her to come get us!” Kael calls, bouncing beside me, eyes wide.
“What’s up?” Jenny asks. “You okay? You sound out of breath.”
“We’re running,” I say. “Long story.”
Kael surges a few paces ahead, then doubles back, hair damp, cheeks flushed, hoodie half open as his chest rises and falls. He’s far too distracting for someone I’m supposed to be surviving with, not thinking about like this.
I drag my gaze back to the road. Focus.
“Ask if she knows anyone closer!” he hisses.
“I went to that retreat,” I tell Jenny, trying to force the story into order. “And then… a fire broke out.”
“Yeah, it’s all over the news,” she says. “You okay?”
“No,” I say, flat and honest. The reasons why are too many to list, but Kael’s frantic orbiting is definitely on there. “We missed the evacuation.”
“Missed it!” Kael yells, his failure to suppress my same nervous energy only winding me tighter.
I roll my eyes, which helps about as much as it sounds. “We’re heading south along the road from Philbrook Campground, but it looks like the closest town is… far.”
“Come on. This is a weird joke,” Jenny says.
