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“He did tell me we couldn’t have sex in the back.”

“Ohmygod, of course he did.”

Not that I would’ve wanted to have sex in Chris’s older brother’s car, but his absolute insistence that we didn’t made me wonder if he had sex in the back of his car. It did have a rather large truck space—more than enough for a couple of sleeping bags or an air mattress. Perhaps that was why he liked this car as much as he did.

I pulled Chris’s hand to my mouth and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “Don’t worry, I didn’t bring you out here to defile your brother’s car.”

“Well…” He grinned, his eyebrows wiggling. “I wouldn’t say no.”

My gut lurched. “I do have a blanket and lube.”

His smile turned warm. “I am definitely on board with that.”

“Fine with me.”

Keeping my hand tight in his grasp, Chris turned up the music and kept his eyes on the passing scenery. The trees were lovely this time of year, and the day was nice and sunny. The weather was perfect for this outing. Also, I was utterly and completely alone with my mate. Nothing made me more content than just being with Chris.

I parked on a pullout and asked, “Ready?”

Chris nodded.

I snagged the backpack before taking his hand and leading him toward a small track in the woods. I hadn’t ever been to this particular vantage point, but Sam had insisted it was romantic. For not having been at Creelin U long, she sure had gotten around. I watched my step while Chris kept an ongoing commentary of the trees, bushes, animals, bugs, and whatever else flitted through his thoughts. All of it made me grin, but it wasn’t enough for me to risk looking at him.

While I wasn’t opposed to hiking or physical exertion, I didn’t spend much time in nature and I really didn’t want to twist my ankle. So no matter how adorable Chris was being, I was going to keep my focus on the ground.

“Oh,” Chris gasped, and I finally looked up. We were on the edge of a cliff that overlooked a deep valley covered in trees. I pressed a kiss to his cheek. His voice was almost reverent when he said, “This is lovely.”

Tracing his perfect face with my eyes, I replied, “Yes, utterly lovely.”

It was quick to set up my relatively simple picnic. Blanket, food, drinks, and a flameless electrical candle that was romantic and yet safe for the outdoors. I took fire safety seriously, of course.

Chris sat right next to me, then grunted and repositioned on my lap. “That’s better.”

Winding my arms around him, I completely agreed. This was significantly better.

I grabbed an apple slice and lifted it to his lips. Chris took it from me, his lips brushing my fingertips. I shivered at the gentle touch and pulled him even closer to me. And yet it wasn’t enough. If I could, I would crawl inside of Chris and never leave. Just set up camp. Stay right inside of him forever.

Not healthy, but hey, I wanted to be connected to Chris forever.

He gave a long, contented sigh after we finished eating. We hadn’t spoken much, just simply enjoyed the fresh air. Chris reached back and threaded his fingers through my hair. My eyes closed. Fuck, that was nice.

Twirling one of my braids around his finger, he said, “This has been the best birthday ever.”

I wanted to crow in success. Instead, I asked, “Why don’t you like your birthday?”

He sighed, but this one sounded more sad, so I pressed a kiss to his temple. “I think… Well…”

“You don’t have to tell me.”

Chris looked over his shoulder at me, and our eyes connected for a moment before he faced forward again. “It’s not some huge secret. It’s honestly stupid.”

I kissed the top of his head, not saying anything. I sincerely doubted it was stupid.

“When I was younger I loved my birthday, but when I had to repeat freshman year…” He turned his face into my chest. “I was already older than most of my classmates because my birthday is at the end of October, and my parents said I wasn’t ready to start kindergarten—being the late bloomer I am—so I had to wait a year to start. Then I had to repeat a year for failing.” He shook his head. “I just feel so behind everyone.”

“You’re not.”

“I am,” he said in a rush, his fingers gripping my hoodie. “I’m twenty-two, in my second year of college, and have never had a job, let alone even an idea what major I’m going to pick. I have no idea what I’m doing. I only play soccer because I like it and am marginally good at it. So, my birthday just feels like a massive reminder that every year I’m falling behind.”