grabbed my left arm.
“Allie, what are you doing?”
I looked up at Aaron in surprise. “I think he wants to talk to me.”
“What—he doesn’t have the decency to come over here to you? And why is he just looking over here like that?”
I met Damien’s eyes, flushing as I note d the intensity of his gaze. “I don’t know. I’m going to go talk to him, ok?” I didn’t wait for a response, taking a few hesitant steps towards him.
“Allie—” Aaron began again, his voice a little more cross. “Remember what we talked about?”
“ Remember how I said I didn’t need a big brother?” I countered, without turning around. “It’ll be fine.” I continued to walk to Damien. His dark features were daunting at times and I felt self-conscious knowing Aaron was examining our interaction. At last, I stood just a foot away from Damien. He still didn’t say anything, though his eyes didn’t stray from my face.
“H i,” I started. “What are you doing over here?”
Damien leaned back on his seat. “I came to get you.” His eyes flickered towards Aaron. “That guy isn’t going to have a problem, is he?”
I looked over my shoulder at Aaron, who hadn’t moved, except to cross his arms across his chest. His blue eyes glared over at us.
“No. We were just talking but ...that conversation is over.”
Damien handed me his helmet and I accepted it with two hands.
“So where are we going today?” I asked.
“Hop on and see.” Damien revved the engine and scooted as close as he could towards the handlebars.
“Always one for mystery, ” I murmured, but I slipped the helmet over my head, enjoying the excitement of uncertainty. I slid behind Damien, wrapping my arms around his waist. With a swift pull of the throttle, the bike took off. I took one second to look back at Aaron’s thoroughly disgruntled face. A moment of guilt passed through me. Still, I couldn’t help but smile as I wrapped my arms tighter around Damien’s torso.
Neither of us spoke over the wind and roaring engine. Instead, we whipped over the bridge and throug h the trees, coasting next to the eastern shoreline of the lake.
Damien and I stood beside the water, surrounded by trees and a couple of solitary cabins in the distance. Across the water, I could just make out our cabin and the busy shore full of sunbathers and children playing on the water edges, as well as the usual Jet Skis.
“So what are we do ing out here?” I asked.
“Does there need to be a detailed program? Because I can go home and create a brochure if you want.”
I laughed. “No, but it seems like you have something in mind, even though you’re trying to hide it.”
“ All right,” he admitted. “I might have something in mind.” He grabbed my hand and led me towards the water. I was so distracted by the feel of his warm fingers wrapped around mine that I didn’t notice where he was taking me, but when we stopped moving, I realized that we were standing beside a canoe tethered to a tiny dock.
I pulled my hand away , staring at the canoe with a guarded expression. I looked over at Damien, who awaited my reaction.
“We’re not going out on that , are we?” my small voice managed to say. I felt the habitual response from my body—my muscles tensed and my breathing became shallower. I could almost feel the ground becoming shaky beneath me.
“Why not?” Damien asked, grabbing my hand again and stepping into the canoe. I pulled my hand away.
“You know perfectly well why not,” I stated wit h irritation, digging my heels into the ground.
“I didn’t say we’re getting in the water,” Damien explained. “We’ll just stay in the canoe. I promise I won’t tip us over.”
“There’s no guarantee in that,” I argued. “Canoes are unstable and can’t be trusted.”
Damien laughed. “Well, peo ple say the same thing about me but here you are.”
I opened and closed my mouth, struggling with a defense. Aaron’s disapproving expression
“Allie, what are you doing?”
I looked up at Aaron in surprise. “I think he wants to talk to me.”
“What—he doesn’t have the decency to come over here to you? And why is he just looking over here like that?”
I met Damien’s eyes, flushing as I note d the intensity of his gaze. “I don’t know. I’m going to go talk to him, ok?” I didn’t wait for a response, taking a few hesitant steps towards him.
“Allie—” Aaron began again, his voice a little more cross. “Remember what we talked about?”
“ Remember how I said I didn’t need a big brother?” I countered, without turning around. “It’ll be fine.” I continued to walk to Damien. His dark features were daunting at times and I felt self-conscious knowing Aaron was examining our interaction. At last, I stood just a foot away from Damien. He still didn’t say anything, though his eyes didn’t stray from my face.
“H i,” I started. “What are you doing over here?”
Damien leaned back on his seat. “I came to get you.” His eyes flickered towards Aaron. “That guy isn’t going to have a problem, is he?”
I looked over my shoulder at Aaron, who hadn’t moved, except to cross his arms across his chest. His blue eyes glared over at us.
“No. We were just talking but ...that conversation is over.”
Damien handed me his helmet and I accepted it with two hands.
“So where are we going today?” I asked.
“Hop on and see.” Damien revved the engine and scooted as close as he could towards the handlebars.
“Always one for mystery, ” I murmured, but I slipped the helmet over my head, enjoying the excitement of uncertainty. I slid behind Damien, wrapping my arms around his waist. With a swift pull of the throttle, the bike took off. I took one second to look back at Aaron’s thoroughly disgruntled face. A moment of guilt passed through me. Still, I couldn’t help but smile as I wrapped my arms tighter around Damien’s torso.
Neither of us spoke over the wind and roaring engine. Instead, we whipped over the bridge and throug h the trees, coasting next to the eastern shoreline of the lake.
Damien and I stood beside the water, surrounded by trees and a couple of solitary cabins in the distance. Across the water, I could just make out our cabin and the busy shore full of sunbathers and children playing on the water edges, as well as the usual Jet Skis.
“So what are we do ing out here?” I asked.
“Does there need to be a detailed program? Because I can go home and create a brochure if you want.”
I laughed. “No, but it seems like you have something in mind, even though you’re trying to hide it.”
“ All right,” he admitted. “I might have something in mind.” He grabbed my hand and led me towards the water. I was so distracted by the feel of his warm fingers wrapped around mine that I didn’t notice where he was taking me, but when we stopped moving, I realized that we were standing beside a canoe tethered to a tiny dock.
I pulled my hand away , staring at the canoe with a guarded expression. I looked over at Damien, who awaited my reaction.
“We’re not going out on that , are we?” my small voice managed to say. I felt the habitual response from my body—my muscles tensed and my breathing became shallower. I could almost feel the ground becoming shaky beneath me.
“Why not?” Damien asked, grabbing my hand again and stepping into the canoe. I pulled my hand away.
“You know perfectly well why not,” I stated wit h irritation, digging my heels into the ground.
“I didn’t say we’re getting in the water,” Damien explained. “We’ll just stay in the canoe. I promise I won’t tip us over.”
“There’s no guarantee in that,” I argued. “Canoes are unstable and can’t be trusted.”
Damien laughed. “Well, peo ple say the same thing about me but here you are.”
I opened and closed my mouth, struggling with a defense. Aaron’s disapproving expression
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