still wasn’t sure what he’d been aiming for. “And then you tell me I’m crazy, and I need a shrink, then you ignore me for a month , and now—”
Andrew stopped so abruptly it knocked her off balance. He shot out a hand and grabbed her arm, keeping her upright. “I wasn’t ignoring you. I was giving you space. Anyway, this isn’t about us right now, okay? This is about you .”
He released her arm and kept walking. Before he disappeared, she ran after him, his words pounding in her head in time with her pulse. Giving her space? For what? What did he mean, this was about her? What about her? Where was he taking her? Oh shit, why’d she come? He’s going to kill me and bury me out here . The thought made Sawyer hiccup and her feet scissored over a tree root hidden under a pile of leaves. Going down! Mayday! The leaves broke her fall, but her bones still shook.
A second later, Andrew pulled her to her feet. His stern I’m-in-charge tough-guy mask fell away, replaced with thinly veiled concern. In a flash her fears evaporated, flying up past the International Space Station, blending in with wishes, stars, and space dust. Andrew cared. Why, she didn’t know. She’d pushed him away at every chance. For whatever reason, he did care, and he wouldn’t hurt her. She knew that.
“I’m fine.” She touched his hand on her arm. “Can you tell me where we’re going now?”
The slow examination of her body from head to toe made Sawyer’s skin feel transparent. Andrew stepped back. “It’s a surprise. Come on, not much farther now.”
They walked in strained silence. Slower this time. Wind played an inconsistent melody on the trees. Dry leaves crunched under their feet. Sawyer pushed her hands inside the kangaroo pouch on her hoodie, warding off the chill. After a few minutes, Andrew stopped at a fallen tree and set his bag down. She thought he bent a little funny at the waist instead of the knee, but shoved the thought aside as he sifted through the contents of his duffel. A couple rope ladders. A few black things that looked like big solid raindrops. Bright green duct tape. A couple bottles of water and some stuff with electrolytes, according to the label.
Andrew grabbed a ladder and handed it to her. Then he slung his bag back over his shoulder. “Remember when we went out with Logan and Taylor?”
The night everything went to shit. “Yep.”
They walked a couple paces, deeper into the woods, and stopped at a wide-trunked tree with a thick branch overhead. Andrew set his bag down and took the ladder from her. Their fingers touched. The universe expanded in her chest.
He took the ladder and walked over to the tree, throwing the rope over the branch like nothing happened. Like the world wasn’t knocked off its axis. Like touching her didn’t affect him. “Well, I figured you might want to try it.”
Sawyer’s thoughts skidded to a stop. When she spoke, the helium-addicted chipmunk had returned. “Try it? Like, now?”
As he walked to her side, his smile was sunshine. Shooting stars. Made her belly clench. His eyes filled with yearning so strong, it sucked the air from her lungs. Andrew stepped closer and his gaze dropped to her mouth. She felt it, warm and tingly. Then he moved away, but the heat on her lips remained.
Andrew shrugged. “Why not? You seemed interested before.”
She looked over her shoulder, expecting Rachel to pop out and start laughing. They’d all have a good chuckle at her expense, then they’d go home and—
You want this . She did. “I am. I want—” To be strong. To be able to face anything—or anyone—who comes at me . Without fear or doubt. No hesitation. “Tell me what to do.”
Chapter Thirteen
Twenty minutes later, Sawyer stood at the beginning of the course. Andrew had walked her through it three times now, and he’d run the course with her, showing her the way to the finish line. That way she wouldn’t get mixed up and accidentally run off in the
Andrew stopped so abruptly it knocked her off balance. He shot out a hand and grabbed her arm, keeping her upright. “I wasn’t ignoring you. I was giving you space. Anyway, this isn’t about us right now, okay? This is about you .”
He released her arm and kept walking. Before he disappeared, she ran after him, his words pounding in her head in time with her pulse. Giving her space? For what? What did he mean, this was about her? What about her? Where was he taking her? Oh shit, why’d she come? He’s going to kill me and bury me out here . The thought made Sawyer hiccup and her feet scissored over a tree root hidden under a pile of leaves. Going down! Mayday! The leaves broke her fall, but her bones still shook.
A second later, Andrew pulled her to her feet. His stern I’m-in-charge tough-guy mask fell away, replaced with thinly veiled concern. In a flash her fears evaporated, flying up past the International Space Station, blending in with wishes, stars, and space dust. Andrew cared. Why, she didn’t know. She’d pushed him away at every chance. For whatever reason, he did care, and he wouldn’t hurt her. She knew that.
“I’m fine.” She touched his hand on her arm. “Can you tell me where we’re going now?”
The slow examination of her body from head to toe made Sawyer’s skin feel transparent. Andrew stepped back. “It’s a surprise. Come on, not much farther now.”
They walked in strained silence. Slower this time. Wind played an inconsistent melody on the trees. Dry leaves crunched under their feet. Sawyer pushed her hands inside the kangaroo pouch on her hoodie, warding off the chill. After a few minutes, Andrew stopped at a fallen tree and set his bag down. She thought he bent a little funny at the waist instead of the knee, but shoved the thought aside as he sifted through the contents of his duffel. A couple rope ladders. A few black things that looked like big solid raindrops. Bright green duct tape. A couple bottles of water and some stuff with electrolytes, according to the label.
Andrew grabbed a ladder and handed it to her. Then he slung his bag back over his shoulder. “Remember when we went out with Logan and Taylor?”
The night everything went to shit. “Yep.”
They walked a couple paces, deeper into the woods, and stopped at a wide-trunked tree with a thick branch overhead. Andrew set his bag down and took the ladder from her. Their fingers touched. The universe expanded in her chest.
He took the ladder and walked over to the tree, throwing the rope over the branch like nothing happened. Like the world wasn’t knocked off its axis. Like touching her didn’t affect him. “Well, I figured you might want to try it.”
Sawyer’s thoughts skidded to a stop. When she spoke, the helium-addicted chipmunk had returned. “Try it? Like, now?”
As he walked to her side, his smile was sunshine. Shooting stars. Made her belly clench. His eyes filled with yearning so strong, it sucked the air from her lungs. Andrew stepped closer and his gaze dropped to her mouth. She felt it, warm and tingly. Then he moved away, but the heat on her lips remained.
Andrew shrugged. “Why not? You seemed interested before.”
She looked over her shoulder, expecting Rachel to pop out and start laughing. They’d all have a good chuckle at her expense, then they’d go home and—
You want this . She did. “I am. I want—” To be strong. To be able to face anything—or anyone—who comes at me . Without fear or doubt. No hesitation. “Tell me what to do.”
Chapter Thirteen
Twenty minutes later, Sawyer stood at the beginning of the course. Andrew had walked her through it three times now, and he’d run the course with her, showing her the way to the finish line. That way she wouldn’t get mixed up and accidentally run off in the
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