Slipping my Converse shoes on, I grabbed my own flashlight and slipped outside, padding carefully across the campsite. His tent was just a few feet away, dimly illuminated from within, and I knew immediately what he was doing.

Without warning, I yanked the flap open and crawled inside. “Hey, uh…do you believe in monsters?”

Blake didn’t so much as lift his gaze from his book.

“Do you ever knock?”

With a huff, I plopped down beside him, the space barely big enough for both of us. My shoulder brushed against his, but I didn’t bother moving away.

“Do you ever stop reading?” I countered.

That made him look up at me. “Not if I can help it,” he replied, flipping a page with a wink.

Rolling my eyes, I sighed. “You’ll survive one night without burying your nose in a book.”

“Doubtful,” he shot back, but to my surprise, he actually closed it, marking his page with his thumb. His gaze lingered on me, curious. “What do you need?”

I bit the inside of my cheek, suddenly feeling silly for being there, disturbing him.

Blake raised an eyebrow. “Beverly, you better have a good reason for interrupting me. I’m just reading about a boy who’s starting to realize that the world he thought he knew is completely different from what it really is,” he said, his voice lowering as he gave me a look of mock seriousness. “It’s The Giver by Lois Lowry, and it’s really starting to get good.”

I couldn’t hold back a snort. “I didn’t realize The Giver was so important that I had to compete with it,” I replied, nudging him with my elbow. “Don’t get too lost in your world of books. There’s a real world around you, you know.”

His thumb slid from the book, his eyes never leaving mine. “I’m aware,” he said, finally setting the book down beside him, his attention fully on me. “What’s on your mind?”

I narrowed my eyes, flicking my flashlight under my chin so my face was bathed in eerie shadows. “Do you think there are monsters out there?” I whispered, trying to sound as ominous as possible. But the slight tremor in my fingers gave me away, betraying the nerves I was trying to mask.

He paused, as if considering my words, then chuckled under his breath. “You could’ve just said you missed me.” Nudging me with his shoulder, he added, “I’d have understood.”

I opened my mouth to protest but got stuck for words.

He watched me with tired amusement. “Are you scared?”

“I’m not scared,” I said firmly, admiring his face for a moment before I gathered the nerve to ask again, urging him to answer. “I’m simply seeking confirmation. Are there monsters? Tell me.”