I didn’t say that, though. Something felt off about today. In fact, something had felt off for the past couple of days. She’d made a few excuses not to hang out. I knew she was stressed about getting this job, but I also knew how fucking prepared she was. There was no way she needed as much alone time as she’d insisted on, but I wasn’t about to call her out on that. I didn’t beg people to spend time with me, and I wasn’t about to start now.

“Okay, we’ll play it by ear.” I gave my best noncommittal answer.

I wouldn’t push her on it right now, but I would figure something out. She’d be in my tent tonight, that was for damn sure. And this weird energy she’d been giving me this week? Yeah, that needed to go right the hell away. I only had a limited time left with her, and I wanted it to be amazing. Not stifled and awkward.

I went to her and bent down to place a kiss on the top of her head. “Harrison and Lila will be here any minute. We were going to grab lunch and pack up the car. Do you want to stay here or should we pick you up⁠—”

“I’ll drive up with Mattie and Giles,” she said, waving her hand as if it were no big deal. As if she wasn’t painfully, achingly slicing my chest open with a dull butterknife. “See you up there,” she said cheerfully, taking the sleeping bag and headlamp I’d set aside for her. She gathered them up in her arms so that I could barely see her face over the gear.

I sighed. “Put that down. I can at least bring your stuff, can’t I?”

“Oh.” She dropped the things before looking back at me. At least there was finally a hint of guilt in her expression. “Yeah, I guess that would make sense. Thank you.” She backed away, waving awkwardly. “Bye.”

“See ya,” I said, cocking my head and giving her a look that I hoped said “We will definitely be discussing your bizarre behavior later.”

Frankie let out a nervous laugh before gulping and scurrying out my front door.

Yeah, no. We would definitely be figuring this out later.

“And then she says we should sleep in different tents.” I said that last part like even the idea repulsed me, which to be fair, it did.

“Separate tents? Why? That seems so random.” Lila leaned forward from the back seat, hanging on my every word.

Harrison, meanwhile, let out a grunt of disapproval and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Maybe we shouldn’t be discussing this. She clearly didn’t want us to know you two were together,” he said.

I scoffed and Lila snorted. “What? Like I’m not going to tell my best friend about the girl I’m seeing?”

Lila squealed. “Oh, so you’re seeing her now?”