And Dawn can almost hear the disbelief spread all over Warden’s expression, hear the deafening echo as his eyes blink in shock and he realizes this girl who clearly likes him and who’s alone in a tent with him as a storm kicks up outside, this girl who he thought was a sure thing…

This sure thing isn’t exactly so sure.

And Dawn knows Warden isn’t really the type to have to deal with rejection too much. Not with those eyes and those abs.

She wonders if she should have just opted for the tarp. And hypothermia.

Warden kind of stiffens and waits there a beat, and then he backs off and lies down and lets out a puff of air. “Okay,” he says. “Suit yourself.”

“I’m sorry,” Dawn says again, but Warden doesn’t tell her it’s okay, or that she has no reason to be sorry.

He just puffs out another long puff of air. “Good night.”

Chapter 59

DAWN LIES AWAKE.

Warden is snoring within a couple of minutes, because of course he falls asleep quickly, because he’s a guy and he doesn’t have to worry that he’s somehow screwed everything up just by not wanting to fool around.

(Or by wanting to fool around, for that matter.)

He doesn’t have to worry that tomorrow morning Dawn’s going to tell Brielle and Kyla what a slut he is, and act like they really did something they didn’t, or tell Brielle and Kyla that he came onto her and she turned him down because he’s too ugly, or fat, or he smells bad.

He doesn’t have to worry that his whole reputation (albeit in this stupid, self-contained Out of the Wild messed-up ecosystem) is ruined because he did or didn’t do what a girl wanted.

He’s not a girl.

Hence, he’s snoring, while Dawn lies awake.

And after Dawn’s reminded herself there are bigger things going on than how she didn’t mess around with the cute guy, her mind pushes Warden aside and focuses on the bigger picture instead.

She’s scared.

The storm is howling outside, battering the walls of the tent. She would no shit be dying of hypothermia if she’d slept under the tarp.

(She hopes Christian is okay, up at the summit.)

She’s scared of the mountain and scared of this storm and she’s scared of what Warden’s proposing to do.

Abandon the counselors.

Set out into THE WILD on their own.

Escape everyone and everything that got them here to this disaster.

Dawn is scared that Warden won’t be able to do what he promised.

And a part of her is scared that he will.

She sleeps eventually.

She’s too tired not to. It’s been a long day. It’s been a long week.

It’s been a long life since Cam and Wendy had her kidnapped.