“Let’s go for a walk,” I say as I step up to the table, startling Scottie and causing her to spill her drink on her hand right before she looks up at me.

“You, uh, you startled me.”

I pick up her napkin, take the drink from her, and then dab the liquid off her skin gently. When I’m done, I slip her hand into mine and pull her from her seat.

“Are we allowed to leave?” she asks, looking around for permission.

“We can do whatever we want,” I say into her ear, causing her to shiver. And then I pull her toward the exit just as I make eye contact with Sanders. I nod toward our cabin, and he smiles brightly. That’s all the permission I need.

Hand in hand, we make our way outside into the humid night air, where I guide her down the pathway that runs parallel with the lake.

“What, uh, what are we doing? Are we not going back to the cabin?”

“Not quite yet.”

“Okay,” she says, glancing around. “Umm, nighttime stroll then?”

Ignoring her, I ask, “Are you drunk?”

“No,” she says. “I mean, I can feel some of the alcohol, but I wouldn’t say drunk. Comfortable.”

“Good,” I say and then pull her toward the forest, where I gently press her against a tree.

“Oh my.” Her eyes meet mine. “Wh-what is going on?”

Slowing down and taking my time, I gently run my finger over her forehead, only to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Her eyes shine under the setting sun, and I know in this moment exactly what I’m going to do.

I don’t want her pretending like that kiss meant nothing.

I don’t want her acting like everything is normal.

Because it’s not.

There is nothing normal about the connection I feel with her.

About the energy bouncing between us.

About the sparks that flew when her lips met mine.

Nothing normal at all.

So I lean into my decision and softly say, “Kiss me.”

“Huh?” Her nose cutely scrunches up.

“Kiss me, Scottie. Without people watching, without the pressure of the camp, just…kiss me.”

“Why would I do that?”

I move in closer, pressing my hand to her hip. “Because you want to. Because you need to. Because the kiss we shared back there wasn’t just for pretend.”

And then to remind her about the palpable connection between us, I slip my thumbs under her shirt and drag them over her hipbones, trying to get her to drop the obvious shield she has up and admit to her feelings.

“What if…what if I don’t want to?”

Still holding back. I’m going to break her though.