Instead of You(41)

There was a group of ten or so kids near the slowly dying fire, but just moments after I’d spotted them, one yelled, “Who’s up for skinny dipping?”

There were a bunch of cheers and then they all ran down the beach toward the river. I couldn’t see another person anywhere, so I stepped out from the trees, walked past the fire, and headed toward the meadow where I knew all the tents would be.

“Kenzie,” I whispered loudly, the screen of my cell phone lighting the path. I passed seven tents before one caught my eye. I knelt down next to the tent, near the door that was zipped closed, and took a deep breath. I was about 80 percent sure it was McKenzie’s tent, but I had no idea if she was in there, let alone in there by herself. What if one of her friends were in the tent? How would I explain my being there at all? What could I possibly say that would excuse me, a teacher, unzipping a student’s tent in the middle of the night? Never mind the thoughts racing through my brain at what I’d like to do to said student.

I was possibly making the biggest mistake of my life, unzipping that tent.

I didn’t care.

The zipper moved smoothly over the tines, quieter than expected, and I opened the tent just enough to pull the nylon fabric back and look inside. There I saw McKenzie, alone, sleeping. I let out a relieved sigh, then opened the tent enough for me to climb in, trying to be as quiet as possible. She started to stir as I was closing the tent back up.

“Becca?” she asked, groggily.

“No, babe, it’s me.” There was a second sleeping bag laid out next to her, I assumed for Becca, so I stretched out on my side, facing her.

“Hayes?” There was shock in her voice, confusion as well. “What are you doing here?” She pushed up on one hand, her hair falling from her face. I couldn’t stop the hand that reached out and tucked some of her crazy hair behind her ear.

“I wanted to see you,” I replied honestly, even if my urge to see her was more complicated than that.

Her eyes softened at my words. “I want to see you too, but if anyone else sees you, you’ll get in so much trouble.”

“No one saw me. Promise. C’mere.” I motioned for her to lie with me and loved the fact that she came without reservation. I opened my arms to her and she came to me immediately. Fitting herself against my side, her arm draped over my stomach and her head rested on my chest. After a few moments of content silence, she tilted her head to look up at me.

“I thought you were spending the night in Bellingham.”

“I was planning on it, but the longer I stayed there, away from you, the more I needed to come back.” Her eyes never left mine as I spoke. “I was kind of a dick about you coming to this party, but only because I know what high school guys are like, especially when a beautiful girl who was previously unavailable is back on the market.”

“I didn’t come to the party to look for guys. I came because it’s what normal high school students do. It’s what I would have done before Cory died. I just wanted to do something ordinary.”

“I know.” When I lost her eyes I knew there was something she wasn’t telling me. “What is it?” I used my finger to bring her eyes back to mine.

“You weren’t entirely wrong.” Her words were whispered, as if she were afraid to say them. “There was one, um, situation.”

“What happened?” I left my finger at the bottom of her chin, the gentle pressure there not changing, but I could feel the tension in my body growing, my muscles tightening, the adrenaline coursing through me.

“It was Nate.” At his name, my blood ran hot and fast. “He tried to get me to go back to his tent with him, to get me drunk. But the guys stopped him and kicked him out of the party.”

“I’m going to kick his ass.” I let go of her chin, but only to run my hand through my hair, itching to punch a wall and angry there wasn’t something firmer than the nylon tent around.

“No, you’re not. Hayes, look at me.” This time it was her hand pulling my cheek around to look back at her. “You can’t let him get to you. He’s a douche bag who thought he had a chance with me, but he doesn’t. No one does. But you. Until we’re able to be out in the open with our relationship, you’re just going to have to trust that I’ll never let the Nates of the world come between us.”

I took real issue with the fact that I had to trust a bunch of high school guys to keep my girl safe at a party. It sucked that I couldn’t just walk into that party holding her hand, making sure every guy knew she was mine. But all that was my fault. I was the one who’d put us in that situation, and there wasn’t much I could do about it.

“I want to be the one to protect you.” Her eyes went soft at my words, and her body relaxed into mine. I rolled toward her just slightly, letting my lips find hers, loving the way her breath pulled in quickly at the touch. She kissed me back, her hands moving around my neck, up into my hair. I continued until I was over her completely, my legs straddling her sleeping bag, instantly frustrated with the thick and puffy layer between us.

As I kissed her, I fumbled for the zipper, found it, then unzipped the bag as far as I could without pulling my lips from hers. Once the sleeping bag was open, my hands reached for her, but all I felt were more layers.

“What the hell are you wearing?” I whispered as a laugh escaped me.