Unbreakable(18)

I poke the sandwich iron further into the coals. “I just don’t know if I can stand going back to New York. I miss you and Violet and Peyton and the rest of our friends. It’s going to be even harder next semester. Why did I let him convince me to start out with a degree in physics? I’m taking all of these ridiculously difficult classes, and I keep falling further behind.”

He doesn’t say anything but keeps his arm around my shoulders. It comforts me.

I glance over at him through my tears. “This isn’t quite the type of memory I was hoping to make—me sobbing all over you. I’m sorry.”

He chuckles. “It’s fine. The night isn’t over. Besides, I don’t mind listening. Why didn’t you tell me about what was happening with your dad?”

I wave a hand. “You didn’t need my shit ruining your first season with the Smoke. You’d just moved out of your parents’ house and into the condo, and were getting used to a new team. The last thing you needed to hear was me whining about that. I whine about enough to you. You’ve listened to so many of my problems over the past two years.”

“You can talk to me about anything,” he says, his blue eyes going molten in the firelight. “I mean it, Em. Any time, any place. Just call me. Or text me, okay? I don’t like the idea of you dealing with all of this alone.”

“Okay. The same goes for you. I’ll always be here for you, Mav.”

He watches the fire crackle as I prepare a s'more. “You always have been. I wouldn’t have gotten through my parents’ deaths if it hadn’t been for you.”

“We were all there for you. My parents and Sully, too.”

He shakes his head. “Sully tried, but he's not the best with emotional shit. No one was there for me like you were. When you went away to New York City, I thought I’d go f*cking crazy.”

This is something he’s never told me, and it takes me by surprise. “You did?”

“We’d gotten so close, you and me. I got used to spending a lot of time with you. When I wasn’t playing hockey, and you weren’t at school, we were together. I missed you more than I ever thought I could. I still do.”

My heart beats faster hearing this. “I missed you, too. If it hadn’t been for our late-night texting marathons, I’d have been completely lost.”

He stands up and pulls back the tent flap. “Want to head inside with our rations?”

“Okay.”

We get settled inside of the tent, and he zips it up. I peer around for creepy crawlies, and this makes Will laugh.

“Don’t worry, I cleaned it out and kept it tightly zipped while we were at the party. You’re perfectly safe.”

I take a huge bite of my s’more and sigh happily. “This is so damn good.”

“Nothing like a good s’more,” he agrees.

“Except maybe good sex.”

He starts laughing. “Not a fair comparison, Em. Sex wins that round, hands down.”

“You never tell me about your love life,” I grumble.

“Like I said before, there’s nothing to tell.”

“Okay, but what about hooking up?”

“If I want to hook up, I have opportunities.”

“Okay, but do you?”

He puts the s’more down on his plate. “I’ve hooked up here and there, but it’s not what you think. I’m not some hardcore player or whatever.”

I think back to what Lilly told me. About how she said he was hooking up left and right. Why doesn’t he want me to know?

“Well, maybe you should take advantage of your opportunities.”

“Yeah, maybe,” he says. “I’m a guy, and I love sex. But…”

“But?”

“I’d rather have a girlfriend than a bunch of hookups. But there’s no time for that. And besides, I’m not interested in getting close to anyone.” Will pops the top off a beer. “Want one?”

“Sure.” He hands me a bottle, and I take a deep sip. “Beer and s’mores. Food of the gods.”

Will smirks. “You’re too much.”

“Oh, honey. Don’t I know it.” I give him an exaggerated wink, and he snorts with laughter.

We eat our snacks and talk a while before going into the house to change into our pajamas.

Once back inside the tent, we climb inside our sleeping bags. His is an old Toronto Wolverines bag, and mine is, of all things, My Little Pony. I can’t believe I still fit in it. Thankfully I didn’t grow much past the age of eleven.

“I can’t believe I found these sleeping bags. They were buried in the back of the linen closet. Don’t worry, though. I washed them earlier today. No creepy crawlies to worry about.”

I sigh happily. “You really do think of everything.”

He stretches. “Well, after last night’s mutant spider incident, I didn’t want to risk it.”

I shiver and move closer to him. “Oh man, I can’t think about that right now. Just knowing those beasts are out here with us? Ugh.”

“We’re safe in the tent. No holes. I promise.”

He reaches over and turns down the lantern until we can barely see each other in the darkness.

“You said earlier that you don’t want to get close to anyone. But Will, we’re close.”