Unbreakable(32)

“Don’t worry, we’re almost there.”

We follow a well-traveled trail through the woods, but once we approach a rusty wire fence, I steer her toward another path that’s a bit overgrown.

“Are you sure you know where we’re going?” she asks doubtfully, glancing around.

“You’ll just have to trust me, Sunshine.” I squeeze her hand.

God, it feels so good to hold her hand like this. Like we’re a real couple. I’m going to enjoy it for as long as I can, even if it comes with a side of guilt. I’m trying to train myself to ignore that ugly emotion, but it’s not easy.

I lift a branch, and she walks under it. “Any minute now.”

“The suspense is killing me,” she groans. “You know I’ve never been any good at waiting.”

“I know. You always found every one of your birthday presents before they were even wrapped.”

“Except your presents,” she complains. “You were always so sneaky.”

“I had to be,” I counter. “You were like a bloodhound, sniffing around everywhere. I had to be stealthy.” I tug her forward. “Okay, we’re here.”

Emmy gives me a confused look. “Um… where exactly is ‘here?’”

I pull aside a large tree branch blocking the way. “Go forward a few steps, then turn left.”

She does so then stops abruptly. “Will!” she shrieks. “The treehouse! Our treehouse!”

The treehouse is actually an old, tiny, abandoned cabin. It was one of the places we escaped to as kids during these vacations. Sully and I discovered it one day while Emmy was swimming in the lake with her friends.

We used to load up a knapsack full of chips, ham and cheese sandwiches with mayo on Wonder Bread, and chocolate bars. Then we’d hike up here and spend hours playing games, reading comics, and pigging out.

Our visits to the treehouse stopped when our parents found out and busted us for straying too far from the cottage. Once the secret was discovered, the place lost its appeal for us.

I came up here and cleaned the cabin the morning Emmy went swimming with Crew Cut and his friends.

“I’d completely forgotten about this place. It’s been what, eleven years? Honestly, I can’t even believe it’s still standing!” she exclaims. She pulls out her phone and takes a few photos. “Is it safe?”

“Yep. I cleaned it out and checked it over.”

I follow her over to the little one-room cabin and open the door. It’s still run down as all hell, but it’s spotless inside.

“Oh, wow! The old metal table is still here.”

I set the knapsack on the floor and pull out a tablecloth. “Yep. Pretty beat up and rusty, though. Someone brought in wooden folding chairs. Guess the metal ones were in rough shape.”

She’s staring around the little cabin in awe. “Was it gross in here when you first came in?”

“Nah. A few beer cans. Some empty food wrappers. Nothing too terrible.”

I’m in the middle of placing the sandwiches on paper plates when she tackle-hugs me.

“Will, no one’s ever gone to such trouble to make me happy.” She pauses and looks up at me, tears in her eyes. “The things you’ve done the past few days, and now this?”

“I thought you’d like to see it again,” I say simply. “We had a lot of fun here when we were kids.”

Emmy turns away, but not before I see the tears slipping down her face.

“Aww, Em.” I wrap my arms around her. “Please don’t cry. I thought it would be fun. Did I ruin this?”

“No,” she says softly, turning around and shaking her head. “This is perfect, Will. I mean it.”

She looks up at me with those beautiful, big, green eyes and there’s such tenderness there. Such gratitude. If she keeps it up, I’m going to end up backing her against that wall for a kiss, and I’m not sure either of us will want to stop.

Instead, I reach out and push a lock of hair away from her eyes. “Come on. Come sit down, okay? Let’s eat this throwback lunch I prepared.”

“Okay.”

I pull more stuff out of the knapsack, and she wipes the tears from her face and smiles. “Oh my God. Will, where did you get this?” She holds up a package of Pixy Stix.

“I have my connections,” I say, grinning. Emmy used to inhale those things when we were kids. They were always her favorite candy.

“Peanut butter and jelly! And ham and cheese with mayo on Wonder bread!” She shakes her head and holds up two chocolate bars. “All of our favorites!”

I unpack two beers and two cans of cola. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted a grown-up beverage or not.”

She reaches over and snags a cola before taking a huge bite out of the PB&J. “I’m so tempted to dump my Pixy Stix on my sandwich.”

I make a face. “Why?”

She grins and darts her tongue to the corner of her mouth and licks off a glob of grape jelly. “You’re the king of old eighties movies, and you don’t know this bit of trivia? Remember when Allison did that in The Breakfast Club? I forget what else was on her sandwich, though.”

“If you put Pixy Stix on your sandwich, I’m leaving.” I pop open the beer can and grab a ham and cheese sandwich. “No clean eating this week, but it’s worth it.”