“Call it psychotic.”
“Only for you, baby girl.” Winking, she pushes me the rest of the way out of the truck and I shut the door.
When I settle into my seat, I grin over at her. “Ready?”
“Sure, do I even have a choice? You kidnapped me.”
“Can’t take the willing!” My engine roars to life, and I back out of the drive. Hitting the road, I head for Payson Canyon.
“I love this song,” she says. We stayed quiet for most of the drive, until now.
“Turn it up,” I instruct her. She does and I listen to the sound of her off-key voice. Even her flaws sound so damn good. Our favorite band Parachute is playing in the background, the familiar lyrics of “Drive You Home” making my heart feel lighter than what it was when I picked her up. That’s not the entire reason; Shayla is the reason behind it, for the most part. I watch her head sway to the music, the summer night air traveling in through the window. Shayla looks over to me, the chorus blaring loud, her infectious smile a sight to fucking see. I lift my head and signal her to scoot over, she complies, and I thank the easy access of my older pickup truck, no middle console just a long seat so she can slide right into my side.
Just being in her presence has made me forget all the terrible shit I learned about my mom tonight. So much so that I nearly forget all the details of what was said. Her warm body meets my side and I feel whole. Wrapping one arm around her shoulder, she leans her head on my chest. My other hand stays firm on the steering wheel, while her delicate fingers play with my rough ones over her shoulder. We don’t speak, we just sing and enjoy the night air and each other.
As we enter the canyon, she kisses my knuckles, and I feel the strings attached to my heart, that she holds, tug. What is this feeling?
We listen to a few more songs, share some laughs, and enjoy the company of each other before pulling up to the lake.
Shutting the car off, Shayla removes herself from me and I nearly pull her back into me, hating the loss of her body heat.
“What are we doing here?” she asks, looking out at the water where my headlights shine over the slow moving ripples.
“Just you watch.” Climbing out, I wink at her; she blushes?
??fucking blushes, shit that was cute, before climbing out. Leaning into the cab of my truck, I pull out the sleeping bags and blankets I brought, along with some of her favorite candy, then the final bag with matches.
“Trey, are we going to sleep out here?”
“You don’t miss a thing. Yes, baby girl, we are.” I have called Shayla ‘baby girl’ since she was fourteen and now that she is nearly eighteen; the ‘baby’ in that nickname is becoming something that causes my chest to light on fire.
“Oh my God! Yay!” She jumps excitedly, looking around to make sure no one saw her. I know no one did because we’re alone, I already checked when I hopped out.
“And a fire? Dang, Trey Adams, the caveman who builds fires!” she teases, following me to the spot just above the waterline of the lake, next to the fire pit.
Dropping the stuff on the ground, I turn on her fast. She tries to escape when she sees my intention but it doesn’t work. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her back into my stomach, then lifting her feet off the ground, I spin us, putting my face into the crook of her neck and blowing. My scruff tickles her and her loud, throaty laugh echoes around us, deep in the canyon surroundings.
“Trey!”
“Say mercy!” I tickle her side with my free hand and she flails about, trying to break free. Not a chance in the world, she isn’t getting out of this one yet.
“No! I can’t let the enemy win!” Shayla chokes out on a sob, she’s laughing so hard she has begun to cry. Shayla hates to be tickled.
“You better say it, Shay!”
“No!”
“Then say I’m the man and I will let you go!” I start moving toward the water, she can see my intentions from a mile away.
“Trey Joseph Adams! You better not put me in that water! Oh my God, Trey!” She shrieks and just as I get ready to set her in the water, she gives in, shouting, “Mercy! You are the man, I’m sorry! Please don’t!” Spinning fast, I set her down and throw my fist in the air, accepting victory.
“You can’t beat the master, baby girl!” I cheer, getting so wrapped up in my winning that I don’t notice her go silent right away. After a few seconds I finally tune in to her silence. Stopping, I look over to her and see the most heart-stopping thing in the world, standing there with the moonlight around her, creating a halo of light to cast down on her, she smiles at me.
“What?” I ask, my voice cracking. I feel this new pull toward her, this gravity shifting need to cling to her. What is happening?
“I knew you were upset when you got to my house, I know you better than you think, Trey. But right now, standing here like you are, I can see you’re happy. I love when you’re happy, and I will always make sure I do what I can to keep you happy like this.” Her promise shakes me to my core, the breath in my lungs held captive. Holy fuck, I know what this feeling is…I’m falling in love with Shayla Donovan. Fuck me.
We stay silent and I search her eyes, trying to regain my bearings while I come to terms with my revelation. How can I be in love with Shayla? I can’t be in love with her; she’s too fucking good for me. But I’m selfish, and the feelings transpiring deep within me have me not giving two fucks what unchartered water I am walking into. The pain of knowing I can never have Shayla is something I’m willing to endure, just to flirt with the false possibility that one day we can be something more.