Chicks, Man

“Finally! There you are,” Kipley says, and I cock my head to see who he’s talking to.

Great. I was praying he’d come down with leprosy or something and cancel.

“Traffic was a bitch, sorry,” Levi says, regarding me with a nonchalant smile. “Hannah.” Without meaning to, I roll my eyes.

“Geez, little sis, that was rude. What’s up with you?” Ugh.

“Sorry. It’s nothing. Just…Braydon called and cancelled on me. Work came up. And now Dad. I’m just not sure I’m up for going anymore.” I understand Dad had good intentions of getting us all together, but this is far from a family trip. Just glimpsing the amount of suitcases Rebecca brought is a clear indication of it.

“I’m sorry, Han, but you can’t back out. It’ll be fun. I promise. Plus, your tent and bag were the first to go in. It would take me an hour to rearrange.” He winks at me and brings me in for his infamous brotherly hug. He squeezes tight and places a kiss to the top of my head.

“Don’t worry. Levi can keep you company. His date seemed to back out last minute as well.” I pull away to get an eyeful of Levi. He shrugs at me, his hands in his pockets. I assumed after seeing Rebecca they were trying to pair those two up—again.

“Oh,” I manage to say, trying to sound uncaring. “Well—”

“There you are! I heard you were coming. We get to spend all weekend catching up since we weren’t able to do it at the wedding, yay!” Rebecca’s smile resembles a dying rat. I don’t get what anyone saw in her in high school, and even more so now. Aging has done her no favors, nor has the tanning bed and Botox.

“Yeah…um, great.” Levi doesn’t take the bait and offers his back to her. “So, where should I put my stuff?” he asks Kip, holding a small backpack, his tent strapped to the back.

“I’ll take that, man. We’re almost ready. Grab shotgun, yeah?” Kipley says, tossing Levi’s things in the car.

The car ride is going exactly how I imagined it would. Absolutely horribly. With Levi riding shotgun and the two girls in the backseat, I was left to the third row by myself. As in, all the way in the back where no one can hear you when you talk or truly pay attention to you. Anything I try to say, Rebecca, the evil witch, talks over me. Stacey has given me a few apologetic smiles, but at this point, I just give up. I sit back and stuff my earbuds in my ears and listen to an audiobook while watching the scenery pass by.

We’re only an hour into our five-hour drive when Rebecca starts whining about having to pee. Matthews’ number one rule: you go before we get on the road and again when we hit our destination. Even Stacey knows that. But if anyone has to hear Rebecca’s nails-on-a-chalkboard voice any longer, we might all jump out the window.

Kipley stops at a rest stop off the highway. Being as the weather is starting to get chillier the closer north we go, I get out and pop the hatch in search of my bag.

“Need help?” I cock my head to see Levi standing beside me, leaning against the Tahoe.

“No, I got it,” I lie. I can’t get my bag out for the life of me. I have no muscles and trying to lift one of Rebecca’s many suitcases is impossible.

“Here, let me help you.”

“Seriously, I don’t need any—” He doesn’t listen and cuts me off as he moves me to the side and leans in, grabbing for my bag. His arms flex, his gigantic bicep in clear view. A screaming voice inside my head yells at me to turn away, but it’s like watching a train wreck. I watch as he maneuvers bags and coolers and reaches far back, his t-shirt lifting up for a sneak peek of his toned obliques. Jesus, it’s like Christmas in summer getting an eyeful of his yummy—

“Here you go.” He pulls back, and I completely forget why I was even standing here in the first place. “This is yours, right?” Bag. Oh yeah! Bag! Mine. Sweater. Weird, because now I suddenly feel on fire.

“Uh…yeah, thanks,” I mumble and grab for my backpack. During the exchange, our fingers touch ever so slightly, and I can’t deny the spark flowing through my hand as his skin skims against mine. I fight not to raise my head, but I have no control. Our eyes lock, and there is no doubt he felt it too. Seconds feel like an eternity as we stare at one another, unwilling to break contact. I want to say something, but my throat is suddenly drier than the Sahara.

“I…uh...”

“You’re really quiet back there. Not your normal self.”