I didn’t realize he’d been paying any attention to me. He and Kip have been locked in a conversation since we pulled out of our driveway, even brushing off Rebecca any time she pathetically attempted to intervene.
“I was just—”
“Hey, Levi!” I’m interrupted, our connection lost, as we both rotate to face Rebecca. “I got us some snacks. Anything you like?” She sticks her hands out to display her array of strange picks. We’re both quiet as we observe her choices of roasted soy nuts, turkey jerky, vegan protein bars, and Big Red bubble gum. Levi’s eyebrows rise as I fight the smirk growing on my face. If Rebecca knew anything about Levi, she would know he’s allergic to nuts. Not to mention, he thinks anything cinnamon is the devil, remembering his rough night in high school with some Aftershock, scarring him for life. “The gum’s my favorite. Always leaves my mouth tingly. You should try it sometime.”
That’s it.
I did my best, but my laughter slips up my throat. I try sticking my head in my bag to mask it, but Rebecca clearly hears me.
“And what are you laughing at?” she snarls.
I pop my head up, trying to practice my breathing techniques so I don’t lose it again. I sense Levi’s grin without even looking at him, which makes it harder to keep my cool. He knows what I’m thinking about, since I was the one who found him in our backyard passed out behind our shed with a puddle of red vomit around him. I also remember him swearing to do horrible things to the next person to ever offer him anything cinnamon again. I’m hoping the threat still stands.
“Who, me? Uh…I was just…uh, remembering a joke. I was going to tell you guys later…at the campsite…” Wow, that sounded super lame. Levi chuckles, catching Rebecca’s attention. “Anywho…I’m gonna go change.” I unsnap my tent from my backpack, dropping it into the back of the car, and with my bag over my shoulder, excuse myself, feeling both sets of eyes on me as I walk up to the convenient store.
“Hey, Hannah?” Levi calls out, and I halt in my step, turning back. Rebecca’s sneering eyes shoot daggers at me, but I let her nastiness roll off and move my focus to Levi.
“Yeah?”
“Can you check to see if they have any Aftershock in there?”
My lips break into a mischievous grin that mirrors his own. I nod, offering a small chuckle, and without giving Rebecca another thought, I give them my back and practically skip into the general store.
Levi
My mood is a lot lighter the rest of the drive. It could have something to do with the image of Hannah and that cute fucking smile of hers floating in my mind. I turn my head to reply to something Kip says, seeing her in the rearview mirror, and force that image away. Ain’t gonna happen, bro. I must be losing my marbles to even consider anything between us. I shake my head and stare out the window. How the fuck did I find myself even considering that? I tell myself I wasn’t. But I was. Watching her face light up did something to me. Made me happy to make her smile. Put some color in her cheeks as she blushed, sharing an inside joke. And shit, I remember that night. I thought I’d thrown up my liver. I barely remember passing out, but I do remember small hands wiping a wet towel over my mouth and holding my chin to get water down my throat. Ashamed, I also remember taking her down when she tried to get me to stand and go into the house. I remember passing back out and waking up on top of her. Scared the shit out of me, wondering why the fuck little Hannah Matthews was under me. Funny thing was, it was her trying to reassure me. She wasn’t trying to pull anything on me. She was only trying to get me inside before her parents found me. It was while I stumbled inside, my arm wrapped around her tiny shoulders, that I swore if I ever drank Aftershock again, it would be the end of the person who gave it to me.
The next morning was hell. I woke up feeling like death, but at least I was in the guest room instead of behind the shed. I never said anything to Hannah, and she never mentioned it. I steal another glance through the rearview mirror, able to catch a silhouette of her all the way in the backseat. Her head is leaning against the window, and she appears to be lost in thought, her emotions unhidden by the crease of her brow and down curve of her lips. I wonder what she’s thinking about. Gone is the baby face, braces, and childish grin. In its place, a woman all grown up. She has a beauty someone like Rebecca wished for. Natural. Soft. Enigmatic. Robust. I wish I could see her eyes. Get lost in the beauty of her soul. Feed off the passion radiating from within that makes her irresistible.