Steady

Chapter Four

After watching her examine the paper for all of five seconds, I know she's rethinking her insistence on being a 'grown ass woman'.

Smoothing away the wrinkles of confusion lining her perfect forehead, she looks around the campground and I can practically see the light bulb come to life when she lays eyes on a group of men a few feet away.

After stuffing the instructions into the pocket of her jean shorts, she pulls her t-shirt over her head, revealing the scarlet bikini hidden underneath.

"Uh oh."

The girls and I exchange worried glances as she tugs free the elastic band at the crown of her head, unleashing messy blonde waves down her back.

"Hey, guys!" She waves to get their attention and they all straightened as they take in her athletic frame. "Can you help us a sec? We have nooo idea what we're doing over here."

Never before have I witnessed a group of men scramble up so fast in my life. You'd think their boxers were on fire. They trip over themselves in haste to rescue our friend, who is playing a rather convincing damsel in distress.

Sydney leans in as we watch the boys go to work. "Impressive. I couldn't even get the gas station attendant to clean my windshield yesterday."

"Were you wearing a bikini?" I ask.

"Nope."

"There's your problem."

Ten minutes and one pop-up tent later, the men regretfully say their goodbyes and Veronica blows them all air kisses.

"Well, that was easy," she says, rejoining our little group. She dusts off her hands, as if she actually did any real work. At least it's comforting to know she won't hesitate to call for help if we can't get the fire started later.

I shoot her a look to let her know just how transparent she is to me. Her motives aren't as inconspicuous as she thinks. Unlike the rest of our friends, I'm not oblivious to the fact that her eyes darted across the grass to gaze at Carter every ten seconds to make sure he was paying attention.

"You know this is just as bad as him flexing for those girls, right?"

Veronica turns her five-thousand-megawatt smile my direction and winks.

"I know."

***

By the time the sun falls beneath the trees and a blanket of darkness sweeps over our campsite, we've made quite an impressive fire. We all roar with laughter as Carter wraps his t-shirt around his head like a turban and points to the flames with a small limb he's claimed as his scepter.

"We men. We make fire. Cook food. Feed all the pretty ladies."

He's showing out, making it known to our tent-assemblers that the females in this group are his.

"I always knew you were secretly a caveman." I take a drink of the semi-warm beer in my hand. "Nice to see you've embraced it."

"As long as you don't get one of those through-the-nose piercings," Nora adds.

He crinkles his nose at the thought. "I would never do anything to disrupt the beauty that is my face."

Carter runs his hands over his cheeks and purses his lips, but the show of confidence doesn't fool me. He's just as insecure as the rest of us. Guys like Carter think that having even the smallest concern over any kind of shortcoming is a sign of weakness or vulnerability, so naturally they overcompensate in the only way they know how. And Carter? He's the king of overcompensation.

Even Veronica rolls her eyes, acknowledging just how full of it he really is.

As more and more alcohol is consumed, we all continue to laugh at Carter's antics. Laughter rings out around us, but I clamp my mouth shut when the lights of an SUV parking at the edge of the campsite blinds me.

Shielding my eyes with both hands, I wait for the glow to die out so I can see again. But long before that happens, my mouth runs dry and my heart begins beating frantically in my chest. Fear grabs me by the throat and I look around, not understanding why.

What the hell?

Whipping my head around, I try to pinpoint what on earth is causing such an out of place reaction.

And that's when I smell it.

Cologne.

Men's cologne.

Familiar.

Eerily familiar.

"Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late."

My eyes flash up, and in that small, yet monumental moment, my heart trips over itself and lands flat on its face.

Pale skin.

Hair as black as pitch.

Bright blue eyes.

Impossible...

I watch, unable to speak, as the strange man carries a cooler to the edge of the fire before claiming it as his seat.

"What'd I miss?"

He casts a wide smile across the crowd, leaning forward to fist-bump some of Veronica's worshipers. He carries himself with easy, carefree confidence. Like a guy ready to let loose and take part in innocent fun with his friends.

Not like a guy who is secretly hacking away at the heartstrings of a girl sitting directly in front of him, hiding just on the other side of the fire.

Almost every girl in the campsite springs up to introduce themselves, but I sit back and stare in wonder. And frustration. And confusion. And most of all... fear.

"It's him."