with a book and highlighter. He had a baseball cap on and was turned to the side so I could barely see his profile. I leaned in, feeling that I knew him from somewhere, and that’s when the scent hit me. I settled back in my chair, not knowing if I should say anything or not. I had encountered two different sides of Jake, one I adored—the other I slightly feared.
“You go to a whole different world when you’re studying, don’t you?” he asked, his green eyes making contact with mine. I breathed a sigh of relief…he looked relaxed, even amused.
“How long have you been here?” I asked, knowing that whatever concentration had been there just evaporated into thin air.
“At least ten minutes. I was starting to take bets with myself as to whether you were really that zoned or if you were intentionally freezing me out.”
I smiled, mostly at the idea I could ever play it that cool when it came to Jake.
“What are you reading?” I asked, wanting to turn the conversation away from what a nerd I was.
“It’s a riveting book on international finance. What about you?”
I had almost forgotten Jake was still in college. I had yet to see Issy crack a book since I met her and was beginning to think I was the only one who had to study. “Oh, I have you beat. My pleasure reading for the afternoon is statics, the study of physical systems in equilibrium.”
He lifted his hands up as if to say I had won, and I saw his eyes dance again for the first time since he caught me singing in my room. “How much more do you have?” he asked curiously.
“Why, have you come to rescue me from my calculator?”
H e appeared to be considering it for the first time, and nodded. “Yeah, let’s get out of here. I have someplace I want to take you.” There was no saying “no” to that, even if it meant I pulled an all-nighter to study for my quiz.
“Let’s go,” I agreed, eager to spend any time with him I could.
We were only in the car about fifteen minutes when we pulled into Pisgah National Forest. We didn’t talk much on the drive, but he kept his hand on my thigh the entire way, which meant my mind was muffled and body was enflamed by the time we got there.
The trees were amazing this time of year and the colors were a vibrant red, orange and yellow, offsetting a perfectly blue sky. The sheer beauty and expanse of the forest made the campus trees look like bushes. “This is breathtaking,” I exclaimed.
“Yeah, I love it. Spent most of the summer up here, just letting nature do its thing.” I wondered if helping him cope with grief was the “thing” that nature did, but I didn’t say anything.
We pulled into a parking area and entered the main building. Jake was shaking hands with the guys behind the counter while my mind started registering the harnesses, gloves and helmets on the walls. I turned my focus onto Jake just as I heard him saying, “I’m going to take her on a few lines, if that’s ok?”
The guys waved their hands and said, “Of course, you know you’re welcome to them any time.”
I could feel my palms starting to sweat and panic rise up in my throat. “Um, Jake, may I talk to you for a minute outside?” I whispered.
He seemed to sense my panic. After guiding me out the door, he put both of his hands on my shoulders. “You will be fine.”
“No, you don’t understand. I’m not like you or Issy. I don’t take risks, even calculated ones. I can’t do this.” My voice was strained, and I could feel my heart pounding faster and faster. Jake looked me right in the eyes…I was captivated.
“Avery, you will be fine. You trust me, don’t you?” I simply nodded and followed him inside—back in the same trance I felt the first night at the club. Numbness consumed me as I let the shop guys lock the harnesses all around me, hand me a helmet and give me gloves to wear.
It was a mile hike to the first platform, and the majesty of the area almost made me forget where we were
“You go to a whole different world when you’re studying, don’t you?” he asked, his green eyes making contact with mine. I breathed a sigh of relief…he looked relaxed, even amused.
“How long have you been here?” I asked, knowing that whatever concentration had been there just evaporated into thin air.
“At least ten minutes. I was starting to take bets with myself as to whether you were really that zoned or if you were intentionally freezing me out.”
I smiled, mostly at the idea I could ever play it that cool when it came to Jake.
“What are you reading?” I asked, wanting to turn the conversation away from what a nerd I was.
“It’s a riveting book on international finance. What about you?”
I had almost forgotten Jake was still in college. I had yet to see Issy crack a book since I met her and was beginning to think I was the only one who had to study. “Oh, I have you beat. My pleasure reading for the afternoon is statics, the study of physical systems in equilibrium.”
He lifted his hands up as if to say I had won, and I saw his eyes dance again for the first time since he caught me singing in my room. “How much more do you have?” he asked curiously.
“Why, have you come to rescue me from my calculator?”
H e appeared to be considering it for the first time, and nodded. “Yeah, let’s get out of here. I have someplace I want to take you.” There was no saying “no” to that, even if it meant I pulled an all-nighter to study for my quiz.
“Let’s go,” I agreed, eager to spend any time with him I could.
We were only in the car about fifteen minutes when we pulled into Pisgah National Forest. We didn’t talk much on the drive, but he kept his hand on my thigh the entire way, which meant my mind was muffled and body was enflamed by the time we got there.
The trees were amazing this time of year and the colors were a vibrant red, orange and yellow, offsetting a perfectly blue sky. The sheer beauty and expanse of the forest made the campus trees look like bushes. “This is breathtaking,” I exclaimed.
“Yeah, I love it. Spent most of the summer up here, just letting nature do its thing.” I wondered if helping him cope with grief was the “thing” that nature did, but I didn’t say anything.
We pulled into a parking area and entered the main building. Jake was shaking hands with the guys behind the counter while my mind started registering the harnesses, gloves and helmets on the walls. I turned my focus onto Jake just as I heard him saying, “I’m going to take her on a few lines, if that’s ok?”
The guys waved their hands and said, “Of course, you know you’re welcome to them any time.”
I could feel my palms starting to sweat and panic rise up in my throat. “Um, Jake, may I talk to you for a minute outside?” I whispered.
He seemed to sense my panic. After guiding me out the door, he put both of his hands on my shoulders. “You will be fine.”
“No, you don’t understand. I’m not like you or Issy. I don’t take risks, even calculated ones. I can’t do this.” My voice was strained, and I could feel my heart pounding faster and faster. Jake looked me right in the eyes…I was captivated.
“Avery, you will be fine. You trust me, don’t you?” I simply nodded and followed him inside—back in the same trance I felt the first night at the club. Numbness consumed me as I let the shop guys lock the harnesses all around me, hand me a helmet and give me gloves to wear.
It was a mile hike to the first platform, and the majesty of the area almost made me forget where we were
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