by Ellie Hall
“Oh, I, erm… remembered I brought something as well.” I rummage through my bag and get my favorite purple container out. “Here. It’s a slice of my carrot cake. I figured, why not bring one since you went crazy for it the other day.”
He whistles. “Nice. Thanks so much for remembering how much I like your cake.”
How could I not remember? The sounds he made when he first tasted my carrot cake are impossible to delete from my brain—ever. I’ll probably be able to recall them when I’m old and wrinkled.
Caleb clears his throat and puts his cake down. “I want to talk to you about something,” he starts, piquing my curiosity. “I realize it might come out of the blue, but I want to be honest.”
I angle my body toward him. This sounds serious.
“When you sent that email about going hiking, I thought it was a great idea but also a bit weird. We didn’t really know each other, and I was afraid half the crew would show up. I like my weekends to be my own. The peace and calm during those two days is what keeps me going the rest of the week. So, when I found out it was just going to be the two of us, I felt relieved. And then the rest of that day turned into something unforgettable. I’ve never spent such an amazing day with someone I only just met.”
I nodded. “Yeah, that Saturday is one of my favorite days as well.”
“Does that mean you agree?”
“About what?”
He smiles. “That we have a special connection. I denied it at first because we’ve only known each other for a short amount of time, but now I realize it’s useless to push against those feelings.”
I swallow. Feelings?
“Did I scare you?” His brows are furrowed with concern.
“Nope. I’m speechless, that’s all.”
Not knowing what to say doesn’t mean I’m not elated by his words. I didn’t expect this and am probably just in shock, but… wow. Those lips of his have never looked more attractive than in this moment. I realize I’ve got to act. Say something. Do something. Anything other than stare at him like this.
Without any further overthinking on my part, I put my hand in his. The small gesture is all I dare to do, though.
Both our eyes travel to our touching hands. Why doesn’t he say anything?
I pull back, convinced I made a completely wrong assessment of the situation. When Caleb spoke about feelings, I thought he meant romantic feelings.
“Wait,” he says.
He reaches for my hand again, surprising me. “Don’t pull back. Please.” His hair falls over his left eye, and the sun brightens his face. I wish I could take a picture of this exact moment, because I know I’m going to cherish it forever.
Caleb then moves his hand to my face and caresses my cheek. His fingers slowly travel to my lips. My breathing picks up, and all I can focus on is his smile. It’s kind and sweet and…so hot.
“June,” he speaks, his voice thicker than usual. “Can I kiss you?”
I nod. His smile grows even bigger, and two seconds later, his lips brush mine. Fireworks fill my veins and make my stomach tumble.
I gently put my hand on the back of his head and press my lips more firmly on his. He reacts by letting out a small sound, similar to when he tasted my carrot cake.
All I can think about is what a great kisser he is and how amazing it feels to be this close to him. This kiss is the best thing that has happened to me all year. I never want it to end.
I trail my hands over his shirt, exploring his muscular back.
We both come up, gasping for air, when a scream pierces the sky. I can feel my heart skip a beat—and not because Caleb and I just shared the most heavenly kiss ever. The screaming sounds so real and frightening. I’ve got goosebumps all over my body.
“This is a lot to process,” he says.
I swallow. “The kiss or the screaming?”
He grins at me. “Both.”
“Should we pack our stuff and get out of here? Do you want to call the police?”
The screaming has stopped, for now, but who knows why someone felt the need to let out such a chilling cry for help?
“We could check it out,” he says. “Find out if someone needs our help.”
“What happened to ‘I’m calling the police as soon as I hear screaming’?”
He shrugs while putting the lids back onto the plastic containers. “By the time they get here, things might’ve taken a turn for the worse.”
“That’s not a comforting thought.”
“We’ll assess the situation from a safe distance first.” He hoists his backpack on his shoulders and smiles at me. “I guess we’ll have to stay close together.”
I put my hand in his and return his smile. “I can’t say I’m opposed to that. Let’s find out what this screaming is all about.”
“Oh, and you know what? If I do die trying to save you from an evil mastermind, at least I’ll die happy after that amazing kiss.”
10
Caleb
June and I rush toward the place we heard someone scream. Despite the possible dangers, I can’t stop myself from thinking of her soft lips. I didn’t plan on kissing her, but I’m glad I did. It feels great to act without thinking for once.
“Do you think it’s a bad omen that the screaming has stopped as abruptly as it started?” June asks. She looks at me with those big, beautiful eyes of hers, making me want to turn back after all and just spend the rest of the day kissing her.
“I don’t know. All I can think about is that kiss,” I blurt out.
She smiles and gives my hand a squeeze. “Me too.”
We slow down our pace as soon as we hear voices. They grow louder with every step we take, and I think it’s wise to first stake out this place and assess the dangers. I’ve got my phone in my hand, ready to immediately call the police if I need to.
The path widens, giving way to a clearing. June’s eyes grow wide, and when our gaze meets, we both burst out laughing.
Instead of encountering a dangerous felon, two seniors are standing near the edge of the clearing and are bickering like an old married couple—which they probably are.
“Yoo-hoo,” the woman calls out to us. She’s waving her arms at us as if she’s trying to signal a plane to land. “Some help, please.”
“Barbara, stop it,” the man says, trying to lower her arms.
“Let me go, Winston.”
“No.” He throws us an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, we don’t need any help.”
“Are you sure?” Caleb asks with narrowed eyes. “We did hear someone scream.” He then turns to Barbara and asks, “Is this man keeping you here against your will?”
The two of them burst out laughing. Winston doubles over and clutches his stomach. I can’t tell whether he just can’t stop laughing or is having a heart attack.
Barbara dries the tears that are falling down her cheeks with the palm of her hand. “Relax, you two. No one is keeping me here against my will.”
“Then why were you guys screaming?”
“We were rehearsing a play for the annual Renaissance Fair. Winston here, my dear husband, has to save me from a knight who wants to plunge his sword in my heart. Not literally, of course. For the play, I mean.”
I chuckle.
“So, you two taped the sign to the trailhead?” June asks.
“Guilty as charged,” Winston says, finally catching a breath after his hysterical laughing fit. “We’ve been coming here for a couple of weeks in a row, and every time we rehearse the almost-dead scene, someone deems it necessary to call the cops on us.”
“It’s good to hear you’re all doing well, but didn’t you need help?” June asks.
Barbara brushes her question off. “Oh, well, Winston twisted a muscle in his neck.”
“Barb, seriously, it’s nothing to worry about.”
She puts her hands on her hips. “Oh yeah? What if it is and you don’t wake up tomorrow? I don’t want to find you dead in our bed just because you won’t le
t me take you to a doctor.”
“Honey, stop. No one has ever died from a muscle spasm.”
“Someone’s always got to be the first one. No one died of taking selfies until someone did, you know.”
I smile at them. “If you guys need help, let us know. We’d be more than happy to call a cab to get you to a doctor.”
“You two lovebirds go. We’ll be fine,” Winston says.
To be honest, he does look as fine as he claims to be.
June’s cheeks grow scarlet, and she lets out a nervous laugh. “Lovebirds? Us?”
“Relax, I won’t tell anyone you two have got the hots for each other,” Barbara says with a grin. “Why do young people always pretend not to be in love when they clearly are?”
Now it’s my turn to laugh nervously.
“You’re making them uncomfortable,” Winston chimes in.
Barbara shrugs. “I’m too old for this kind of stuff. When you’re our age, you cut straight to the cheese.”
“The cheese?”
“You know, you get to the point right away. None of this ‘I don’t love you but secretly pine for you anyway’ nonsense. Winston and I got married in a cute town called Tinsel Falls at Christmas time. It was magical. If we had waited to cut the cheese, we would’ve missed all that magic.”
I don’t have the heart to tell her it’s cutting to the chase. She’s just a sweet old lady. Why embarrass her by correcting her grammar?
Winston smiles at us. “Don’t stay on our account, please. We’re fine.”
June nods and looks at me. “What do you think? Shall we go?”
We say our goodbyes and have them promise they’ll call for help if they need it.
“Oh, and good luck with your play,” June adds.
As soon as we’re out of sight and out of hearing distance, we stop walking. “That was…something,” June says.
“I know.”
Should I say something else to her? Does she expect us to pick up where we left off and wants me to kiss her again? All these questions swirl around in my head. Too bad I can’t decide what to do.
“I’m happy that old couple was okay. They were cute, right?”
“Yeah.”
Okay, she’s clearly thinking about Winston and Barbara, not about us kissing.
“And that thing Barbara said…about us being lovebirds?”
“Yes?”
She smiles. “What did you think about that?”
I grin at her. “I think we should test her theory and cut straight to the chase. Or to the cheese, like she said.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” I say, taking a step closer to her. “I think I should kiss you again.”
“I think so too,” she says.
When our lips meet again, I swear I can feel her smile through our knee-buckling kiss.
I softly sigh with contentment. This is, by far, the best Saturday of my life, and that includes the one where I won an ice-cream-tasting contest, netting me an entire year of free sundaes. Butterflies hammer against my chest in an uncontrollable rhythm, and I just know that Barbara was right. I’m head over heels for June. I don’t know how it’s possible to have such a strong connection to someone you’ve only been out with a few times, but it’s happening, and I want to enjoy every single minute of it. I savor the feel of her soft lips and her hands running gently over my backside.
“After this, we should get ice cream together. What do you think?” June asks.
She’s looking at me with those dreamy eyes of hers, making me want to kiss her again and again and again.
“I was just thinking about ice cream.”
She lets out a gasp, but the twinkling in her eyes tell me she’s joking. “What? While we were kissing?”
I plant another soft kiss on her lips. “Yes. But only because that kiss was better than me winning a year of free ice cream when I was sixteen.”
Her entire face lights up at those words. “Yeah, nothing can top that kiss.”
I put my finger on my lips to warn June I hear something.
“What’s wrong?” she whispers.
“There’s something in those bushes behind us.”
We both turn around slowly. I pray it’s not a bear or a snake. Then again, do bears even live in this part of the country?
June gets a can of pepper spray out of her bag and points it toward the bushes.
“Show yourself,” I call out.
My God, I hope it’s something innocent like a rabbit.
Something, or better yet, someone, comes stumbling out of the bushes. I blink and try to focus on the scene in front of me.
“You see, Winston? They are in love. I told you so!”
Barbara stands in front of us, her hair full of twigs and some dirt on her face. A few seconds later, Winston appears from the bushes, looking mortified.
“I’m so sorry. We weren’t stalking you two or anything. Please don’t use that pepper spray. Barbara just wanted to prove that you two are real lovebirds.”
She crosses her arms over her chest, a proud look on her face. “I won our bet! You owe me a massage,” she says, eliciting a sigh from Winston.
June and I exchange a look. We should be offended or angry, but I’m not. It takes all of my willpower to not burst out laughing. June’s biting her lip as well, and I can hear her snort.
“Anyway, sorry to bother you guys. We’ll be out of your hair. Right, Barbara?”
She claps her hands and gives us a dreamy smile. “Have an amazing life together,” she says. Before I can blink, they’ve turned around and are out of sight again.
“This is better than award-winning television,” June says.
She laughs so hard that she needs to steady herself against a tree.
“Oh yeah,” I say.
“I can’t believe they were hiding in the bushes, spying on us,” she says in between fits of laughter.
Tears of laughter are rolling down my cheeks as well. I want to stop, but every time I look at June, I burst into laughter again. All I can think about is how this is the best day ever and that I’m, without a doubt, the luckiest man in LA right now.
11
June
I’ve been walking on clouds all week. Caleb and I have spent every free moment together. I’ve even been out after ten a couple of times. That sounds incredibly stupid since I’m an adult paying rent and all, but it’s progress. I might even be able to move out sooner than later, which would be such a relief.
I screw the cap back on my toothpaste and head to bed. Tomorrow is Saturday, which Caleb and I now call hiking day, and I want to be well rested. Right before I get under the covers, my phone rings.
Without checking who it is, I pick up. I mean, who would call me this late? It’s probably either Caleb or my mother.
“Hello,” I say.
“Hi, is this June?”
I sit up straighter. “This is her speaking.”
“It’s Ryker Stone. You know, the Ryker. Anyway, you sent an email a while back about going hiking on Saturday, and I wanted to see if we’re still on?”
I pinch my arm to make sure I’m not sleeping already. “Um, what?”
“What time should I be at the trailhead?” he asks.
“You want to go hiking with me?”
This sounds like a bad joke. First of all, I don’t want to go hiking with Ryker after the way he treated me and bad-mouthed me on social media. Second of all, Saturday hikes are for me and Caleb.
He laughs. “Oh, June, don’t be so surprised. I love hiking. How do you think I stay in shape?”
I think back to his secret pantry and try to suppress a chuckle. “I don’t know.”
“Anyway, there’s a business proposal I want to talk to you about.”
“Really? What kind of proposal?”
“You’ll find out tomorrow. No one else is coming, right? I heard some crew members say these hikes are a dud, but I want to make sure that’s correct.”
I
take a deep breath in to stop myself from shouting some bad words at him. A dud? Come on! “Well, actually, Caleb will be there,” I say, feeling proud of myself for not letting Ryker mess with me.
He draws in a sharp breath. “That’s too bad. Can’t we ditch him?”
“No,” I say.
“Look, I’ll just come out and say it. I’m looking for a caterer for one of my parties. If you’re interested, we’ll talk about it on the hike. Alone.”
“Caleb is harmless. He’s your PA. You should know he’s great at keeping secrets.”
“I know he is, but the less people that know about this, the better. Events like these need to be a complete surprise to have an impact. Anyway, see you tomorrow, okay?”
Before I can think of something to say, the line goes dead. It takes me a minute to process what he just said. Catering one of his parties? A party that’ll be filled with celebs? My stomach does a happy twirl at the thought of this opportunity but then drops as soon as I think about not including Caleb in all this. Surely, I can’t tell him he’s not allowed to join me tomorrow. I don’t think my heart can handle that.
Catering for a party like this is my dream, though. Maybe I can go and tell Caleb everything afterwards. He’ll understand. I hope.
Gosh, I don’t have the heart to lie to him. I shouldn’t. Only a brainless monkey would be stupid enough to lie to her new boyfriend.
I pick up my phone again and called Ryker, who picks up after four long rings. “Yes?”
“Ryker? It’s June again. I love that you want me to cater for your party, but I can’t lie to Caleb. He’s coming with us tomorrow.”
He lets out one of those irritated sighs again. “Why? You can see him afterwards.”
I bite my lip and stay silent. I don’t want to give in to his ridiculous demands.
“You know what? This party is actually a surprise for Caleb. His birthday is coming up.”
“It is?” I frown. Why didn’t he tell me that before?
“Uh-huh. So, you must keep it a secret. We don’t want to ruin things for him, right?”
“Okay.”
“Great. He’s going to be elated. See you tomorrow, Jane.”