Right. I nodded. 揌e did.?I had called him back the other morning and he walked me through what a sponsorship would look like. The company would pay me to wear their gear and take a couple pictures at a studio as long as I stayed at pro level and kept my nose clean.
She gestured, like go on. 揥ell??
I flashed her a grin and shrugged. 揑t depends how I do at Pacific Rim.?
揂nd if you do well??
I stared at the sky. 揑t sounds like I have a sponsorship.?A splash of water hit me in the face and I burst out laughing. 揥hat was that for??
She beamed at me, so bright I thought my heart might crack open. 揥yatt. You did it.?
揘ot yet.?It was so easy to rest my gaze on her. Like it belonged there. Like looking at her was healthy for my soul.
揧ou will. This is big. We should celebrate.?
揥hat did you have in mind??
She tilted her head and chewed her lip. 揥ill you take me camping??
揅amping.?I snorted. 揥ith bugs and dirt and peeing in the woods??
When she laughed, her chest shook, and mine flooded with warmth. 揧eah, that camping. But also with trees and sky and stars and a campfire. I used to go with my parents. My mom loved it. We抮e allowed to have campfires, right? I see people having them on the beach all the time.?
During summer, there was often a campfire ban in our province, because a hot, dry summer led to wildfires, which was where my brother Finn was right now. Every summer, he left to fight wildfires around British Columbia before returning in October.
揥e抮e in the fog zone, so we can have a fire. Do you have camping gear??
There was that big smile again. I抎 do anything to keep it on her face. She nodded. 揥e have a tent and stuff in the garage.?
We decided to go the next night. There were a lot of provincial parks in the area, campgrounds owned and maintained by the province, but they booked up months in advanced. Besides, they were too populated. Hannah wanted nature, silence, and stars. I knew a spot further up into the forest where we could camp undisturbed.
The thought of having her all to myself for a night sent blood rushing to my groin. I shoved the thought from my mind. We抎 have separate tents. It wouldn抰 be like that.
On her board beside me, Hannah let out a long sigh. 揑抦 very relaxed today.?
Another image of her in bed flashed into my head and I stifled a tortured groan. She giggled.
On second thought, a night alone with Hannah, with her all to myself, teasing me and shooting me those smug looks?
It was going to be fucking agony.
16
Hannah
揑 got you something.?
Wyatt flashed me a tentative grin from the driver抯 seat of his truck. 揙h, yeah??
We were on the highway, his truck full of camping gear and a cooler of food, drinks, and ice. Music played on the radio and trees blurred as we drove past.
I fished the tiny figure out of the pocket of my jacket and hung it from the rearview mirror. Wyatt studied it with brief glances, alternating between the road and the figure swaying.
He snorted. 揑s that supposed to be me??
I grinned wide. 揧ep.?
I had contacted someone on Etsy with the Tula music video and commissioned a 3D-printed figurine of him, merman costume and silver body paint and all. The figure was about two inches tall. I didn抰 tell this to Wyatt but I had one made for myself as well. It sat on my dresser at home.
It made economic sense to buy two. The designer only had to create the design once. And this way, if he lost it, he抎 have a backup.
Wyatt shot me a wry look. 揑 love it and hate it at the same time.?
That made me laugh. I turned and watched out the window as he drove, smiling to myself and listening to the music. My stomach rolled forward. God, he was handsome. Even the crinkles around his eyes were hot.
He reached over and gave my knee a quick squeeze, making my stomach flutter. 揟hanks, bookworm.?
I thought about the way he looked yesterday in the surf shop, when I told him about doing my homework. The heated hunger in his eyes. The way his mouth pressed into an unhappy, unsatisfied line, like he was doing everything he could to hold back.
The way his gaze flared when I called him professor. I抎 keep that in my back pocket for later.
揧ou抮e welcome.?I smiled out the window.
Anticipation rolled through me and I pressed my thighs together. Maybe he抎 kiss me again tonight. My stomach fluttered and I bit a grin back.
揧ou look cute in those glasses.?
I hadn抰 worn them in a while. I rolled my eyes. 揑抎 rather wear my contacts but I didn抰 know if it was a good idea to put dirty camping fingers in my eyes.?
揑 brought lots of hand sanitizer.?His gaze raked over my face with appreciation. 揑 like your glasses, though.?