Derek turned to Cleo and rolled his eyes as if I couldn’t see him.
Cleo tried not to smile—but was unsuccessful.
They were so cute together that I pretended not to notice.
Derek fell asleep in his chair, the blanket up to his chin, while the shadows from the flames danced across his face. He always slept with his lips slightly parted, some of his small teeth visible.
Cleo was comfortable in her chair, having the other half of the blanket, her eyes heavy and tired.
I knew it was time to put Derek into bed and put out the fire, but I didn’t want to move. If we wouldn’t be eaten by mosquitoes, I probably would just stay out there. But if I returned Derek covered in red bites, Valerie might not let me have him again.
I stayed put anyway, putting off movement as long as possible.
I might be a little drunk.
Cleo turned to me, her eyes heavy too, like she was exhausted from the long day or had too much to drink herself. With her blue eyes on my face, she stared at me, stared at me like my features were more hypnotizing than the flames that started to burn low.
There was always a thought in my mind, a note I wanted to jot down, a comment I made to myself. But now my brain was quiet, simmering like hot coals. It was nice to absorb the calm night, to feel a level of peace I hadn’t felt in years. It’d been so long since I’d felt this way…felt happy.
She continued to watch me, her eyes hardly blinking.
I could stare at her forever.
The blanket moved as she adjusted her arm, bringing it closer to the edge of the chair. Then she took her arm from under the blanket entirely and moved it to my thigh, where my hand rested on my jeans. Without taking her eyes off mine, she grabbed my hand, interlocked our fingers, and then held it there. Once she was still, she took a deep breath, the sound audible.
Her hand was warm from being under the blanket, and I noticed how slender her fingers were, how much smaller her palm was than mine. My heart rate increased slightly at the touch, at the unexpected affection. My eyes stayed on hers.
She watched me, her eyes a little more alert, as if she was afraid I would pull away.
But I didn’t.
My fingers squeezed hers back instinctively.
Her eyes softened as she looked at me, her small hand cradled in mine.
I didn’t think about my actions. I was too tired, too buzzed. It felt good, felt right, so I just let it happen.
Twelve
Cleo
“You put the worm on the hook like this.” Derek took the worm out of the bait jar and hooked it on.
“Alright.” I did the same, cringing at the smell. “Wow, that smells terrible…”
“The fish like it,” Derek said. “The smellier, the better.”
“Fish can smell?”
“Yep.” Derek got his line ready to cast.
I looked at Deacon for confirmation.
Deacon nodded.
That was something I didn’t know.
“Now, you throw your line into the water.” Derek started to throw his pole back.
Deacon was on his feet instantly, steadying the pole so it wouldn’t hit me in the face. “Derek, we talked about this. You’re going to poke someone’s eye out.” He lowered the pole and gripped Derek by the wrists, making the motion for him.
“But I can’t throw it as far like that,” Derek whined.
“The fish will come to you.” Deacon released him and sat back down.
Derek gently flicked his pole, making the bait move a few feet away. “I can normally throw it farther than that…”
“That’s a great spot.” I stood up and mimicked his movements, throwing the line into the water. It was farther to the right so our lines wouldn’t get crossed. “Now what?”
“We stay really quiet and wait.” Derek leaned over the edge and looked into the water.
I took in the scenery, loving how quiet it was, how fresh the air was. “What do we do if we catch one?”
“Throw it back,” Derek said. “I don’t want to kill them…”
“Good idea,” I said. “I don’t either.”
We sat there and waited, listening to the birds call from the trees, listened to the distant sound of other boats from the other side of the lake, listened to the water lap against the stern of the boat.
I turned to Deacon.
He was comfortable under the tarp, already looking at me by the time I looked at him.
When I grabbed his hand last night, I didn’t think twice about it. I hadn’t planned it. The moment just felt right, so I did it. He’d been including me in every aspect of his life lately, not because he needed me, but because he wanted me there. I knew Tucker said to be patient, to give him time, but I couldn’t be patient any longer.