Evergreen Mountain

Nineteen | The Last Day

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping, the realization that today is the last full day at the mountain slamming into me. My last day to hike these trails, swim in the lake, be surrounded with friends. The final night I get to spend with Hal. We'd fought to stay awake as long as possible last night, both desperate for every second we had together. We agreed to spend time together, just the two of us, after Leo's big end of trip blow out party, as he repeatedly referred to it.

My head rested on Hal's chest, an arm slung over his stomach and his arm wrapped around my waist. He was tracing his hand up and down my side, making me shiver.

"Are you ready for one more morning hike?" he asked, voice husky. I nuzzled into his chest, shaking my head.

"I don't want it to be the last one." I murmured against his skin.

"Me either." he sighed. I groaned as I sat up and stood, stretching before I turned back to face Hal, offering my hand to help him out of bed. He took it, his hand lingering in mine for a moment after standing up.

We silently got ready in our usual routine, getting dressed, brushing teeth, Hal packing food while I rummaged around for an energy bar. It was still dark out when we opened the door to the cabin, but the first ray of morning light was fast approaching. We agreed to go on the shorter hike by the lake so we could soak up the scenery and swim, while still leaving plenty of time for other activities the rest of the day. A comfortable silence wrapped around us as we began to walk, hands brushing and Hal hooking his pinky with mine every so often. A feeling of peace settled over me, the quiet forest and Hal's presence putting me at ease. We reached the lake just after the sun had fully risen, the sky an explosion of colors. I stopped, looking out at the calm water reflecting the brightly painted sky, outlining the mountains. Hal strode next to me and connected his hand with mine, brushing a soft kiss to my temple.

"Wow." I whispered, leaning into him. "It's beautiful." I breathed.

"Yeah, it is." Hal agreed, but he wasn't looking out at the sunrise.

"You're not even looking." I said, turning my head to look at him.

"I know." he smirked. I felt my cheeks heat up as I shook my head and looked back out at the water. Hal pulled me into his side, squeezing my waist as he held me close. I let my head fall onto his shoulder as we watched the colors dissipate into a light blue.

The water was freezing, but we decided to go for a swim anyway.

"It's so fucking cold." Hal murmured, shivering. I laughed at him, wading closer. I looped my arms around his neck and wrapped my legs around his waist.

"Is this better?" I asked, smirking. Hal looked at me slightly shocked but nodded. He placed his hands on my sides, eyes dipping down to my lips. He began to lean forward, our lips just a breath away when I was plunged into the freezing water. I shot up to the surface, Hal laughing as I shivered and sputtered.

"Asshole!" I cried, biting my lip to stop that smile that was growing on my face. I swam towards him, lunging forward and pushing him. "I hate you." I murmured, splashing him and dragging him farther out into the water until the water hit our shoulders.

"Oh yeah?" he taunted, smirking at me.

"Definitely." I responded defiantly, narrowing my eyes at him.

He reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me into his chest faster than I could process what was happening in my waterlogged brain. His lips were on my neck, kissing, sucking and licking. I sucked in a sharp breath at the contact, my body immediately heating and burning from his touch.

"This should warm you up." He murmured against my neck. I shivered, not just from the cold, as he continued kissing up my neck and along my jaw. I let out a breathy moan, my head falling back as he wrapped me in his arms even tighter. I held onto him, fingers digging into his back as he kissed my ear, cheek, corner of my mouth. He leaned back just enough to meet my eyes, his lips still parted. His hands slowly trailed down my sides, fingertips lingering on every inch of skin he touched. I bit my lip to suppress another moan as he reached the waistband of my suit, fingers teasing and tracing along it.