Equinox

Chapter 18 - Nico

The rain pounded heavily on the roof of Will's cabin. Somehow, they'd gotten the all-okay to have an entire fireplace(!) in their cabin. The fireplace roared and crackled, holding a small blaze of fire.

I sat beside Will, practically using him as a pillow at this point. He'd offered me one of his 'trashy medical romance' novels (don't worry; I don't know who the intended audience was either), and I was about fifty pages in.

Will alternated between playing with my hair and plucking the guitar strings. At one point, he hummed a melody that was so beautiful I couldn't help but put down the book and just listen. (Of course, I recognized it from one of the camp's previous musicals— not that long ago, I don't think.) He slowly eased into singing. All it was was a string of 'la, la la la la la la', but I couldn't help but close my eyes and let his melancholic and sweet voice wash over me.

His siblings joined in, albeit a little more half-heartedly than Will. Will would sing one line, then Kayla and Austin would repeat in the next part of the melody. Eventually, their voices melted together. Will's clear and high voice, Kayla's sweet and soft, and Austin's deep and sad, all joined together in one of the most beautiful melodies I've ever heard.

As they reached the last 'la, la la' line, I joined them. I'm sure I sounded off to them, but Will smiled down at me. Gods, I couldn't stand the fact that I thought he betrayed me. It seemed silly now that I think about it, but in the moment, I couldn't see behind my anger.

I realized something as I stared intently into his face as he continued to sing the song, his siblings dropping off. I realized I loved him, and despite the default alarm bells ringing in the back of my head, I didn't want anything to change. I thought, however, I could only wish he felt the same way. Austin nodded off back to sleep, and Kayla looked like she was about to.

"Hey, Will," I whispered quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Last night... when I woke up the first time. Were you—were you crying?"

He looked a little shocked at first, then sad. "Maybe. Why?"

"Oh. Just wondering."

We sat in silence for a while until his siblings fell asleep all the way.

"On the dock," I said, a little louder than the first whisper. "When you said... you said 'because I love you'."

He smiled sheepishly, putting down the guitar. "I sort of let my emotions take over. It happens, you know?"

I scoffed quietly. "Yeah. Don't even start."

"And, by the way..."

"Yes?" I asked.

"What I said on the dock. I meant it."

"You mean—"

"Yes. I mean— as more than a friend. I think—I think I love you."

Oh, hello skeletal butterflies. When did you revive in the pit of my stomach? My face turned a bright red. "I—"

"I know," he said, his smile straining with pain. "You don't like me that way. You just want to be fr—"

I sat up as quick as possible. "No! When did I say that?"

His eyes widened a little. "So you—"

I remember what happened next as if it happened three seconds ago. And I probably always will. I couldn't stop myself, really. I planted my hand on his cheek and cut him off, screwing up my face as I planted my lips on his. And oh boy, it was like someone chased away those skeletal butterflies with a baseball bat. I mean, I felt like I was imploding from the inside out. When he wrapped his arms around me, holding me closer, I felt like I couldn't breathe properly anymore. Not like the nightmares. This 'breathless' was good. Like I had spent my breath on something useful, not having it stolen from me. The real kiss only lasted around five seconds, but afterwards I collapsed onto his chest.

We said nothing after the kiss. We simply stayed together, me laying on his chest with his arms around me, for a long while. My eyes started to flutter closed, and before I knew it, Will pulled his comforter over both of us. As I drifted off, tangled up with Will, I thanked any god that could hear me that I didn't screw things over eternally.