On The Other Side

Chapter 27 - Camping

CLAY
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We went to the store and bought a tent and a hammock. We kept walking until it got dark. Now, in the middle of the night, we've set up our camp next to a peaceful river. We thought about staying in a motel, but we decided it's safer to stay here to avoid getting caught by the police or Pablo.

I glance over at Nick and notice that he's fast asleep, gently swaying in the hammock. A soft chuckle escapes my lips as I rise from the log I have been sitting on.

George is a little further from us, sitting along the river, so I decide to go check up on him. I take a blanket and as I get closer, I notice he's sitting with his legs drawn up to his chest, arms wrapped around them, and his head resting on his knees

"Hey," I whisper softly, and he looks up at me with a faint smile.

Taking a seat beside him, I carefully drape the blanket around him. The night air is quite chilly, and he's wearing short sleeves, so I want to ensure he stays warm and comfortable.

He readjusts the blanket on his shoulders and then looks up at the sky. He looks so pretty. His eyes shimmer with a subtle radiance, illuminated by the gentle moonlight, and his side profile appears flawless, leaving me mesmerized.

Swiftly, I pull out my phone and snap a picture of him. He catches my action, and I shift my phone's focus to capture the moon and the stars, masking my initial intent.

Normally, the stars wouldn't be visible on my phone, but thanks to our location, far from the city lights, they appear even brighter in the photo.

"Why do you do that?" he asks, arching his right eyebrow curiously, clearly having noticed my attempts at taking a picture of him.

I meet his gaze, fully aware of what he's referring to, but I play dumb. "Do what?" I respond with a subtle smile.

His gaze shifts from me to the gently flowing river, its presence lit up by the moonlight. "Take pictures of everything," he observes quietly.

I smile. "I guess I have a fear of losing a memory or forgetting something important," I admit. "I find comfort in looking back at pictures and remembering the stories and moments they hold."

He chuckles softly, then leans his head back onto his knees, fixing his gaze on me. "So, what's the story behind these two pictures?" he inquires, referring to the photos I took earlier.

"That you look really beautiful, and the moon sort of reminds me of you," I explain, a hint of warmth in my voice. I occupy myself by playing with a blade of grass, twirling it between my fingers.

"Why the moon?" he asks.

I look up at the full moon and then the stars around it. It looks so magical. So peaceful. So beautiful. Just like George.

"Do you see how light it is?" I ask and he looks at the moon and then around, nodding.

"Even if it's night, the moon lit up everything around. Just like you. I don't know how to explain it, but you're so gentle, and even if everything goes wrong you never give up." I say and he immediately looks away. He blushes, I can't quite see it, but I know he does.

I don't expect him to say anything back, so I just scoot closer to him and wrap my hand around him. He eases into my touch and leans his head on my shoulder.

We stay like that, watching the river, the moon, and the stars until he breaks the silence.

"Do you miss home?" he asks in a gentle and raspy tone.

I purse my lips and rest my head against his. "I missed it at first, but then realized a house where I'm always scared for my life isn't a place to call home."

"What about you? Do you regret doing what we did?" I ask him and he immediately shakes his head.

I smile.

"Even if I knew what would happen, I would still go, because we escaped and now we're free." he says "Just like we wanted," he adds and I smile even more.

I kiss the top of his head and tighten my grip around his hand.

"I really like you," I whisper, my voice trembling slightly as my heart races.

I don't expect him to say anything back, because he's always been the type to keep his emotions to himself, even when we were little.

He hugs me.

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