A Scenic Connection (BoyxBoy)

CHAPTER NINE

"Hey you guys are up early!" Paisley said as she made her way over to us. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail.

"Hey," I greeted, just as she shyly looked between Tyce and I.

"Looks like you had the same idea," Tyce said, motioning with his hands towards the toothbrush and toothpaste she clutched in her hands.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Don't let us hog it all, please," I said, motioning her forward after I rinsed my mouth and toothbrush off.

"Thanks," she said. Tyce had already finished and was still standing there confidently, bare chest and all. My pants were starting to get tight as I looked away.

"I'm gonna go get dressed," he added, as if finally realizing he was still half naked. I tried not to blush at the thoughts I had. "I'll be right back." I nodded as he turned and made his way back to the tent. I needed to return my toothbrush to my bag, but I didn't wanna hurry after him while he was changing again.

"It's Griffin right?" Paisley asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked over at her.

"Yeah?" I said, it came out more like a question though.

"I can um..I hope I don't offend you, but he's really nice," she stammered. I raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" I asked. She looked around as if someone might be watching then lowered her voice.

"If you like him, go for it," she said, flashing me a grin. I was taken aback by her comments. I sighed.

"Is it that obvious?" I asked her. She chuckled.

"No, I'm just...perceptive," she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"And here I thought you were shy," I told her jokingly. She shrugged.

"I can be."

"Ughhhh, morning," Hadley said yawning as she joined us. I laughed.

"Look what someone dragged out of the tent," I joked, while Paisley chuckled.

"Shut up Griffin! You know I'm not really a morning person and it's earrrrly!" She said, dragging out the last word. I nodded.

"True but we can always take naps. I'm not much for waking up at the butt crack of dawn either!" I said. Paisley busted up.

"What?" Hadley and I both said in unison.

"The butt crack of dawn!" Paisley repeated, laughing. "Good one Griffin. I've never thought of it as an ass." She laughed some more while Hadley and I just chuckled lightly. I thought that was a very common expression?

"So how was your night?" Hadley asked as if wanting to hear some scandalous answer.

"Um. It was fine," I said.

"Only fine?" Hadley pressed. I looked around and saw the rest of the girls approaching. Zaiden and Jordan were with them.

"Hadley," I whispered sternly. "Stop okay? Just stop." She held her hands up in defeat, while Paisley raised her eyebrows at us. "I'm just gonna go..." I trailed off and made my way past the rest of the group towards my tent.

"Where's Sam and Alex?" I heard one of the girls say. By the time someone answered I was out of earshot.

I approached the tent, unsure whether to go in because Tyce might still be in there in some state of undress, and I don't need anything else happening in my pants again. I sighed.

"Tyce?" I asked as I gripped the flap of the tent. "Are you in here?" There was no response so I ducked in and found the tent empty. I climbed over to my bag and stashed my toothbrush and toothpaste in one of the pockets. The sun was peaking through the trees now and the tent was starting to get warm. I unzipped part of the cover, exposing the screen to let some moving air inside. Once that was done I climbed back out of the tent and zipped up the screen portion of the flap.

"There you are," Tyce said walking up behind me. "I wondered where you went."

"Where I went? Where did you go?" I looked at him questioningly.

"I went over to see if Alex and Sam were awake so we can get the breakfast started, the portable stove is still in the car," he explained. I nodded.

"Yeah I am kinda hungry," I said as my stomach growled. Tyce laughed.

"Yeah it sounds like it. C'mon," he motioned with his hands. "Give me a hand. I may not have known what I was doing with the fire, but I do know how to cook!" He laughed at himself. I tagged along with him over to get the stuff of out.

A little while later we were all sitting down with some food. "So I was thinking," Tyce said to me after downing another piece of bacon. He was definitely onto something when he said he knew how to cook. "You wanna go to the lake today?" He asked, looking across the table at me. Everyone else was deep into their own conversations. Hadley however, who was sitting next to me, was all ears.

"Of course he does!" She said, nudging me. I glared at her fiercely. Tyce looked between us, clearly confused.

"Well, I mean..you don't have to," he said to me, looking down at his paper plate. I scoffed.

"No, I'd love to, I just don't like when the bestie here finishes my sentences for me," I explained, pointing my thumb in Hadley's direction. She shrunk back.

"Oh. Well anyone can come," Tyce said giving Hadley a half smile.

"Oh thanks! I might catch up a little later if you guys don't mind, the girls and I were gonna go for a walk." Hadley said. Tyce nodded.

"Sounds good. Maybe I'll ask the other guys if they want to," he replied.

"Yeah that would be a good-" I tried to say before Hadley stomped on my foot. I gave her a withering look. Zaiden and Alex had already finished eating and were sitting over on the log nearby, and Sam and Jordan were too busy filling their plates up with the leftovers to be paying any attention to our conversation.

"I think they're still eating," Hadley stated.

"Yeah. So? We can wait," I said, glaring daggers at her some more. I mean sure I'd love to be alone with Tyce. Except for I'm awkward and wouldn't know what to say and I'd spend most of the time daydreaming about his lips or some idiotic thing like that, so having other people there makes it easier.

"Just go, we'll probably all come later after we've been on the walk. I think Zaiden is following April around like a puppy, and Sam is trying so hard to get Izzie's attention," Paisley chimed in. We all looked over at Izzie, who was busy talking to Chloe and Brooke whIle Sam stood there awkwardly trying to join in the conversation. It was too funny.

"I guess it's just you and me, Grif," Tyce said. Okay my heart may have fluttered just a tiny bit hearing his sexy voice say my shortened name, as if we were close enough for that kind of stuff.

"It, uh," I cleared my throat. "Looks like it," I smiled weakly. How was I supposed to potentially swim in nothing but shorts and have a raging hard on because of this super hot guy without him noticing? The struggles are real after all.

"Thanks Hadley," I said coldly in a way only she would catch. I picked up my plate and went to throw it in the fire pit. Tyce followed me, looking somewhat confused about the entire conversation.