Worth the Wait

Part 9 - Campfire Sparks

Part 9 - Campfire Sparks

Rose’s POV

        We’ve been driving for close to three hours now, but every time I ask Steven where we’re going, he refuses to tell.  

        “Just know that it’s somewhere in the woods over the border,” he said. He had on some black motorcycle sunglasses, you know the ones that have the reflected fronts, and a huge smile on his face. I don’t remember the last time I had seen him so carefree.  He had always been a serious person. I rested my arm on the center console next to his, and every so often, his hand would brush against mine. And every time, shocks of electricity would jolt through my system.  

        I re-adjusted my gold-rimmed aviators that Justin had given to me for my birthday a while back. They were my favorite pair, and I never went anywhere without them. I packed a few pairs of sturdy clothes with me and plenty of layers. Since it was now late September, I wasn’t taking any chances with the weather. I was so used to the mild winters of North Carolina, that I didn’t realize how cold it actually got. That’s definitely one thing I don’t miss about this place.

        After another half hour of driving, we had finally pulled up to a little dirt road. Steven looked over at me a grin on his face. “Ready?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

        I gulped, as I looked at the bumpy dirt road in front of us. I closed my eyes and nodded my head. “Yep. Let’s do this.” I trusted Steven with my life, so I figured might as well let go and have some fun.

 * * *

        We were jostled around, and I may have hit my head on the window once or twice. I can’t be sure, because I still feel a little dizzy from the crazy ride. We were now sitting in this little clearing about two miles away from my other roads. There was a fallen log that rested on the ground that was now serving as my makeshift bed as I tried to regain my composure. Steven was currently setting up the tent that was big enough for three people to sleep comfortably in. Trees surrounded the clearing, engulfing us in nature. Now, not being a big nature girl myself, I was surprised at how peaceful it was sitting out here. All you could hear was the birds chirping and the leaves rustling with the wind. I inhaled slowly, and took in the scents of freshly turned dirt, grass, and, well, life. There was so much life in the woods, and I was a little upset with myself for never experiencing this before.  

        When the tent was put up, I was feeling much better and helped build a small fire. Steven was very patient with me as we made out way out to find some sticks that would serve as firewood the rest of the night. We shared a lot of laughs and had a few serious conversations too. There was never any awkward moments between us, even in silence. We were comfortable around each other.

        “I can’t believe I have never experienced this,” I said once we had made it back. Since it was after lunchtime, Steve went ahead and made the fire, promising to teach me how to later on. I watched as he brought two sticks together and effortlessly created a small flame.

        He prepared some food that he had packed with, and we sat in comfortable silence, just taking in the sights around us.

        “So, you guys come out here often huh?” I asked as we cleaned up our mess. Steven warned me that not properly cleaning up could result in animals ransacking the campsite later on in the night.  

        “Yeah, at least a couple of times a year. It’s nice to get away from it all.”

        I nodded in agreement. “I’m really jealous. There’s a bunch of places to go camping back home, but finding someone to go with is the problem. I just can’t see my best friend Beth trudging through the woods and roughing it for a couple of days. It’s not in her nature,” I said, laughing.