Hot Springs Horror #NaNoWriMo2020

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Jay and I stayed that way—his hand over mine, his warmth seeping under my skin—for what felt like hours. We watched Millie drinking her weight in booze, assisted by Rob, who gave her pointers on the best mixes to make. We listened to Jenny's intoxicated conspiracy theories, and guffawed as Rob continued to hit on her and fixate on her boobs.

At one point, she leaned close to my ear. "If he thinks he's getting any from me, he's wasting his time."

Jay heard her and chortled; and I watched Rob while shaking my head, the tiniest fiber of me feeling sorry for him.

"It's his goal in life," said Jay, removing his palm from mine and stretching. "To sleep with every woman he meets, as long as she's remotely good looking." He peered around me at Jenny, whose chest remained exposed to the world and whose hair had a wild, appealing air to it.

A flicker of jealousy ignited in me as Jay stared at her. I had no right to be jealous, as I didn't want to do anything with Jay, and wouldn't get in the way should he wish to fool around with either of my friends. And yet that flicker stung my insides, because I had bonded with Jay, not them. He'd sheltered me from the rain and wind, he'd reassured me when Aaron took off, and he'd been sitting beside me this whole time, holding my hand.

As if reading my mind, Jay returned to his normal seated position. "Don't worry, it's not my goal." His fingertips tickled over mine once more. "She's very pretty. And so is Millie. But you..."

Curious, I snapped my neck to him in time to catch the corners of his lips quirking up. "Me? What about me?"

His cheeks reddened and he looked into his lap, at his paper plate where he'd left a bite of burger. "You're more my type. I... I pictured you, while we were in the hot tub, and it's strange but... you're exactly how I imagined."

It was my turn to blush, and I bit my lower lip as I switched my gaze to the flames. "Oh."

I had no idea how to respond. Should I have said how he flattered me? Tell him he was my type, too? The tall, tenebrous but tender type, the hot nerd style, the easy-to-blend-in but with a tremendous personality kind of guy that I went for?

If only I wasn't so opposed to relationships. If only I'd met him at a different time, in a different stage of my healing, in another place than this hot springs cloaked in rumors about disappearances.

As I opened my mouth to attempt to formulate a sentence, I yawned. "Oh—" I covered my mouth, "—sorry, that was rude." My head pounded—from dehydration and lack of food and too much alcohol, I was sure—and I rubbed my right temple.

"No, it wasn't." He squeezed my hand and stood up as he moved before me. He reached out, offering to help me up. "You're tired, and here I am freaking you out with my weirdness. Let me take you to your tent, milady."

I smirked at his kindness, and bid goodnight to everyone. Jenny winked at me and plunged back into her half-drugged, half-drunken stupor. I blew her a kiss. And I warned Millie to be careful—to which she hiccupped and guzzled down more booze—and Jay told Rob to behave himself.

We weren't going far; my tent was less than a dozen feet away, but I'd set up the entrance facing the springs in the distance. I hadn't meant to, but then I imagined the sights I'd be privy to when I woke in the morning. The sunrise, the birds soaring on the horizon, the mountain-tops greeting me as I exited my tent—those were the best parts of waking up in the middle of nowhere.

I held on to those images as we arrived in front of the zipper and both of us swiveled towards said springs, sighing in tandem.

"What a night," he said, his arm touching mine. His fingers fidgeted near mine, and for a moment I wondered if he was going to take hold of them again, like earlier.