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“Eager much?” Their voice sounded through the speaker.

With a shrug, I answered, “Maybe.”

There was a pause as Cleo thought for a moment. Even through the phone, I could hear them trying to calm their smile. “We should talk more about this.”

“Agreed. When?” I tried not to sound panicked or nervous, clenching my jaw as I waited for their response.

Cleo thought for a moment. “Can you meet me at Bear Mountain in an hour?”

“Yes.” The words left my mouth before I could think about it too hard.

“Cool, see you then.” Before waiting for my reply, Cleo hung up the phone.

I swallowed hard as I lowered the phone. Looking down at my clothes, I realized I needed to change.

Hustling inside, I ran to the guest room where my suitcase was sprawled open on the floor. A volcano of clothes spilled out onto the hardwood.

The loose, green sweatpants I already had on might be okay for a short hike but my shirt was an old, boxy t-shirt from college; one I’d picked up from a club fair for free and never tossed.

I hunted for a sports bra, still zipped away with the rest of my delicates. I’d been wearing boxers for weeks, not bothering to wear any of the sexier panties I had in my suitcase.

I pulled out the black bra and slipped it on. Looking in the mirror, I shrugged. It was kind of a shame I couldn’t just wear this because I looked kind of good. The sweatpants were casualbut showed off my ass and the sports bra was sporty but would give Cleo a peek.

But that wasn’t what this was about. This was about making things right, with Cleo and my career.

Shaking the thought, I grabbed a flannel and buttoned it halfway up.I don’t need to be a prude.

Once I was dressed, I grabbed my car keys and headed for the kitchen. I took a water bottle from the fridge on my way to the front door, locking it behind me.

In my car, I rolled down the windows and tossed my hair up into a bun. It wasn’t a long drive to Bear Mountain but if I knew anything about Cleo, they would be early and annoyed if I was on time.

I started the car and made my way out of New Winford’s small suburbs and into the mountain. My Benz, although nice, was not built for the curvy, steep roads of the ridge. But she made it up anyway.

The sun was streaming in through my windows, making it impossible to notice just how lovely of a day it was.

By the time I was turning down the gravel path toward the Bear Mountain parking lot, I was about fifteen minutes early. As the nearly empty lot came into view, I spotted an older Corolla with a familiar figure leaning against its hood.

My throat tightened at the sight of Cleo. They were in most ways entirely the same. But looking at them from this distance, I could see their age. When I blinked, I could see the years passing before me. They turned from a twenty-three-year-old still figuring it out into a grown adult with a path forward.

I felt my chest tighten at the loss. But I shook off the feeling as I parked next to their car.

As soon as I turned off the ignition and hopped out, Cleo rolled their eyes. “When did you become punctual?”

Before I could think about the words, I quipped, “When I realized you thought it was a competition.”

I rounded the back of my car, standing just a few feet from them now. We both stood there, frozen. A part of me wanted to hug them, to wrap my arms around their body and feel their warmth. Another – maybe larger – part knew that I couldn’t ever do that again if I ever wanted to leave New Winford and go back to my career.

“Ready?” Cleo asked as they swallowed their nerves.

With a nod, I walked toward the trailhead where a rusted gate stopped cars and ATVs from driving down the dirt path.

I buried my hands in my pockets as we walked in silence. A gentle breeze blew through the trees, the change to fall really beginning to set in now. A part of me thought the quiet between us should have felt more strange.

But there was a warmth in it that I had forgotten about.

Clearing my throat, I killed it. “So, what’s new?”

Cleo rolled their eyes, trying not to laugh at my timing.