Page 30 of Into the Mountains (Blue Grove Mountain #3)

She maneuvers around the rocks off to the side until the music fades away enough that I can’t understand the lyrics, but can still hear the base echoing on the island.

There’s a hidden dock on the other side that could only be found if someone had previous knowledge of it and with the ease that Charlotte pulls next to it and ties off the boat, I’d say she’s one with previous knowledge.

“You comin’?” She asks from the dock and I realize I’ve just been standing on the boat staring at her in awe. Grabbing the cooler, I make my way to her, my feet making a wet slap onto the dock as I land.

“How do you know about this place?”

“I explored a lot when my dad gave me free rein to use the boat by myself.”

“He let you do that?”

She hits me with a deadpan expression. “How do you think we are out here right now, Elias? I’m not one to take something like that of my parents’ without their permission. That’s not me.”

“Right, sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that you would.” I feel stupid now and I wish my brain would catch up with my mouth sometimes.

“It’s fine. I’m just giving you a hard time.”

“Should have known that.” And I should have. This form of relationship may be completely different between us, but this is still Charlotte Monroe. The one who never ever stopped challenging me. I find myself smiling at her, because I don’t think I ever want her to stop.

“Anyway, I know the other side of the island was always used for partying on the beach, so I figured maybe the other side would be vacant. And I was right.”

We’re off the dock now and are walking on a much smaller beach than the other side. Definitely not one that would be usable for parties. “I feel like you’re taking me back here to kill me or something.”

“Don’t worry, if I were to do that, the people over there would probably hear you scream. Or there’s a chance their music might be too loud or they’re just too plain drunk and I’d totally get away with it.”

She says this in a tone that lets me know she’s joking, however, there’s still a part of me that is very happy I’m on her good side now.

Suddenly, she’s the one screaming, backing up. I almost do the same until I see what has her so spooked.

“Did that bird really just make you scream like you were being chased by a murderer?”

“Elias, if there is anything you learn about me tonight, let it be that I am horrifically terrified of birds, okay? I don’t like them. I don’t want them near me,” she says so seriously, I don’t even try to pull out another joke.

“Okay, let’s go.” I grab her hand and make sure I scan in front of her for any more foes.

We walk to the other side of the beach where there’s a huge wall of rocks, but at the bottom of it, there’s an opening to a cave.

It’s not completely dark though. There must be an opening at the top, because the faded light from the setting sun leaks in, brightening up the small space.

The cave is spacious, but it also looks cozy.

Off to the side, there’s a small pool of water that looks deep enough to sit in and wide enough to swim circles around the edge.

“This is really cool.”

“Isn’t it?” Her voice filled with excitement. “No one else knows about this place. That I know of at least. I come here when I can. I just need peace sometimes and this is the one place I’m able to truly get it. Even if there are party goers on the other side acting like idiots.”

She starts laying out the blanket she brought and unpacking the cooler. “It’s weird, I know. Me hanging out by myself in a dusty little cave with no one else around. The weird girl continues to be weird.”

“You’re not weird.”

Her eyes find mine as she looks up at me from her crouched position on the cave floor, laying out the food. “You don’t think I’m weird?”

“Even if you were weird, what’s so wrong with being weird?”

“I’m sure your jock buddies would be more than happy to answer that question.”

“My jock buddies?”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have brought that up.

It’s just, all my life, I’ve been told being weird is wrong.

It’s bad. The only thing I should be is pretty and popular and if I’m anything else other than a tall blonde, cheerleader, or jock, then I’m failing.

Newsflash, I’m not blonde, I’m not that tall, and I’m horrible at sports. ”

“I’m not sure what to say.”

“You never were and that’s okay. You never had to deal with this kind of stuff in high school. You were the pretty boy jock and you were smart.”

“Not everyone thought I was smart. But that’s beside the point. If you’re weird, then I’ll be weird with you. I like you, Charlotte. A lot. I had a crush on you in high school and I just thought you hated me so I never went for it.”

“You what?”

“I had a crush on you.”

“You did?”

“Of course I did. Why do you think I joined everything you were in?”

“To…I don’t know, to try to beat me? To prove you were better?”

I tip my head to the side. “Well, yes those came with the territory, but I mostly did it because I had a serious crush on you and for some insane reason, I thought being near you and working against you would somehow get me close enough to become a friend and then be able to ask you out. But you just seemed to loathe me so much, so I never did.”

Silence stretches between us before she decides on what to say, her mouth opening and closing.

“I…” she starts. Standing up, she begins walking around the cave, leaving puffs of dirt in her wake.

“I never knew how to act around you. You were the big time sports guy. Loved by everyone. You had all the friends and all the girls wanted you. And when you started coming around me and talking to me of all people, I thought it was some sort of dare or prank to humiliate me.”

My brain short circuits on the word dare and I remember the whole reason I am even here with her now.

No, that was the first date. This one is all on my own.

My friends didn’t create a dating profile and swipe right for this one.

But I think coming clean is still the right thing to do.

And then I imagine her face when she realizes the reason I ended up on that first date.

She’s rambling on now about how she was so afraid my friendship back then was formed on a dare and here I am doing exactly that. It would crush her.

“It was never that,” I explain. “I was just trying to see if maybe you liked me back. But it didn’t seem like you did.”

“I did,” she says so quietly I almost don’t hear her.

“Then it seems we both read each other completely wrong.” I step around the blanket, heading in her direction. She mirrors me and we come to a stop in front of each other.

“I can’t believe you, of all people, liked me.”

“Why does that sound so hard to believe?”

“Because I was the weird nerd girl.”

“So what? Did you ever notice I never dated in high school? I never wanted to, because the only person I was ever interested in was you.”

“I find that extremely hard to believe. I remember girls practically fainting in front of you to get your attention.”

“They never had a chance in hell, red.” I push her hair back, threading my fingers through her hair.

She places one of her hands on my chest, the other resting on my hip.

The pull is mutual as our lips meet and we both inhale sharply.

Immediately, the hand on my chest goes to the back of my neck and into my hair.

And suddenly our hands are everywhere. Our admissions of past feelings fuel the small flame that has awakened between us and even though this is only our second date, this feels like something that has been a long time coming.