Page 86 of Serpent In White

I grin, and Pete smiles back, though his wary eyes stay on my brother for a moment. Drake releases the gun and does this subtle nod that I can tell means,I guess you can sit.

Pete takes off his backpack, sitting down on a stump by the fire. “Thanks. I really appreciate it. Like I said, I’ve been out here for a bit, and I haven’t seen anyone else. Which is kind of the whole reason I came out here in the first place, I suppose.”

“Us, too,” I tell him, shaking my burnt-to-hell black blob into the fire and grabbing a new marshmallow out of the bag, stuffing it onto the stick and handing it to Pete. “We came out here to get away from all the bullshit, but it’s definitely cool to meet a fellow camper.”

Pete chuckles, taking the stick and aiming the marshmallow into the fire. I feel Drake shifting farther away from me, and I peer at him for a moment, wondering what exactly his issue is all of a sudden.

“How long have you guys been out here?” Pete asks, sounding friendly, rather than prying. Still, I’m hesitant to give away details of our lives or situation. We don’t know this guy.

“It’s been a while,” I say through a kind smile, while still conveying the need for privacy.

“Well, I’m jealous of that trailer. The thing looks awesome.” He observes our home. “All I’ve got is a one-person tent.”

“Trust me, that was us until only a few months ago. The trailer was a necessity, though. Working plumbing and shower? Yes, please.”

Pete laughs. “Yea, bathing in the lake is cool for a while, but I can’t imagine it in winter.”

“It sucks,” Drake rumbles, leaning forward with his curious eyes on our new friend. “The winters out here are brutal.”

Pete swallows, visibly intimidated by my brother. “I bet.”

The conversation keeps going from there. Pete tells us about him, how he was a lawyer in LA and when he found out his wife was cheating on him with his brother, he sold his practice, his house, and all his earthly possessions, and decided to come up to Washington to hike the mountains and do some soul-searching. He seems like a good guy. He’s older than us, though it doesn’t necessarily seem it. Drake just turned eighteen, and my birthday is next month, whereas Pete is twenty-eight.

But age is just a number. Drake and I have seen enough shit in our lives, been through unparalleled horrors which have given us the kind of wisdom only life experiences can provide. So we’re getting on just fine with this older dude.

We agree to let Pete camp on our land, and he sets up his tent about a quarter-mile north from our trailer, closer to the mountain. Drake went inside before we did, so by the time the fire is out and I’m heading in, I expect him to be asleep. But when I get inside the trailer, I find him by the window, staring out in the direction of Pete’s tent.

I sigh, audibly, to make sure he knows he’s being ridiculous. “Why are you so paranoid?”

He aims his snake eyes at me, and I want to tell him that shit doesn’t scare me like it does other people. “I’m not paranoid, Darian. I’m being smart. We don’t know this asshole. Outsiders can’t be trusted.”

“Outsiders?” I grin, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Yea.” He glares. “People from society.” He lets out a breath and blinks hard, standing up and inching to me, placing his hands on my waist.

Insecurities take over, and my eyes fall to the floor between us. “You didn’t want to touch me in front of him…”

His slips his fingers under my chin, lifting my gaze back up to his. “We don’t know him, baby. I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I just…” he trails off and shakes his head. Speechless and sincerely confounded. I know the feeling.

It’s easy for us to play pretend out here in the woods, when we’re all alone. We can act like whatever we’re doing is fine. But when strangers come in, it doesn’t necessarily feel fine. And the thing is, I can’t tell if I would rather give up humans for Drake, or if that’s stupid.

People are a resource; humanity is civilization and vice versa.

Drake is happy with me now, but in two more years? Five, ten, thirty? I can’t make him stay out here, just him and me, forever. He needs more. He deserves better.

“I get it.” I nod, pulling him into me, wrapping my arms around his neck, hugging onto him hard.

His arms slink around my waist and he holds me harder, kissing my hair.

“I love you, Drake,” I murmur, and I feel him shudder. “I think we should let Pete stay. I think if we meet more people along the way, like Chet or anyone else… I think we should take them in, too. We can take in strays because we’re strong. And it’s the right thing to do.”

He’s still for a while, just breathing while we hold each other, his lips lingering by my neck while he stays in his thoughts.

And I wish, so badly, that I could hear them.

Dinner will be served soon, but I can’t even think about that right now.

I need a fucking drink.