Bab 17: Revelations in the Summer Heat
Chapter 17:
The next morning, Emily woke to the faint sound of laughter outside her cabin window. The summer hiking trip had brought the group closer, but after yesterday's mishap, she felt oddly distant from everyone except Max.
She stretched, wincing slightly as her ankle throbbed, though the swelling had gone down thanks to Sarah's insistence on elevating and icing it. The memory of Max's confession lingered in her mind, warm and bittersweet, like the golden glow of the morning sun.
"Morning, invalid!" Sarah called as she barged into the room, carrying a tray with toast, fruit, and orange juice.
Emily raised an eyebrow. "Wow, breakfast in bed? Did I hit my head, too?"
Sarah smirked, placing the tray on Emily's lap. "Don't get used to it. I'm only being nice because you're temporarily incapable of joining me on today's hike."
Emily laughed. "Thanks, I guess."
"So..." Sarah perched on the edge of the bed, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "You and Max had a moment yesterday, didn't you?"
Emily hesitated, her cheeks heating. "Maybe."
Sarah gasped, grabbing a pillow and hitting Emily lightly. "Spill! What did he say? What did you say?"
"He said he likes me," Emily admitted softly. "And I told him I like him too."
Sarah clutched her chest dramatically. "Finally! I've been waiting for this day. Please tell me you're going to stop tiptoeing around each other now."
Emily shrugged, though her smile betrayed her excitement. "We're taking it slow. There's still a lot to figure out."
"Fair enough," Sarah said, standing. "But don't let him backtrack, okay? He's got this broody, self-sabotage thing going on, and I won't stand for it."
Emily chuckled. "Noted."
---
A Quiet Afternoon
With Sarah and Alex off on another hike, Emily found herself alone with her thoughts. She sat on the cabin porch, her injured ankle propped up on a cushion, a book resting on her lap.
The sound of footsteps on the wooden steps made her look up. Max stood there, a small paper bag in his hand.
"Hey," he said, his voice soft. "Thought you might want some company."
Emily smiled, gesturing to the empty chair beside her. "Sure. What's in the bag?"
He pulled out a bottle of iced coffee and a small container of pastries. "Figured you'd be missing out on the fancy café stuff."
"You're spoiling me," she teased, though the gesture warmed her heart.
"Consider it an apology for being emotionally unavailable for the past few months," Max said, his tone light but his eyes serious.
Emily took the coffee he offered, shaking her head. "You don't have to keep apologizing, Max. We're here now, aren't we?"
"Yeah," he said, his gaze lingering on her. "We are."
---
A Shift in the Air
As the day wore on, the group gathered around the campfire, the warm glow casting flickering shadows on their faces. Emily sat with her foot elevated on a log, Max beside her as Sarah and Alex debated the best way to toast marshmallows.
"Golden brown," Sarah declared, holding her marshmallow triumphantly.
Alex scoffed. "Nah, you have to let it catch fire. That's the only way it tastes good."
"You're both wrong," Max chimed in. "The trick is to rotate it just fast enough so it doesn't burn but slow enough to caramelize evenly."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Of course, you'd have a scientific approach to marshmallows."
As the banter continued, Emily leaned back, her eyes drifting up to the stars. The peacefulness of the moment was interrupted by a soft nudge on her shoulder. She turned to see Max holding out a perfectly toasted marshmallow on a stick.
"For you," he said, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Thanks," she said, accepting it. Their fingers brushed briefly, sending a jolt through her that she tried to ignore.
"Have you ever seen the Milky Way like this?" he asked, his voice low as he leaned closer.
Emily shook her head. "Not this clearly. It's… breathtaking."
Max looked at her, his gaze lingering. "Yeah, it is."
She felt her cheeks heat but didn't pull away.
---
Sarah's Observation
Later that night, as they were all retreating to their cabins, Sarah grabbed Emily's arm, pulling her aside.
"So," she whispered, her eyes darting toward Max, who was walking a few steps ahead. "What's going on with you two? I saw that little marshmallow moment."
Emily rolled her eyes. "It was just a marshmallow, Sarah."
"Right. And I'm just a casual observer," Sarah quipped. "You can't fool me, Em. Something's happening."
"Maybe," Emily admitted.
Sarah grinned. "Good. He makes you happy. You deserve that."
---
A Sleepless Night
Later, as Emily lay in bed, she couldn't shake the feeling of Max's presence beside her at the fire, the way he'd looked at her under the stars. Her thoughts drifted to his confession the day before and how he'd stepped up to take care of her when she needed him most.
She wasn't sure where this was going, but for the first time in a long time, she felt ready to find out.
---
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