Chapter 47

The next morning, I woke before the sun with Raquel’s warmth curled against my side and her soft hair splayed out across my arm. I hadn’t even opened my eyes yet, but I was already smiling. Last night had surpassed even my wildest fantasies, the only problem being that I hadn’t had nearly enough.

As it was, however, I couldn’t exactly stay. I was supposed to have walked her back to the cabin and then returned to the campsite, to sleep in my actual tent. Since I hadn’t done that, my best shot was to creep back in before the rest woke up—and then pretend to have been there all along.

While I didn’t mind who knew what, this wasn’t my town and they weren’t my people. All of which meant that it wasn’t my decision.

Even so, as I cracked open my eyes and saw Raquel still fast asleep beside me, I didn’t move immediately. For once, she was completely unaware that I was staring at her like an idiot, so I kept at it for a minute, just tracing the sweep of eyelashes.

Fucking hell, Theo. Stop. Just move.

I tried swatting the thought away, but when that didn’t work, I forced myself out of bed before I did something embarrassing.Like happily watch her sleep for the next three hours. The cabin floor creaked under my feet when I swung my legs out of the bed, but she didn’t stir, just letting out a soft, sleepy sound and burrowing into what had been my pillow.

It took some doing to convince myself to keep moving, but soon, I was dressed and I’d started the little coffee machine in the kitchenette for her. I already hated having to sneak out. The least I could do was leave behind some kind of gesture to say I wasn’t doing it because last night hadn’t meant anything to me.

The truth was that if I hadn’t been a little worried that Avery had noticed I hadn’t gone back to the campsite, I’d have stayed right here for the rest of the weekend. Moving quietly over to the door, I cracked it open but then glanced back at her one last time, wishing to everything that had ever been holy that I could stay.

Finally though, common sense won the war I was waging internally and I headed back, crossing the distance to the campsite in less than a quarter of the time it’d taken me last night. The morning air was cool compared to yesterday’s heat, birds chirping near the shore, and the lake reflecting the rising sun like the water was a mirror.

It was quiet and peaceful out here so early, which made me hope I was the first of our group stupid enough to be up—and desperate enough to avoid detection. When I reached our campsite, it looked abandoned, the tents quiet beneath the trees and last night’s coolers still scattered around the fire pit.

Hopefully, they’d keep sleeping off their bad decisions and I could slip in without anyone being the wiser. I drew in a deep breath, but just as I started crossing the site toward my tent, a voice spoke up behind me.

“Morning, Romeo.”

Damn it.

I looked down toward the dock, my heart sinking when I sawAverystanding beside the boat, tightening a strap on its canopy.

Fuck, of course he’d be the one awake.

“Morning,” I said, wondering if there was any chance I could convince him I’d simply gone for an early morning piss.

Yeah, wearing last night’s clothes. Great plan, Westwood.

One of his eyebrows swept up as he grinned. “That’s all I get? Just amorning?”

I sighed, accepting the reality that I was now facing the older brother of the girl I’d slept with last night—and that he probably knew it. “What exactly are you fishing for here, Avery? My good morning not enthusiastic enough for ya?”

“Nah, it was enthusiastic enough, but maybe I’m also interested in the truth.”

“Are you sure about that?” I asked point blank, carefully gauging the situation.

“Yeah.” He was either going to start swinging or drown me. Or maybe, somehow, he would be okay with it. He seemed more curious than upset, like he was just making sure his sister was alright.

I rubbed the stubble on my jaw. “In my experience, people who say they want the truth don’t always really know what they’re asking.”

He chuckled, motioning me over as he sat down on the edge of the dock. “You went home with my sister. I know exactly what I’m asking.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose but went over and sat beside him. My feet skimmed the cool water as I lowered them over the side. “It sounds significantly worse when you say it like that.”

“I said it exactly how it happened.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s fair.” I still wasn’t entirely sure how this conversation was going to go, though. Big brothers could be unpredictable creatures. I knew that because I was one.

One wrong answer and a guy might find himself buried in the desert. God knew, I’d considered it when Dad had pitched a quasi-royal asshole to marry my little sister.Dick.

Alex and Nate had done most of the heavy hitting in that scenario, but as soon as I’d found out what was going on, I’d seriously considered purchasing a shovel. Avery, on the other hand, didn’t seem pissed.

If anything, it looked like he was oddly happy about the idea that his sister and me might be an item. I leaned back on my palms, studying him carefully.