Braden decided to crash at my place after our night out. We decided to take my car back—Eloise drove as the designated driver—and pick his up in the morning.

“Are you sure you want to stay over?” I asked for what seemed like the millionth time. Eloise groaned behind me muttering something under her breath about how I was ‘so annoying’.

“Yes, I promise you that I do.” Braden covered my hand with his. “Are you sure that you want me to? Because I can take a cab home and figure out my car tomorrow.”

“I do want you here.” I bit my lip. “It’s just that, well, we haven’t exactly talked sleeping arrangements.”

Braden grinned. “Usually I wait until we’ve got a few glasses of wine in me first.”

I whacked him playfully as we fell beside each other on the couch. “Braden, I’m serious. This is the first time you’re staying over.”

He pulled me into his lap. “Are you worried about what might happen between us?” He brushed his fingers lightly down my arm, sending tingles down my spine.

“Kinda.” My words came out so quietly, I wasn’t sure I’d actually spoken.

“You know, I’m perfectly happy sleeping on the couch,” she said.

Eloise walked across the room and snorted as she caught my gaze. “Yeah, because you’re not De—”

I narrowed my eyes at her and she snapped her mouth shut. Then catching Braden’s frown, I said, “Just my sister being my sister. Ok, so the couch. Lucky for you it doubles as a bed.”

He kissed me. “Even if it didn’t, I would be fine. I don’t want to make you do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

“This’ll be fine.” I stroked my fingers over the stubble across his jawline. “Let me go get you something to wear.” I peeled myself out of his embrace and went to find a pair of old sweatpants.

Braden followed behind. “You have something that’ll fit me? I mean I’d get it if you don’t want me sleeping in my boxers, I’m happy to stay in my jeans.”

Eloise mouthed the word ‘boxers’ really obnoxiously across the room, and I resisted the urge to throw a pillow at her. I hadn’t even been thinking about that, and now I couldn’t get the potential image out of my mind.

“You know I don’t think I’ve ever seen your room before,” Braden mused as I fumbled around in the open closet to find him something to wear.

“There’s never been a reason for you to see it before now.” My cheeks flushed as I realized the implications of what I’d just said. “I-I mean, it’s not really something—”

“Relax, Ames. I’m just messing with you,” he said, flashing me a grin.

Luckily, I’d found what I was looking for: an old pair of sweats that Dex once left at my old house. I’d brought them with me to the apartment so he’d have a spare change of clothes whenever he came to visit, but they’d come in handy now for a sleepover that made my stomach flip-flop. “Bathroom is right through there,” I said, pointing. There’s another door connecting from the hall so make sure you lock both. And then, um, if you can go out through the hall door, I’m gonna get changed too.”

Braden nodded, taking the sweatpants from me and locking the bathroom door. I quickly stripped out of my party clothes and threw on an oversized shirt with a pair of spandex shorts underneath. Then I ventured out to the living room to set up the bed for Braden.

Eloise sauntered into the room, pretending to hide but failing. “Him staying over is a big step,” she commented.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I know. But I really like him, and we’ve both had a lot to drink tonight so it’s for the best that he’s out here.”

She didn’t even complain about being the DD for the night like I would’ve expected. “You deserve the win, babe. Go get it. Even if nothing happens tonight. And I know I like to tease you, but Braden really is a special guy.”

“Thanks, El.” I hugged her, the first hug we’d shared in a long time. She was my best friend, the type of friend I got lucky to have.”

Braden cleared his throat as he reappeared wearing the sweats. He ran a hand through his hair. “Hey. Figured I’d keep the shirt on at least until I go to sleep.” He glanced at Eloise

“Oh, don’t keep it on my account,” Eloise said. She winked at me. “I’ll be in my room.”

Then suddenly we were alone again and my heart started to panic.

Braden’s gaze drew over my face and down to where the hem of my shirt flirted with my knees. “Cute.”

“Hey!” I flicked his arm. “I’m wearing shorts underneath, doofus.” I lifted the hem and the black fabric peeked out.

His eyes darkened with desire as he stepped closer, brushing my hair over my shoulder. His finger lingered on the skin of my collarbone.

Our bodies teased the chance to touch. My hands reached out to clasp our fingers together.

His mouth inched closer.

“You want anything more to drink?” I asked, backing away and heading to the kitchen to get myself a soda. Two could play at this game. He’d done the same thing to me the first night I came over to his place.

“I’ll take a cola if you have one.”

I got us each a drink then headed back to the sofa where Braden had already setted in on top of the blankets.

“So there’s actually another reason why I came over tonight,” Braden said, taking a swig of his drink.

“What’s that?”

He stretched an arm out over the back of the couch. “There’s this outdoor camping retreat happening soon and I wanted to know if maybe you’d go with me.”

“Oh, wow.” It was a big ask and I wasn’t usually one for the outdoors. But it was also a chance to spend more time with him.

“None of the folks who are going have connections to the school,” he continued. “So no one should get any sort of idea about you and me. If anyone asks, we can say we met at that bar.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, like they’re gonna believe we’re just friends when we tell them we met at a bar. But I do see your point.”

“We can come up with a different story if you want,” he said. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable if you decide to come with me, so I figured as close to the truth as possible would be best. I also know the group pretty well—they know my situation and they know not to pry.”

“I appreciate that.” I picked at a spot of lint on the blankets and my gaze traveled over to the coffee table which was still covered in scattered papers from my classroom. “I’d love to go with you, I think it would be a fun chance for us to do something away from people who know the two of us if that makes sense.”

Braden nodded. “I know right now we still have to look over our shoulders when we hang out outside of your place or mine.”

“Yeah. So for this camping retreat, is it like tents or cabins?” I asked, snuggling into his embrace.

“Tents. I have everything we’ll need,” he replied. “There’s a lake too, so bring whatever you would for that and we’ll be hiking a bit so make sure you have good shoes.”

“Sounds like you’ve done this before.”

Braden ran a hand across the stubble on his jaw. “Linda was never really one for camping, so I usually go alone to be with my friends. But it’s more fun with someone who I care about by my side. A whole weekend in the woods with games and twenty-somethings just getting away from reality.”

“Oh, that’s another thing—is this just a bunch of your guy friends?” I wasn’t too thrilled about spending a whole weekend in a sea of testosterone.

He shook his head. “No, it’ll be a decent mix. And with that said, I’ll bring my extra tent so you can have your own.”

I swallowed. Right, my own tent. We couldn’t share because we weren’t really together. We didn’t want to give people the wrong idea.

The wrong idea that would’ve felt so right.

“Unless you’d want to share.” The words came crashing down around me, breaking the fantasy.

“N-no, a separate tent will be fine. It’ll be nice to get away. It’s been a while since I had time to sort of forget reality, you know?”

Braden nodded. “Absolutely. And Linda will have Lucy the whole weekend so we don’t have to worry about any of that.”

“That’s good.” I bit my lip. “Screw it, you know what? I’m in.”