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“It’s nonalcoholic,” Cameron muses with a chuckle. “Apparently, they don’t keep alcohol around here.”
“Makes sense.” I laugh, my heart pounding in my chest. I carefully take a seat beside him, taking in the view of the mountains and the setting sun as he lays out the picnic items. “This is really nice.”
“Yeah? I thought this might be better than another dinner stuck in the lodge with all the others.” He gives me a smile that makes my body feel like Jell-O.
And suddenly, I forget why getting close to him is such a bad idea.
Chapter Eighteen
Cameron
“It’s not bad.” Nila giggles as she sips on the non-alcoholic wine. I had to basically beg for it, but thankfully, Tina agreed since she felt bad the facility didn’t have an available air mattress…
Which I’m not even mad about.
“Did you have a good day?” Nila’s voice pulls me from my thoughts. “You guys were out all day.”
“It wasn’t too bad,” I admit with a shrug, finishing up the last bite of my sandwich. “The obstacle course took forever, and you’d be surprised by how many people got pretty freaking angry during it.”
“Did you?”
I shake my head. “No, my only frustration is that I’m missing the game today. I have no way of knowing how it’s going for them either.”
“Oh right.” Nila sighs. “That sucks. Is the Wi-Fi window already over?”
I nod. “But it’s okay. I’ll catch up with everyone tomorrow. What did you do today?”
“Oh you know … just wasted the entire day on my phone. It’s like I was deprived of the internet, and when given the chance, I just got lost in it—mindlessly scrolling and checking work emails.” She gives me a lopsided smile—but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
“Yeah? Did you catch up with anyone?”
Like your ex-boyfriend.
Her smile fades. “No. I don’t really have a lot of close friends.”
“Why not?” I ask without thinking.
She hesitates, her eyes dropping to her glass of wine for a few long moments of silence. I almost apologize for pressing, but then she looks back up at me. “After my gran passed away, I kind of isolated myself.”
“Ah, yeah, grief can do that to a person,” I offer quietly, not wanting to push her too far.
“Yes. Grief is the worst. When she passed, it felt like a piece of my heart had been ripped out, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t fill that void. So, I threw myself into work and distanced myself from everyone else. It was easier that way, or so I thought.”
“What about your parents?”
“I don’t really have parents…” Nila answers softly, her gaze fixed on a distant point as she finishes up her meal.
I nod but keep my mouth shut, giving her the opportunity to say more if she wants to. I don’t want to pressure her into talking to me. I’m happy to just be around her, and as terrifying as that realization is...
I’m starting to be okay with these feelings.
“My mom wasn’t really a part of my life growing up,” Nila begins, letting out a sigh. “She struggled with substance abuse issues and got pregnant with me at nineteen. We never learned who my father was.”
She eyes me like I might judge her for her messy family history.
I reach out and take her hand, squeezing it. “That must’ve been tough.”
Her face softens and she doesn’t pull away from me. “It ... it was. My gran made up for it though. She raised me like her own, even after my grandpa passed away. She did her best to keep me in touch with my mom, too, but ... she was unreliable.”
