Page 41 of Not Until I Found You

“You’re doing good so far.”

“So far,” I repeat, but I catch the way his eyes linger before he turns back around.

The trail winds tighter now, and a bird calls somewhere above us, its cry echoing through the trees. I pause, tilting my head to listen, and Zane stops a few steps ahead to glance back at me.

“You hear that?” I ask.

He nods once. “Red-tailed hawk.”

I look at him, surprised. “You just know that?”

He shrugs like it’s nothing. “I grew up out here. I’ve picked up a few things.”

“That’s cool.”

We share a smile as we keep walking, and I gesture toward a cluster of green leaves near the trail.

“That’s plantain. It’s good for bug bites.”

He glances down then back at me. “Do you always spout off random plant facts?”

I smile sheepishly. “Only when I’m trying to impress someone.”

That gets a chuckle out of him.

“Is it working so far?” I ask.

His gaze flicks to mine. “Maybe.”

It’s only one word, but the way Zane says it has the air zinging with energy, causing my heart to pump completely out of rhythm.

Finally, the trees open up, revealing a glistening blueish-green lake. The sunlight glitters across the surface, scattering rainbow hues back at us like a disco ball. Dragonflies skim over the water’s surface, and the faint croak of frogs punctuates the quiet. I take a breath, letting the fresh air fill my lungs, and for a moment, all of the chaos inside me stills.

We stand at the lake’s edge, our shadows stretching long behind us, soaking in the calm. Even though it’s nearing sunset, there’s a sunrise happening inside me, peeking over the horizon of my soul, lighting up all the dark spots.

“Wow,” I breathe out, taking in every inch of this moment.

“Yeah,” Zane replies softly beside me.

I look up at him, admiring the way the sunlight hits his face, igniting flecks of gold within his hazel eyes until they bleed into a greenish-amber color. As if I needed another reminder of how handsome he is. I’ve been noticing that since the day we met, even though I’ve been trying to ignore it.

My heart’s still tender from being broken. Acting on this attraction wouldn’t be fair to either of us. Even so, I can’t deny the piece of my soul that naturally gravitates toward his.

It’s a little secret I tuck into my heart.

Maybe I can shape this magnetism into a friendship. I’m not sure if he’d want that. After all, I’m his best friend’s little sister, who’s still fumbling to figure out her life. What kind of friend could I possibly be right now?

“You’re staring at me.”

The words make me jump, as if I were caught red-handed. His eyes are closed, his face soaking in the sunlight, and there’s a smirk teasing the corner of his mouth.

“I am,” I admit, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

He opens his eyes and peers down at me, amusement swimming within his irises. “Everything okay up there?” He repeats my words from earlier.

“Yeah. This hike was exactly what I needed.”

Zane gestures for me to follow him, and he leads us toward a small picnic table I hadn’t noticed before. We sit, Sven plopping down on the ground beneath the table, and Zane digs into his pack, pulling out two protein bars.