Page 41 of Not Just Gal Pals

“Like that.”

“May I remind you that two weeks ago, you gifted me a lovely, pink vibrator? Perhaps things haven’t changed as much as you think.” Blake grinned before leaning in to kiss me again, this time with a hint of tongue.

As much as I was enjoying the kiss, I couldn’t help responding. “Oh, really? Well, first of all, that vibrator was for Amanda. Not you.”

“Ouch.” Blake pouted.

“And second, until very recently, I thought you hated me. So, I would say that a lot has changed since then.”

Blake’s eyes widened. “Hated you? I thought you didn’t like me, but I never hated you. You always... Well, I always felt super awkward around you, but I never hated you.”

Her words took a few moments to sink in. When they did, I did a double-take. Blake Mitchell felt awkward around me? That was...unexpected.

“Why did you get awkward around me?”

Blake’s gaze increased in intensity. “Why do you think?”

The world suddenly felt off kilter as I reassessed our previous interactions in light of this new information. All those times I thought Blake was standoffish or abrupt with me, she was actually just awkward because she liked me?

“Do you still feel awkward around me?”

“Well, I haven’t today. I think... I think the more I get to know you, the more comfortable I feel.”

“I’m glad to hear. Well, I think you should lie back and get even more comfortable.” I leaned forward, pushing Blake gently down on the picnic blanket and straddling her before bending down to kiss her again.

* * *

It was only when Blake flipped me onto my back and I happened to look up at the sky during a short breather from our very enjoyable make-out session that I noticed the clouds were closing in.

“Um, do you know what the time is? I didn’t think it was meant to rain today, but the sky is looking a little threatening.”

“Is this like the raindrop from the other night, or are you being serious?” Blake grinned at me.

I rolled my eyes. “I was serious then, and I’m being serious now.”

Blake looked up at the sky, and her grin disappeared. “Okay. That doesn’t look good.” She looked at the smartwatch on her wrist. “My watch says there’s a 50% chance of rain. And somehow, it’s already after two. We should probably get moving.”

We readjusted our clothes and packed up the picnic. Before long, we were heading back down the mountain.

Halfway down, it started to rain. My sneakers were well-worn and had lost their grip. Their condition, combined with the rain, forced me to slow my pace as I navigated the rocky terrain. It took all my focus to keep my balance. Blake stopped to help me down the larger boulders, adjusting her pace to suit mine. I felt bad I was slowing her down.

“Just a second.” Blake spotted something just off the track. She walked over to it, and picked up a tall, sturdy stick.

“I’m sorry. I should have warned you about how rocky it is. Would this help?” Blake held out the stick, which I grasped gratefully.

We’d almost reached the end of the trail when the sky opened up, pelting us with rain. My feet squelched in my shoes, and the jacket I’d put on was not waterproof. The ground had flattened out, so I started jogging, hoping to get back to the car before I got completely drenched.

“How are you doing? We’re almost there!” Blake yelled.

“Yep, just a bit we—”

My stomach flew into my chest as my left foot slipped on a rock. My ankle twisted, and I lost my balance. I stuck out the stick, hoping it would support me, but it hit another wet rock and slid off.

For a sickening moment, I was falling, and then I hit the ground.

I struggled to sit up, registering the thick mud covering most of my front and a shooting pain in my ankle.

“Shit! Are you okay?” Blake rushed over to me.