Page 106

Disappointment settled in my stomach, but I kept it from reaching my face. She had every right to change her mind. Perhaps she was shy. Maybe meeting me in person had made everything move too quickly. We had spent months building intimacy through screens, where either of us could pause whenever needed.

Out here, there was nowhere to hide from the moment.

“Of course,” I said. “We should head back.”

Her shoulders loosened slightly. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize.”

“I didn’t mean to make things weird.”

“You didn’t.”

“I sort of did.”

“We fought over a fry and almost kissed. I’ve experienced stranger evenings.”

She studied my face. “You’re not upset?”

“No.” It was true. Disappointed was not the same as upset.

I held the fry carton toward her. “You can still have one.”

Her mouth curved. “A consolation fry?”

“A peace offering.”

She took two.

I smirked. “I see how you operate now.”

We started back down the trail. The first minute felt different from the walk up. Both of us had become too conscious of what had almost happened, and neither seemed eager to talk about it. I ate the remaining fries because if I was chewing, I wasn’t required to speak.

Sloane eventually broke the silence. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad I finally started talking in the group chat.”

“So am I.”

“I almost left before I said anything.”

“Why didn’t you?”

She looked toward the creek ahead. “Grandma Ruth said family was still family even when people were quiet.”

I remembered the message. Grandma had typed every number by hand because she didn’t want anyone excluded. At the time, the new chat had felt unnecessary and inconvenient.

Now I couldn’t imagine it without Sloane.

“I’m glad that worked on you,” I said.

“It was emotional manipulation through wholesome elderly persistence.”

“Grandma’s specialty.”

“She’s very powerful.”

“You have no idea.”

Sloane smiled. “I was silent because I didn’t know how to join in.”