Chapter 42

CHAPTER42

“Now, where were we?” Mikey asked with a satisfied sigh as she tossed her sleeping bag down on the ground next to Sebastian and moved to sit down on it only to rethink that decision when she caught a whiff of their sleeping bags.

Deciding that this just wouldn’t do, Mikey tossed her sleeping bag aside, reached down and-

“Brat!”

-shoved Sebastian off his sleeping bag, grabbed his sleeping bag and tossed it on top of the other one before standing up and considered her options. Uncle Jared’s sleeping bag looked comfy, but Uncle Jason’s was oversized and would provide her with the extra legroom that she needed.

Decision made, Mikey helped herself to Uncle Jason’s abandoned sleeping bag and Uncle Darrin’s pillow before grabbing Uncle Darrin’s sleeping bag and pillow, and because an extra pillow would go a long way to make up for the day she’d had, she helped herself to her stepfather’s pillow. With the ill-gotten goods in her arms, Mikey released a satisfied sigh as she made her way back to the fire and dropped the sleeping bags on the ground.

With that, Mikey dropped down on the oversized sleeping bag that she’d helped herself to, fluffed her pillows, and laid down with a murmured, “That’s much better,” before she turned onto her side so that she could glare at the teenage boy who betrayed her.

“Sleeping outside?” Mikey said as she watched Sebastian drop down on the sleeping bag next to hers.

“You crossed a line with that Red Sox comment,” Sebastian said, confirming her suspicions that he’d sold her out.

“You know that if a bear attacks us tonight that I’m going to be forced to hobble you, right?” Mikey asked, watching him closely as he turned over onto his side so that he was facing her.

“I already assumed that,” Sebastian assured her as she reached for a baseball, only to remember that they were in her tent, the tent that they were currently banned from entering, thanks to the skunk aroma clinging to their skin.

Needing something to do, Mikey reached over and took his hand in hers as she rolled over onto her back. With a satisfied sigh, she began toying with his fingers while she stared up at the night sky and listened to the fire crackling only a few feet away as she found herself wondering about something.

“What do you think happened between Cole and Chloe?” Mikey asked.

“He most likely did something that pissed her off,” Sebastian murmured.

“That does make sense,” Mikey said, nodding as she continued tracing his fingers with her fingertips.

“Have you ever noticed that the men in your family have a tendency of pissing off the women in their lives?” Mikey asked as she turned her head to find Sebastian watching her.

“It’s the one thing that we’re truly good at,” Sebastian assured her as his gaze shifted to their hands.

Nodding, Mikey said, “I have noticed that,” making his lips twitch.

For a moment, Sebastian didn’t say anything as they lay there and then…

“Have I ever done anything to piss you off?” he asked after a slight hesitation.

“All the time,” Mikey assured him with a solemn nod that had him chuckling.

“Anything recently?” Sebastian asked as his gaze found hers.

She opened her mouth to lie to him only…

She had to know.

“That depends,” Mikey said, watching him closely.

“On what?” Sebastian asked as she began toying with his fingers one by one, needing the comforting move to help her decide how she wanted to do this.

“On whether or not you’re actually going to tell me the truth,” Mikey said, watching him go still.

“I guess that depends,” Sebastian murmured, making her lips twitch.

“On what?”

“On whether or not you’re going to do the same.”

* * *

“Arewe really going to do this?” the little paranoid pain in the ass asked as she slowly narrowed her eyes on him.

“Yes,” Sebastian said, even as he wondered if he was really going to be able to do this.

“Then, let’s do this the right way, shall we?” Mikey said with a firm nod as she released his hand and quickly got to her feet, released a heartfelt sigh, and made her way to her tent.

That was followed by coming to a stop right outside the tent opening, clearing her throat, and, after a slight hesitation and a lot of grumbling, her backpack was quickly shoved out of the tent. With a murmured, “Thank you,” Mikey grabbed her bag and made her way back to him, where she sat down on her sleeping bag as she pulled a Coke out of her bag and took a sip before gesturing for him to get on with it.

“What are the rules?” Sebastian asked as he reached over and plucked the Coke out of her hand.

“No lying,” Mikey said as she shifted her attention to her backpack.

“And if you don’t want to answer a question?” Sebastian asked, taking a sip as he watched Mikey pull a bag of mini peanut butter cups out of her backpack.

“Then, you can skip,” Mikey said, shrugging it off like it was no big deal.

“Fine,” Sebastian said, taking another sip as he sat up. “What have I done recently to piss you off?”

“Besides suggesting that we place ourselves at the mercy of the wildlife by sleeping out here tonight?” Mikey asked, blinking at him.

“Besides that,” he said, waving it off as a given.

“You’re not telling me something,” Mikey said, watching him closely as she reached over and plucked the soda from him.

“I could say the same about you,” Sebastian said, watching as she seemed to think that over for a moment.

“Fine. Why have you been working so much?” Mikey finally asked.

“I’m saving up for something,” Sebastian said, reaching for the bag of peanut butter cups.

“And that something would be…” Mikey said, letting her words trail off.

“Skip,” he said, watching as her eyes narrowed while she considered him.

“Interesting,” she mumbled, taking a sip of Coke. “Very interesting.”

“My turn,” Sebastian said, grabbing a handful of mini peanut butter cups and tossed them in his mouth. “Did you miss me?”

“Skip,” Mikey said, making his lips twitch.

“Fair enough,” Sebastian said, reaching for the Coke again, only to end up watching the little bully finish it off as he found himself wondering about something.

“Why don’t you want to be a Bradford?” he asked, watching as she went still.

Clearing her throat, Mikey asked, “Who says that I don’t want to be a Bradford?”

“You haven’t signed the papers yet,” Sebastian pointed out, even though that was the last thing that he wanted to happen. He-

“Skip.”

-should have known that she would be difficult.

“And the doctor’s appointments that your mother makes multiple times a year?” Sebastian asked, not really surprised when she immediately followed that up with, “Skip,” before the last syllable had a chance to leave his mouth.

“Well,” Sebastian said, sighing as he tossed the bag of mini peanut butter cups on top of her bag, “this conversation has been productive.”

“That’s because you’re not asking the right questions,” Mikey said, placing the empty Coke back in her bag as he laid back down.

“And what are the right questions?” Sebastian asked, watching as Mikey grabbed a baseball from her bag before lying back down.

“We won’t know until you ask them,” Mikey said with a helpless shrug.

“You really are a pain in the ass,” Sebastian said as he thought about everything that he could ask her, but there was only one thing that he wanted to know.

“Did you want to go to the dance?” Sebastian asked, watching as she began rolling the ball between her hands.

“Which one?”

“The first one,” Sebastian said, watching as she seemed to think that over.

“Yes,” Mikey said, taking him by surprise. “When are you planning on spoiling me?”

“Skip,” Sebastian drawled, only to feel his lips twitch as her eyes narrowed on the move.

“You’re really going to make me wait?”

“I really am.”