38. Taylor

Taylor

" I f I get eaten by a cougar because of you asshats, I'm gonna be so pissed."

Using the flashlight on my phone, I sweep the beam over the trees, searching for signs of anyone. A breeze has picked up, sending a shiver down my spine, the sound of my feet treading dirt unusually loud. The crackle of the fire fades in the distance as I walk farther away, calling out names, straining to hear over the rustle of trees.

No one answers back.

Of course, because why would they make this easy?

"Come on, guys, I'm sorry. I'm an ass with no filter. Arya can punch me in the face."

Still, only silence answers back. A prickling sensation on the back of my scalp has me turning around, twigs snapping somewhere in the dark, and my stomach knots uneasily as I walk toward the sound. It takes me even further from Huck and Logan than I intended .

Usually, I love being in the woods at night, but something about how the full moon casts shadows through the canopy of leaves above gives me the creeps. Any minute now, I'm expecting to find a serial killer in a hockey mask jumping out at me. Another twig snaps, followed by the scrape of something against a tree trunk to my left, and I can't help the undignified yelp that comes out of me.

"Christian, Salem, cut it out!"

A soft laugh in my ear takes me by surprise, and I whip around with a very unmanly scream before losing my balance. Hands try to keep me steady, but I only end up pulling whoever it is down on top of me, the air leaving my lungs when my back connects with the dirt.

"Oh, shit." a familiar voice grunts next to my face. "My bad."

"Goddammit, Huckslee." Catching my breath for a second, I roll us over, pinning him beneath me while I straddle his hips. "I told you to wait at camp, motherfucker."

He smiles broadly, his hands coming up to cup my face. "I tried."

"You tried? For all of five seconds?"

"But then I had to piss, and I feel so good, Tay. I pissed on a patch of flowers, and they were dancing like they enjoyed it."

"You're trippin'," I laugh, rubbing my palms over his chest and stomach. "Go back to Logan, baby. You left him alone."

"Mm." He pulls me down, nuzzling his cheek against mine. "I love it when you call me baby. I saw your light out here and had to follow because I'm a satellite."

"A satellite, huh? "

He nods, wrapping his arms around me. "Yeah, and I fell out of orbit. Can't have me doing that. So I came to you because that's where we belong. In each other's gravity."

A warmth spreads throughout my limbs at his words. I should try to get up. Really should. But laying on him like this feels too damn good. "If you're a satellite, am I your moon?"

"We're just floating through space, getting closer and closer to the sun until we burn."

My warmth turns ice cold. "Lucky for us, the sun is pretty far off. Huck, you need to go back to camp. Logan's probably freaking the hell out right now."

"Let's fuck, Tay, right here," he whispers, thrusting his hips up into me for good measure, and a laugh bursts out of me because he's not even hard.

"You wouldn't fuck me in a bathroom, but you'll do it on the forest floor? You animal."

A hum leaves his lips as he starts singing. "‘You and me ain't nothin' but mammals, so let's do it like they do on the Discovery Channel.'"

"The fuck is that?"

"Bloodhound Gang. You really need to expand your music tastes."

Extracting myself from his arms, I lean on my elbows as I squint down at him. "Listening to Post Malone is enough expansion for me."

"He's just so sweet and talented," Huck sighs, and I can't hold back anymore. Don't even know why I tried in the first place.

With a chuckle, I softly place my mouth against his. "You gonna leave me for Posty, baby? "

Something like a purr rumbles out of his throat at the sensation of our lips brushing together, my head slowly moving from side to side. It probably feels fantastic to him right now. Shrooms aren't as potent as psychedelics like ecstasy, but they still enhance your senses. He opens for me, and I slip my tongue inside, groaning as his cock starts to thicken against my ass. God, I've been needing this all day. All week. All my life.

But goddammit. Logan. And everyone else. I'm a terrible babysitter.

"We gotta get up," I murmur in between kisses, rubbing the crease of my crack against him. "I'm supposed to make sure no one wanders into a cave, and you're distracting me."

"Please don't go." His arms crush me against his chest. "I've grown roots, and I can't move. Don't want to be here alone."

"Huckslee, come on." Yet I'm still moving on top of him, my own dick straining against my sweats.

"The forest has claimed me, my love. Let me be a tree. Or a weed."

My love . Fucking hell.

"How about a sunflower." I bite along his neck as his nails graze my back. "Like that song you like."

You're the sunflower.

I think your love would be too much.

Bringing my lips back to his, I kiss him deep, scooting down lower so that our cocks are rubbing against each other. My fingers tangle in his curls, his hands touching me everywhere while he moans into my mouth, and I'm about to tell him to hush when Christian's barking laugh breaks through the lust clouding my brain.

"Hell yeah, get it, cari?o !"

I snap my head up to yell at him, but my eyes find who he's standing next to in the dark, and I freeze.

"Shit." Wriggling out of Huck's hold, I try to lift off of him, but his grip is tight. "Hey, let me go. We need to get up." I can feel eyes on my face, which has now turned several shades of bright ass red. Thankfully, it's dark, so I'm sure they can't see it because being caught dry-humping my stepbrother with my tongue down his throat is compromising enough.

Gripping Huck's shoulders, I try to stand when he lets out a painful yelp.

"No, Taylor!" Real fear flashes in his eyes as he fights me. "If you rip me from the ground, I'll bleed out."

Jesus .

"Hey, it's okay." Cupping his face in my palms, I search his erratic gaze, hot breaths coming quick from his heaving chest. His trip is starting to turn. "You're alright, baby. I won't let that happen. You can stay here."

Footsteps draw closer, Xed's combat boots coming into my line of sight.

"I've got him," he says gently, Christian tied to his wrist by a belt. "You go get Arya. She's up a tree, and I ain't climbing that shit."

"Don't let me bleed out, Tay," Huck whispers hoarsely, clawing at my arms, and for a second, all I can do is gaze down at him, momentarily unsettled, throat working to swallow as memories from four years ago flash before me.

"I didn't. I won't. Xed's gonna keep you planted, okay? I gotta go."

He brushes my lips with his fingers. "You'll come back for me? "

"Always."

Not caring about being seen anymore, I lean over to kiss him before tugging his shirt down, covering his hard-on. Since I'm still shirtless, I have nothing to hide my own, so I just awkwardly cover my junk with my hands when I stand.

"She's over there." Xed jerks his thumb in Arya's direction, a calculating spark in his eyes as he studies me. "I put the others in the tent and turned on a light show with my phone. They'll be occupied for a while."

"Alright." Clearing my throat, I hesitate before turning away. I really don't want to leave Huck like this, but I don't have a choice right now.

When I'm a few steps away, Xed calls my name, drawing my attention back.

"I'll take care of him," he promises, holding my gaze as Christian tugs him down next to Huck.

"I know you will."

Adjusting my deflating dick, I make my way over to the tree he pointed out and stand below it with my arms crossed. A shadow moves on the branches above.

"Arya, get down here. Now."

There's a rustle of leaves before she fucking caws at me like a damned crow or some shit, and something hard bounces off the side of my face.

"Ouch! Did you just throw an acorn at me?"

She giggles, scrambling further up the tree, and I curse under my breath as I jump up to grab onto the lowest branch, pulling myself up and over. I haven't climbed a tree in years, but it doesn't take long before I'm closing in on where she's perched, her face turned upwards. The hem of my sweatpants snags, ripping the leg, and when I growl in frustration, she lets out a screamed cackle as she turns and tries to get higher.

"Oh, no, you don't."

Wrapping my arms around her waist, I yank her down against my chest. We fall against the trunk when she struggles, laughing like this is a damn game, and then she gasps with a finger pointed up above.

"Look, Tay Bae! Look at that!"

Following her finger, I let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, I've seen the sky before. Fascinating. Will you get down?"

"I wish I were up there," she responds dreamily, both arms lifted above her head as she smiles and relaxes in my hold.

"In the sky? Or space?"

"Wherever isn't here."

The way she says that makes me pause.

"What–" Exhaling sharply, I let my head fall back against the tree. "What do you mean by that? Goddammit, Arya, I want to get back to my...Huckslee."

Boyfriend almost falls from my lips, but something holds me back.

She hums, going limp in my arms until I'm forced to slide into a crouched position. "I was watching you two, you know."

Shit. "That's not creepy at all."

"I wish I had that." Her fingers lace through mine as she settles in between my legs on the broad branch. Normally, I'd be shaking her off, but the melancholy in her tone is setting off alarms.

"Had what?"

"Love. "

My mouth falls open and shuts, momentarily at a loss for words. I'm still antsy from leaving Huck, but his laugh carries over the breeze, telling me he's fine, so I lean back against the trunk and get comfortable, tightening my arms around her.

"You've only been with Christian a few weeks. Love doesn't grow on trees."

Is that how the saying goes?

Her head rolls to the side, cold cheek pressed against my shoulder. In the dim light of the moon, tears glisten on her face. "He loves what my body can do for him, but I don't think he'll ever love me . As a person. No one ever does."

Fuck. I am such an asshole.

"That's not true," I say firmly, thumbing away the tears. "Salem loves you. Owen loves you. And trust me, Christian wouldn't be spending all his time with you if he didn't care about you."

"But you don't like me." She pokes my peck, sniffling. "And I don't even know what I did to make you hate me. Or Xed."

It's official. I am worse than scum.

"I don't hate you, Arya. I..." What am I supposed to say here? The truth? "I can't say I particularly like you, but I guess I don't really know you all that well, either."

Which is a super messed up thing to say to someone you've fucked more than once.

Her lips shake with a tremble. "Because you've never tried. I just wanted to be part of the group."

Gum on the bottom of a shoe. Dirt underneath fingernails. Weeks-old rancid bacon grease. That's how I feel right now.

"You're right. I never did, and I'm sorry." The side of me that wants to problem solve kicks into gear, cogs turning in my mind for ways to make this better. "Tell you what, I'll stop ragging on you all the time if you stop calling me Tay Bae. Deal?"

I'll also make an effort to include her more. As Christian's girlfriend and Salem's best gal pal, she really deserves nothing less, and I should have realized that sooner.

A bright smile forms on her lips. "Deal. Is Taytay still okay?"

"I'll allow it."

She giggles that high-pitched screech, and honest to God, I try not to cringe. I really do. I'll try to work on it. Baby steps.

We sit up there a bit longer while I ask her questions, like what she's getting her degree in (cosmetology) and her favorite food (pad thai). It's a mediocre attempt, at best, but I'm trying. Her fingers dance above our heads the whole time like she's playing with the stars. Since she's tripping, she probably thinks she is. We slowly make our way down when I've calmed her down enough to leave our little tree spot. The hem of my pants catches again on the lowest branch, and I slip with her in my hold, causing her to knee my nuts when she lands on top of me.

"You deserved it," she cackles while I wheeze, hopping off to run toward Christian, and I can't disagree.

By the time we all trudge back to the campsite, Huckslee's finally free of his dirt bed, and everyone's starting to come down. The fire is practically out, but we pour water on it just in case. When I unzip the tent, I find Matty and Logan lying side by side in a pile of blankets, Salem on the farther side against the wall, while Xed's phone flashes lights and colors on the ceiling .

"This shit was bunk," Salem grumbles, glaring at us when we start to pile in. "I didn't feel anything."

Matty agrees. "Same."

"Ditto." Christian unzips his own tent and pulls Arya inside while I snicker, kicking off my shoes.

"Tell that to Huckslee. He turned into a plant."

Logan groans, covering his face. "All I did was puke. I'm never doing this again."

Huck laughs, falling beside his best friend while I crawl next to him. Behind me, Xed squeezes in, shutting off his phone to cover us in darkness. The rain-fly is off, stars shining through, giving just enough light for me to see Huck's bright gaze as we face each other. Under the blanket, his fingers find mine, and I smile, closing my eyes.

After a long while, when I think everyone's asleep, Xed's arm snakes around me, pulling my back to his chest.

"Is this you apologizing for shoving me earlier?" I murmur, cracking open a lid to find Huck watching us curiously.

A grunt is my only response; Salem throws her leg over him, and Matt shoots into a seated position.

"Huckslee, switch me," he says quickly. "Please."

"No. And why?"

With a snort, I answer for him. "Matty wants to snuggle, too."

"Please?"

Huck's palm tightens around mine. "You are the weirdest group of friends."

"Nothing weird about platonic cuddling." Xed's forehead presses into my back. "Society just says there is. "

"Please, Huck?" Matt continues to whine, and Logan sighs heavily.

"Just throw an arm over me, and let's go to bed. My head hurts."

Matt seems to deliberate for several seconds before he lays back down, doing as he's told, and a grin pulls at my cheeks.

Finally, it seems like we're all going to get some sleep.

Until the sounds of Christian and Arya fucking in their tent cut through the silence.

Every single person, including myself, groans simultaneously.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Really, guys, come on!"

"First one to get a boner loses," I snicker, and Salem reaches over to smack my arm.

"I have an unfair advantage!"

"So does Huckslee," Logan yawns sleepily. "Unless, like, he thinks Christian's moans are sexy or something."

Huck looks absolutely offended at that, and I burst into laughter, mouthing ‘ you better not ,' earning a death glare in response.

Admittedly, cuddling gets a little awkward for the next fifteen minutes or so until the finale, and when they both finally finish, I begin to clap loudly.

"Stunning performance. Ten out of ten. Can we go the fuck to sleep now?"

"Fuck off, asshole."

I fall asleep with a grin, my fingers entwined with Huck's, surrounded by the only family I've ever wanted or needed.