Chapter Seven

”So, the kid is now a bigger kid,” said Sali as we stood together in the conference room back at the precinct. She pinched her chin between her fingers while she paced heatedly back and forth. Her brow forever narrowed with a scowl to accompany it made her face appear just as young as she did in the photos hanging in Walsh”s office. Only he seemed to age these days, with less hair but twice as many puffs of vapes.

I sipped my energy drink and nodded. ”Eight. Think we can interview her?”

”She had a recovery interview back in twenty-nineteen. Doubt anything else will result from another.”

”But memories come back differently. She”s old enough to tell us about nightmares now or fragmented memory pieces of childhood. Isn”t it worth it?”

”Not sure I want to put the kid through that.” Sali turned to the case files littering the table. She flipped one open and showed me what looked like a school picture of the girl with long brown hair. ”She lives with her father. He raised her alone. From what I understand, she”s fragile. Anxious, but a good kid overall. Well-adjusted.”

”Which could mean she has some memories if she”s anxious,” I said while looking over the materials.

”Nah.” Sali shook her head then closed the file. ”Not taking the risk.” She paced again, her thumb against her chin while I watched her. Sali wasn”t known to be cautious, but rather reckless, and it made me wonder about her motives.

”Not worth the risk of catching a killer?”

”Not worth the risk of traumatizing a kid who is otherwise okay,” she said, rounding on me with a frown. ”How would you feel, Roth, if someone showed up and started asking you questions about your dead mother and you were just eight-years-old?”

When she put it like that, it cooled me off some. ”Can I ask you a question?”

”Yeah, rando. Go ahead.” She waved for me to continue.

”When you became a detective, did you ever wish you hadn”t? Like…did you ever miss patrol?” The question left me gently, but the heaviness followed.

”Why? Miss it?” Sali pushed herself up to sit on the table beside me, gripping the edge of it.

”Sometimes. The routine of it. Knowing what to do instead of sitting around postulating and thinking about what to do next. Naked guy at the grocery store? Easy. Domestic dispute? Got it. Speeding ticket? Fine. School security? On it. This?” I motioned around us. ”I don”t know what I”m doing.”

”You”re not supposed to know what you”re doing,” she said, staring at me with eyes that nearly scathed my soul. ”Being a detective is about someone noticing that you got skills that are worth developing. So…develop.” She shrugged. ”Or don”t. If you preferred patrol, there”s nothing wrong with that. People build healthy careers just that way.”

”I know. I”m just doubting this a bit more lately.” I shrugged and glanced at the door to make sure Zay and Maggie stayed out of earshot. ”I kind of fell into it anyway.”

”Oh, I know.” Sali grinned, a wickedly menacing grin that suited her face. ”I know all about your shenanigans, Jagz. Including what got you here and how my wife dragged you around for a while.”

”She”s fast.” I smirked and folded my arms. ”We”ve been in a few foot races.”

Sali laughed, nodding with her amusement. ”She is. Though I outrun her all the time.”

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. ”With those tiny legs? I sense lies.”

”So many lies.” Sali grinned and clapped me on the shoulder. ”Do what feels right for you, kid. See this case through though. I know it”s overwhelming, but we”re on it.”

I adjusted my hat, fondling the brim that covered the back of my neck before playing with the snapback strap thing while I thought about the things she said to me. ”I should probably go back and talk to Bernice. She was definitely holding out.”

”She usually is. What”d you bring her last time?”

”Nothing. I just offer to pay her.”

Sali leaned forward with her knees on her elbows. ”Okay. Write this down.”

”Write what—”

”Two Philly cheese steak subs, waffle fries with sour cream and cheese, orange soda.” She flicked her finger at me. ”Bring it hot. She”ll spill her guts.”

”And money?” I pocketed my phone after typing it up.

”Yeah, but first tell her it”s from Sarah.” Sali smirked and nodded. ””Kay?”

”Sure. Yeah.” I shrugged and pushed myself up standing. ”Now?”

”Yup.” Again, she flicked her fingers at me. ”Go on.”

”So bossy. Bye.” I rolled my eyes and got myself out of there before Sali could give me any more commands.

My phone buzzed in my pocket on the way to the park, and I whipped it out to see Clem”s name on the screen.

Do you like lavender?

Like the color, plant, or fragrance?

Hmm. I suppose all.

Well, in that case, yes. But not like lavender candles or anything.

How about real lavender?

Sure.

Okay.

I chuckled at the awkward exchange and her lack of response afterward. As promised, we watched a movie together at her place the other night, neither one of us talking much during it save for the sharing of space and some wine. I didn”t feel pressured by her, and for some reason I found it comforting. With Tati and Wyatt in the newest part of their relationship, my two besties spent a lot of time together, and although they didn”t make me feel like a third wheel, I made myself feel like one. Sometimes I looked at them and saw the life they wanted to build together, the hope in their eyes when they looked at each other, and it made me wonder if I could ever feel like that. None of this was new by any means, the two of them had the hots for each other for months, maybe years, but now it was different. Tati, Reagan, and me felt like a sort of family unit with our day-to-day life. Now, with Reagan in Portugal and the besties doing their thing, I found myself unsettled. And a little restless, if I was honest about it.

How”s tomorrow?

For what?

The Lavender Festival in Sequim.

Sure.

Great.

Where”s Sequim?

Hehe. Not far. Do you have a car?

No…

Okay. I”ll pick you up.

You don”t know where I live.

Well then tell me.

LOL Fine. I sent her a location tag to my place.

Be there in twenty.

Wait—Clem, it”s 3pm. Still working.

Oh. Right. What time do you finish?

6.

See you then.

I laughed at my phone as I approached the row of food trucks parked along the walking path of the park to purchase the bribe for my informant.

***

I stared at myself in the hall mirror, frowning at the way my hat sat on my hair.

”What”s with the face?” Tatiana shoved my shoulder when she walked past me. ”You”re lookin” fine.”

”My hair is too straight. What”s that about? My hair looks funny.”

”It looks normal. It”s just not humid today so it”s normal.” She swatted the brim of my backward cap. ”Looks good. Ready for time alone with Clem?”

”Yeah, I mean, she”s picking me up in like eight minutes and I look a mess.”

”You look cute. Leave yourself alone.”

I tightened the arms of the shirt that hung around my waist, then smoothed the shoulder of my tank. ”You sure?”

”Yes. Also…you realize she told you the festival is tomorrow, right?”

”Huh? Yeah. Why?”

Tatiana stared at me. ”Sequim is two hours away. Where are you staying overnight?”

”Over…night?” I swung around to face her.

She smiled at me, her expression soft and yet somehow sympathetic. ”Yes, honey. I figured I”d wait to break the news until the last second.”

”I didn”t pack anything—”

Tatiana pointed to my gym bag by the door. ”I got you.”

I let out a heavy breath and shook my head. ”Thanks.”

”Of course.” She squeezed my shoulder just as a knock sounded at the door. ”It”s literally exactly six.”

”She”s on time.” I panicked, because I was usually late for everything. ”You should see her apartment. It”s so tidy. Everything in its place—” Panic struck me as I looked around our loft space covered in paint, canvases, and exposed brick while looking very lived in. ”We live here!”

”Shh.” Tatiana shushed me while laughing on her way to the door. ”It”s fine, Jags.”

”It”s not fine!” I freaked out in a crazed whisper while she opened the door. ”Tati!”

When she pulled open the door, Clementine stood there gazing at her phone for a solid few seconds. I immediately noticed that she wore more relaxed clothes today, including sneakers and a hoodie. Relief warmed me, but I still gulped.

”Hi there,” chirped Tati.

”Oh.” Clem looked up and smiled. ”Hi.”

”I”m Tatiana. Come on in.” She waved Clem inside with the warmest smile in the world.

Clementine”s eyes sparkled, and in two seconds I lost control of the situation.

”Obrigada. Chamo-me Clementine. Como estás?”

Tatiana”s entire face lit up, and she responded immediately. ”Muito bem! Eu—”

And that was the moment I stopped understanding a word being said in front of me. I stared at them as they spoke in strong tones louder than their usual English-speaking voices and shared a conversation that included lots of gesturing in my direction. Tati”s face told me most of what I needed to know at least. She smiled with bright eyes that looked at me often.

When their talk slowed, Clem smiled, and her gaze met mine for a moment as if she had just noticed me. I chuckled and tossed her my usual awkward wave, but this time I scrunched up my face with it. Clem snickered then glanced back to Tati. She said something to her and Tati grinned.

”I”m going to pretend that none of this was weird, and I didn”t miss any social cues at all.” I gave them both a thumbs up and they laughed.

”No one cares about social cues,” piped Clem. ”We were getting acquainted.” She looked around the space, her eyes falling immediately on Tatiana”s work area. Her eyes widened and she pointed. ”Your work is in Everton. I recognize the style.”

”It is.” Tatiana beamed and motioned to her work area. ”I have my own gallery showing there next month.”

”Incrível.” Clem wandered off as if she”d just seen the most amazing thing in the world. And Tati”s art was quite like that; at least I thought so anyway.

Tati followed her and I drew in a slow breath, my hands propped on my hips as I glanced at myself in the mirror. Everything moved so fast. Clementine”s speed far surpassed my processing ability. I worried I wouldn”t be able to keep up with her, and that doubt only dug into me further at the prospect of spending the night somewhere in Washington State with an almost-complete stranger.

They returned a moment later, and Clem smiled at me. ”Where”s your workspace?”

”Um…” I gulped. ”On…walls? In the city. Or in buildings where people ask me to paint…” Nervousness took hold, but Clem didn”t seem to notice.

”In her room, too. She tagged the entire ceiling and one wall.” Tatiana pointed to the closed door to my bedroom. ”You should see it.”

”Next time.” I jumped in immediately, knowing that not a thing in my space was in its place, including the laundry on the floor. ”We-we should go.”

Clem didn”t fight the suggestion. Instead, she turned to Tatiana and smiled. They shared another round of non-English pleasantries, before Clem met me at the door. Tati kissed my cheek before we parted and whispered, ”Be yourself.”

”I”ll try,” I said, then waved to her before we headed out.

Clem and I walked quietly down the hall for a moment, until I broke it to say, ”I didn”t realize you meant staying overnight. Where are we going to stay?”

”Hmm.” She looked at me, her lips pursed for a second. ”How do you feel about camping?”

”Down with it.” Relief flooded me suddenly and I felt the smile that spread across my mouth lift my cheeks in an unexpected way.

Clementine”s mirrored mine, and we made our way to her SUV parked in the visitor spots behind the building. I climbed into the passenger side and tossed my bag in the back. I noted the camping gear and a cooler in the backseat, along with blanket rolls and towels.

”You go camping often?”

”I do. Hikes as well.”

”Do you have a group or whatever?”

She shook her head as she started the car once we were buckled in. ”By myself. I don”t much care for groups.”

”By yourself?” My eyes widened and I adjusted my concealed service weapon so that it didn”t dig too much into my back. ”Really?”

”Yes.” She shifted the car in gear, and we pulled out of the space. ”I do most things alone.”

”Same. I mean…except if it”s with my small friend group or with work. The latter is obligatory.”

”I understand that.” Her seriousness returned in the closed space without the shared focus of a movie, and I wondered if her anxiety manifested in stoicism. ”Your friend Tatiana is very lovely.”

”She is. You two talked a lot…”

”Her family is from an area of Lisbon that I”m quite familiar with.” She smiled and glanced at me when we paused at a red light. ”I”d like to talk to her again. Her artwork is incredible. Does she have any idea?”

”Yes and no.”

”It”s nuanced. Once she gets officially noticed, she has no idea how hard it”s going to hit.” Clem shook her head, the passion in her words matched her affect. ”It”ll happen for her.”

”You really like art and books, don”t you?”

She nodded. ”Five favorite things. Art, which includes books. Forensics. Travel. Languages.”

I waited for her to share the final one, but she didn”t. ”What about the fifth?”

”It”s inappropriate to share that one at the moment,” she said, rather tersely. ”What are your favorite things?”

”Um…” I rolled with it. ”Skateboarding. Street art. Tattoos—”

”I noticed you have many,” Clem said with a smile muted by the way she ran her teeth over her bottom lip. ”How many?”

”Um…” I glanced at my exposed arms. ”I can”t remember. A lot. More than forty. Mostly on my arms. A few other places.”

”Does each have meaning?”

”Not all of them. Some are just silly. Like the one I just got is the X from The X-Files show out of the 90s. Did you ever watch?”

”Of course. Anyone who loves forensics would watch that. I like it. Not enough for a tattoo but enough,” she said while smiling. ”What about Criminal Minds? Watch that?”

”I did until I started to live it a little bit.”

”Right.” She tensed briefly. ”Sometimes I forget you”re a cop.”

”Me too.” I laughed when I said it. ”You live it too, just differently.”

”You were a uniformed police officer first, right?”

”I was. Yeah.”

”Do you like being a detective?”

”Sometimes. Right now, I”m questioning it a bit. The uncertainty, having to coordinate with people longer term. I was better at patrol. Things were temporal for the most part and the job was clear.”

”The predictability of it?” She glanced at me as we exited the center of the city for the highway that would lead us west.

”Somewhat, yeah. It was predictably unpredictable, but it was expected, you know? I had shifts, started my day, ended my day, passed things on to the next. When I wasn”t there, I knew someone was taking care of it. Now, sometimes I hardly work, sometimes I get called in on a Sunday, the FBI or these P.I.”s are calling me random times whenever. The texts. Or on the total flip side, nothing at all. No leads, nowhere to go, no clear direction.” I lifted my shoulders in a heavy shrug. ”I”ve had enough lack of direction in my life, you know? Walking the beat gave me something clear. A mission so to speak. Cold cases make me feel just that. Cold.”

Clem sat quietly for a moment while listening to me. ”What about patrol made you warm?”

”Helping people, I think. Actively like in the moment.” I ran my fingers through my hair and removed my hat. ”It wasn”t always good. Like when we had the riots and insurrection or during protest times. That”s always hard, but the average times… I like it.”

”Can you go back to it?” She glanced at me when the road cleared for us to coast on our way to Sequim.

”I can if I want to.”

”Give it a good think. My mom used to say that all the time.” She smiled when she said it.

”That”s really cute.” I chuckled while considering it. ”Is your mom still around?”

”She is. She teaches linguistics at the University of Washington in her retirement. Quite admirable.”

”It is. Do you have a good relationship with her?”

Clem nodded, her smile steady now as she seemed to relax some. ”Yes. We”re rather close. Are your parents still around?” I noticed how she used my terms, which seemed slightly unnatural to her.

”No. They both died serving overseas in the Army. They were in the same unit. Mom was a nurse and Dad a Sergeant.”

”Oh wow. I”m sorry to hear that.” Clem”s expression softened and the wave of grief that appeared to replace it startled me. ”Were you young?”

”About ten.” Unease settled in my stomach at disclosing so much to her so soon. ”My grandmother raised me for a bit afterward.”

”I never met my grandparents. Was your grandmother nice?”

”She was amazing. Random fact.” I wiggled my fingers in front of me, mimicking a sewing motion. ”She taught me how to knit. Still can.”

”Really?” Clem grinned. ”You”ll have to show me.”

”If the opportunity rises to show you that I can knit, I will.” I laughed and dropped my head back against the seat.

We fell into a comfortable, amused quiet for a moment. With darkness settling around us as the summer night closed in, Clem”s profile in the lights of the traffic called to me. Her soft features coupled with a sharper nose gave her a perfect profile, in my opinion. The darkness shielded her face, and I imagined what she would”ve looked like painted on a crumbling fa?ade.

An hour or so passed with us listening to quiet music, occasionally chatting, or calling out the origin of a license plate. It surprised me at how many New York plates littered the streets for some reason.

”Do you like your name?” I asked her randomly. ”Clementine is unique.”

”Jagger is, too. I generally like it. Mainly for the history of it.”

”What”s the history?”

”Mom named me after Clementine de Vere, also known by her stage name Ionia. She was the most influential female magician in the beginning of the twentieth century. She was born in Belgium but was a British citizen. She performed with the stage name Ionia the Enchantress or the Goddess of Mystery. Pretty lofty names, but the idea of being a magician is pretty fun. Though I could never be in front of a group of people like that.” Clem shook her head. ”No way.”

”Really? You seem pretty confident.”

”It”s a mask. I can hold it together briefly, but it has about a twenty-minute expiration time.” She snickered when she said it.

”Me too. I start melting at the thirty-minute mark. It”s pathological.”

”Nah. It”s just a part of who we are.”

We arrived at the campsite a little after ten and unpacked the car together. There wasn”t a specific area for tents or anything that delineated this part of the woods as a camping space. Instead, Clem led me to a small clearing where she showed me how to set up the tent. Pitch black surrounded us, save for the suddenly clear sky above. The half-moon hung over us, shedding enough light for us to see our work. I stood there for a moment, my hands on my hips as I stared upward. I hadn”t seen a sky like this in years. I rarely left Seattle, hardly ever, actually, unless it was for work. And if it was for work, I didn”t have time to stare up at the sky. I let it wash over me, then glanced at Clem. She stood beside me, her eyes upward as well. I noted immediately the way the twilight bathed her skin, casting an iridescence to it, turning both her and her flowing hair into an ethereal dream. A soft breeze fluttered past us, catching her hair just the same.

A strange and unusual sensation swirled behind my bellybutton. It spiraled like sickness at first, until it turned into a cryptic warmth that radiated both up and down at the same time. Nervousness squeezed me as goosebumps coated my arms, and I felt my palms grow sweaty.

She smiled at me while pointing upward. ”Like what you see?”

”Yeah.” I cleared my throat. ”I do.”

”Me too.” She smiled and looked back up at the moon. ”It seems like you haven”t looked up much.”

”I don”t. I mean…” I returned my attention to the night sky. ”I do, but I don”t see this in the city.”

”It makes me think of something whenever I”m under a sky like this,” she began as we stood side-by-side staring up. ””It seemed to travel with her, to sweep her aloft in the power of song, so that she was moving in glory among the stars, and for a moment she, too, felt that the words Darkness and Light had no meaning, and only this melody was real.”” Clem”s fanciful voice shared the quote. ”Madeleine L”Engle. A Wrinkle in Time.”

”I remember that book.” I smiled when she said it. ”Mrs. Whatsit was my favorite.”

”I liked Meg. The flawed but honorable hero.”

”Most of the good heroes are flawed.”

”Yeah.” She smiled and shifted abruptly, ending the moment of whimsy. ”Do you know how to make a fire?”

”Legit the queen of fire starting.” We parted ways and continued about our camping duties. ”Let me go find some kindling.”

”I have some dry wood in the boot to give us a jumpstart.”

”In your boot?” I stared at her while holding a handful of twigs.

”In the boot.” She repeated, her eyes locked on mine.

”The…boot? What boot?”

”The boot.” She pointed to the car and huffed.

Nervousness expressed itself in the form of me fiddling with my hat, lifting it up then flopping it back on. ”The car has a boot?”

Clem”s hands fell to her hips. ”In the boot of the car.”

”What”s a boot of a car, girl? Goodness.” I huffed at her.

”The back part.” Clem tossed me her dead eye scary stare and I gulped.

”The trunk. Okay.” I held my hands up in surrender which broke her stance. Her entire face shifted from annoyed to amused in a beat. ”Sorry.”

”I”m sorry. I forget I say things strange sometimes.”

”I”ve never heard it called a boot.” I headed back to the car, still within earshot of her, and unloaded the wrapped bags of wood. I gripped the handles and toted them back to the tent.

Again, Clem stared at me, this time wide-eyed as I approached.

”What?”

”Nothing.” Her gaze flickered down the front of me. ”Except your arms are super strong.”

”My vanity point.” I flexed my biceps for her before setting down the wood. ”Favorite part to work on at the gym.”

”I hate the gym.” She shifted toward the cooler after unfurling the sleeping bags in the tent. Her deft preparedness impressed me as I watched her. ”I fixed some sandwiches for tonight and salad, and also brought some snacks.”

”I”m down for that. Thank you for doing all of this.”

”Well, I did ask you, so I hope to make it a good experience,” she said after locking the cooler again.

Crickets chirped around us coupled with the croaks of tree frogs and the other nightly sounds of the Pacific Northwest”s forest life. If I paid attention to it, the sounds drowned out the world and I imagined nothing existed beyond this moment. It surprised me how loud it grew as darkness peaked, but over time, they began to quiet a little.

Together, we got the fire going after I dug a small pit and surrounded it with thick stones. Clem”s starter logs helped, giving us a small survival cheat for the time being. The fire roared to life, and we settled on the cozy ground mat she placed in the grass beside it.

We sat side by side, cross-legged in similar postures with food in our laps.

”What are you thinking about?” she asked in between bites of her sandwich.

The avocado, cucumber, and tomato delicacy settled nicely in my mouth while I ate. ”Huh?”

”You look thoughtful.” She glanced at me, and I nodded.

”I am. I”ve never done anything like this before, I suppose.”

”Do what?”

”Leave Seattle with a somewhat stranger to chill by a fire in the middle of the woods. I mean, there are female serial killers. In fact, you may have helped me identify one. How do I know you”re not here to lure me to my death and bleed me like a farm animal?” I tried very hard to keep a straight face while I said it.

”Well…” She chewed patiently, then swallowed. ”You”re a detective. If I”m a serial killer, you probably stink at your job.”

I burst out laughing, but Clem”s steadfast seriousness remained.

”And besides.” She motioned to my back. ”You have a gun. I have a sandwich.” She finally snickered when she lifted it in front of her. ”So, there”s that.”

”I”m pretty sure you”re packing more than just a sandwich in that extensively prepared vehicle of yours.” I couldn”t wipe the smile from my face while I watched her. It became easier to hold her gaze over time and she seemed to feel the same.

”I”m marginally prepared most times, but when I”m with someone I care about, I make sure they will have everything they need.” She bent her knee up and rested her elbow on it as she ran her fingers through her hair. In the fire light, her smile turned radiant, and I noticed myself focusing on more than just her smile.

”Are you sure you like me? I mean…we don”t know each other very well.”

”If I like you this much without knowing you very well, I can”t wait to find out how I feel when I know you better.” Her teeth grazed her bottom lip and she smiled at me, tilting her head while resting it on her hand.

My insides puddled to a mess and words lost their pathway to my mouth. I couldn”t speak, couldn”t pull together a phrase to respond to that. A tingling sensation poured over me, and my tongue thickened in my mouth like I chewed on cotton. The heat in my face mirrored the fire in front of me, and all I could do was gulp.

”Something about you is different,” she said, her voice soft. ”Different to me.”

”Yeah. I get that.” I rested my elbows on my knees then tossed the paper wrapper from my sandwich into the fire. ”You feel different to me, too. Like…we have spent every summer together at camp, then separated for the school year. Not that I ever went to camp, but being here with you like this feels like a reunion.”

”Aptly stated.” She propped her chin on her hand while watching me, this time for much longer. ”I”m not usually as forward as I have been with you either. There”s something that makes me feel more…I can”t think of a word. Like I needed to reach you right away.”

I listened to her as the swell of emotions brought pressure to my eyes in the way that threatened tears, but I would never let them fall. Not now. Not so soon. Her voice echoed in my head, as if recorded with my psyche pressing play over and over again. I couldn”t really say anything to that, or use any words to reflect my connection to hers and so, instead, I extended my hand.

Clem”s smile broadened and she accepted, squeezing my fingers, then lowering her leg when she turned to face me. She kept a hold of my hand, settling it in her lap. I adjusted my position to face her as well, our knees touching as if we prepared to start a two-person séance. She offered me her other hand and I took it. Gratitude for the fire beside us burned strong, as I knew it would hide most of the blush that heated my face. The urge to fuss with my hat struck hard, but I fought it, and instead, brushed my thumbs over her knuckles.

”I”d like to kiss you now,” she said, her voice soft. ”Would that be okay?”

”Yeah.” I gulped, but nodded right away. ”It would be.”

We leaned forward at the same time and, as her lips closed in on mine, her hand cupped my cheek. My fingers wrapped around her wrist, and the explosion of heat in the space between us made it seem as if someone poured accelerant on the fire burning at our knees. My insides writhed with a liveliness that felt both foreign and familiar. The only comparative sensation belonged to my joy in completing an evocative piece of art, and the emotions that flooded me the moment after I applied my tag and took that first step back to take it all in.

I wanted to take her all in and close my eyes while basking in knowing we created this just the same. Tenderness honeyed our connection, and I couldn”t fight the urge to run my fingers through her hair, so I did. Her smile interrupted our connection, and mine wasn”t a beat behind.

”Hi,” she whispered as she leaned her forehead against mine.

”Hey.” I closed my eyes, and she stroked my cheeks in delicate caresses. The sensation sent a wave of goosebumps down my neck and arms. Most of me felt frozen in place, save for the spots she touched. For the briefest moment, my mind stilled, and the fragrance of her gentle perfume flooded my nose in between tangles of earth and fire. It carried a soft floral scent mingled with the tiniest bit of ruggedness in the end.

I would never forget that smell.

”You okay?” she asked quietly.

I nodded my answer. ”You?”

”Yeah.” She brushed her nose against mine before we parted.

Leaning away from her felt wrong in so many ways. It confused me and brought a grating sensation to my gut. As if she could read my thoughts or feelings, respectively, she asked.

”Interested in laying on this blanket with me and watching the stars?”

”Very.” Words left me in their single form, and we shifted our positions to accommodate her suggestion. By habit, I lay on my back, one foot flat on the blanket with my knee bent as I folded an arm behind my head.

Clementine moved right in, resting her head on my shoulder while we both looked up. The heat of her body against mine radiated like a furnace, rivaling the blaze at our feet. A greenish-purple hue filled the Western corner of the sky above the trees, and she pointed at it.

”We can see the Northern Lights tonight. I was hoping so.”

”Did you make this trip knowing that?” My fingers tangled in her hair, and a soft breath left me.

”Not particularly. I made this trip not knowing much of anything.” She peeked up at me, a bout of shyness seemed to tangle her formerly brazen approach. ”Now I know a little bit more.”

”Do you?”

She nodded along with a smile before nibbling her bottom lip. ”Mhmm.”

”Well, that is kinda lucky. Isn”t it?” I chuckled and brushed my thumb over her chin.

”Quite.” Her eyes twinkled in the golden light. ”I”m very lucky that you chose to answer that last question.”

”Thank Tatiana for that.”

”I feel that one day I will,” she said, as her hand slowly rolled across my abdomen, officially tangling us together.

Physical touch and affection weren”t normally my thing, especially not with people I didn”t know well, but with Clem, all of that changed in a heartbeat. Not just any heartbeat, but one belonging to the unfathomable rapidity of a hummingbird. More than ten times faster than a human, but not quite as quickly as lightspeed. I didn”t fight it though, allowing myself to settle into the familiarity of the cosmic reunion under the Northern Lights. I didn”t understand any of this, or know how we got here, but with Clementine resting against me, my insides felt a little less jagged, and smoother like a stone that spent much of its life in the current of a trickling stream.