Chapter Eleven

"When all else fails, pivot."—Hazel Titus

August

"Are you allergic to any sort of insect?" Hazel asked slowly as she pulled her hand away from the tree and stared me down. "You know, like murder hornets or something crazy like that?"

"Those exist?" I asked, my voice cracking while still looking behind her and wondering if I had to find a machete because of the bear or just roll around in the sand to repel insects.

"No. I mean, yes, but we don't have any here right now. It was just a general question after the whole don't-move thing."

"Bees." My dark, hushed tone wasn't making me feel better. If anything, it was like I already knew. "I'm allergic to bees, the honey ones."

"Oh." She perked up like she'd just gotten a shot of adrenaline and clapped her hands in front of her. "Good. Because I think it's just a really big hornets' nest, but it's scary close to your head, and they just started moving a lot. I think if we move a lot with them, then they'll move more, so maybe we very slowly climb up past them. Or just take our chances with the bear."

"How many hornets?" I ground my teeth.

"A lot." The buzzing picked up near my right ear. I nodded and slowly started moving toward her. The tree bark was rough against my palm. We could easily go up past the hornets' nest and wait for the bear to leave, or we could just make a run for it toward the water and hope it would scare the bear and not make him or her chase us.

I held out my hand. "I think we flee the crime scene and forget about our healthy foraging and firewood."

She reached for me but stared behind me at the hornets' nest as rustling sounded behind her. "Oh, crap."

I tugged her next to me, and we started running back around the campsite and onto the beach, only to see the bear blocking the path we needed to take.

"Yup, that is definitely a bear," she shrieked while the small brown bear looked at us, then continued rummaging through our tent. "Back away. Slowly."

"The Jeep," I said through clenched teeth. "Back slowly away and get in the Jeep."

"Keys?"

"Unlocked," I whispered. "In three, two, one." We both scrambled into the back seat while I threw my body over and locked the doors.

The bear didn't even seem to care.

"He's so tame," Hazel whispered, only to have the bear stand up on his legs and roar into the sky. "Kidding. I offended him. Sorry, bear. He's terrifying. He's going to kill us. We're going to die in here, aren't we?"

I pulled her against me. "No, he'll get tired. Smell more food. We just have to hold out longer than the bear."

Her stomach rumbled.

Minefollowed suit.

I let out a sigh and nodded toward the blue ice chest still in the back. "At least we have some food and water. We just can't go to our holes."

"Holes?" she repeated. "Ohhhh, the holes."

"Hey, maybe we'll get lucky, and he'll find your giant mound of sand and get distracted enough for us to gather our things, find a hotel, lie to our dads, and tell them camping went great."

Her laughter was all I needed. It filled the Jeep in a big way—a way that had me genuinely smiling.

And then she frowned. "You have your phone? Keys and wallet?"

Where was she going with that? "I have my phone and my wallet, but the keys are at the campsite in my jeans."

She nodded slowly, her eyes taking in the tent. "How much does a tent like that cost?"

"Huh?"

"How much?" She smacked me on the shoulder. "Just answer the question."

"Ouch!" I rubbed the spot and then shoved her head down while the bear looked over at us. "I don't know. Like maybe eighty bucks?"

"And your clothes in that duffel bag over there?" She pointed. "The chairs?"

I threw up a hand. "I mean, not a lot. I didn't bring a ton, and the chairs are old. Why are you asking about how much shit costs?"

"My purse is in here," she said. "We basically have everything we need and can come back tomorrow, pack up the campsite, and make the dads think we stayed one more night. If the campsite gets semi-destroyed, then we'll just be honest. A bear attacked us because of our musk."

"Musk? Because of our musk?"

"Yeah." She was adorable with her dirty blond hair pulled back into a sad, traumatized ponytail. "We must have attracted it. You know, through hormones or something."

"First musk and now hormones? I'm sorry, but are you having a moment? Why would a bear be attracted to our musk? Now, the little hole you dug? Possibly. But musk? Nah, it probably wanted our food, and we're in its territory."

"Hormones, then." She nodded with such finality that even I was almost convinced. "It could smell the estrogen."

"Not the testosterone?"

"Meh." She waved me off. "Probably not strong enough. You'd have to be super horny, and I doubt bears do it for you."

Immediately uncomfortable in my jeans, I cleared my throat. "Yeah, solid scientific point, because…science. And bears." Why was I laughing like a maniac? I nervously tugged at my sweatshirt. "Anyway, let's just find a way to grab the keys. We'll drive to a nearby hotel, then come back and rescue what we can before going home. Nobody has to know."

"Nobody has to know." She nodded. "Okay. So you said the keys are in your jeans from last night?"

I nodded. "Yup. Back pocket."

Hazel looked down at the jeans I was wearing, then back up at me. "You changed in the tent last night?"

Goose bumps erupted down my arms. "They were uncomfortable, so I just wiggled"—poor choice of words—"into a new pair. So, yes, I changed in the tent. It's not like you saw anything, peeping Tom. You were snoring mid-change."

"You were naked. And I do not snore."

"You probably attracted the bear even more," I pointed out. "Now, let's focus on what's important: grabbing the keys and escaping. I say you provide a distraction. You know, make your body really big, get his attention. I'll sprint to the tent, grab the jeans, and run back. By then, he'll only be semi-hostile, and we can start the Jeep."

Hazel frowned over at me and crossed her arms. "So I'm bait?"

"But…" I leaned in and patted her on the knee. "Very nice bait. Attractive bait. Do you think the bear's attracted to a person like me?" I made a face. "Gross, no, never. But you? Tall, beautiful, bold, and strong, almost like you were born to play the Disney princess from Brave. That will throw him for a loop."

She was silent and then said, "I can't decide what's sadder, the fact that the bear would somehow recognize a Disney movie or character or that I think you actually believe the bullshit that's coming out of your mouth. Bait, just say it. I'm bait, and you're the runner."

I gripped her by the shoulders. "Brother Bear could turn on me, too, you know."

"Hated that movie," she grumbled.

"So sad, right?" I agreed.

"And with the Northern Lights." She sighed. "Never mind, we're getting distracted because we're nervous to face a bear that probably weighs more than your car."

I nodded. "All true."

"Okay." She took three deep breaths. I ignored how it brought attention to her tight, black sweatshirt. "Okay," she said again. "Here's what we do. You sprint first and try not to get noticed. The minute you do, I'll jump out of the car and redirect while you jump in and start the engine. Then I'll jump in after you, and we can take off."

"Foolproof," I lied. "Totally foolproof. Plus, the bear already ate a ton of food. How hungry can he be for human flesh?"

A loud scraping echoed through the Jeep. Slowly, we both turned and gaped as the cute brown bear started scratching, raking its claws down the bark of the nearest tree.

Hazel gripped my hand and squeezed. "Be honest. Do you do coke?"

"What the hell, Hazel? No."

"It's a valid question."

"How the hell is that a valid question?"

"Cocaine Bear!" she shouted. "The movie. Where these drug smugglers leave cocaine behind, and the bear goes on this binge, and—?"

"How the ever-loving shit did we go from Brother Bear to Cocaine Bear?"

"Life." She made it sound like she had sage advice to follow. "I mean, he looks like he just went on a binge. He went from looking like a bear that would share porridge and dreams to one who would slit you from your toes all the way up to your spleen."

"Graphic."

"I tried to tame it down."

"I can tell."

She took a deep breath. "Okay, just go slow and then sprint."

I frowned over at her. "In what universe do the words leaving your mouth sound like advice that makes sense?"

"Logic!" Both her fists smacked my chest. "You've got this. Valhalla."

Okay, she was adorable. "You just said Valhalla like I was a Viking going out to war."

She tucked her head against my chest, probably not realizing she was doing it, and laughed, then pulled back while I grabbed her by the wrists and tugged her closer against me. "It seemed like the most encouraging thing to say. Plus, Uhtred says it, and he's never wrong."

"Uhtred," I said in my best accent. "Son of Uhtred."

"He's pretty." She licked her lips and pressed her palms against my chest, sliding them up slowly. "Just saying."

"Maybe I'll be pretty, too, if I chant that when facing the bear."

She swallowed, her eyes locking onto my mouth before pulling away. I didn't want to lose her heat, so I didn't let her move. Instead, I pressed her against the door, then placed my hands on either side of her. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, I thought this was part of screaming Valhalla. Never know when you'll see me again, fair maiden. Better give me my kiss."

"Better ask permission, Berserker."

I couldn't stop smiling. "Care to inspire me?"

"But you hate me."

"Hate is such a strong word," I confessed. "It's easier to use hate to mask other emotions, don't you think?"

Hazel let out a rough exhale, and her chest rose and fell hard and fast. "What do you mean?"

"You're damaging to my soul, Hazel Titus," I whispered against her neck. "Now, wish me luck before I go face a bear next to your shrine and our yellow tent."

She giggled, and the movement caused her body to rise just enough that my mouth caught on her warm neck again. I breathed in her scent, counted her heartbeats, and then pulled away.

I'd never leave the Jeep if something started, and our parents would find us wondering how the hell we lost track of time, food, water, and sanity.

But that was Hazel.

She was damaging to my mental and physical health, and the longer we spent with each other, the more I realized that this was the reason I'd pushed her away so much to begin with. Because what if?

I hated that phrase.

What if I dated her?

What if she liked me back?

And what if I lost her?

It was the most immature and selfish thought, but I knew I couldn't be that guy. The person who just jumped in headfirst and prayed it would be okay. I wasn't that trusting of her or myself, not to mention the universe.

I sobered and pulled back.

"Um…" I scratched my head. "The minute the bear sees me and starts getting angry, just try to be a distraction. I'm only a few feet away."

"And you did run track," she pointed out.

I saluted her. "Kind of you to remind me of my second-place state trophy."

"Sucks that second isn't first, huh?"

I smacked her lightly on the thigh. "You never quit, do you?"

"Admit it." She leaned in. "You don't want me to."

Shit.

All I saw were her light pink lips.

And the fog filling up our side of the Jeep.

Fifty-fifty.

We'd end up together, fighting until death did us part, or we'd damage each other beyond repair.

I jerked away from her and reached for the door. "Keep a lookout for the Bernstein Bear."

"Berenstain," she corrected.

"Yeah, okay, time shifter," I hissed and opened the door slowly, then made a run for it.

The bear didn't even budge. It just kept scratching the tree as I went to the tent and grabbed my jeans. I even had time to get the keys out.

Hazel lifted her arms in confusion from the back seat. I shrugged as if to say, "Yeah, no clue how we got away with that."

Grin smug, I was maybe a foot from the Jeep when I heard a crack and looked down.

A branch.

A branch under my foot.

Slowly, I looked over my right shoulder.

Hell was waiting for me there.

With a yell, I grabbed the driver's side door and jerked it open, then started the Jeep and hit the accelerator with a bear close behind me.

"Ahhhhh!" Hazel screamed as she got thrown across the back seat. "I'm not buckled in."

"But you are alive." I took a turn, then another, then went up onto the highway and headed toward the small town of Canon Beach. "You're alive."

I was damn near hyperventilating when she crawled into the front seat, buckled up, and turned to me, her brown eyes twinkling. "Naked and Afraid has nothing on us."

"Well," I joked, "at least the afraid part. We didn't have to get naked."

The air thickened.

Shit.

Again, I did it to myself.

"I guess." Her voice was quiet. "There are no rules in nature, anyway."

Vague.

I wanted to ask her what she meant, and then I wanted to analyze and digest every part of the sentence.

My grip tightened on the steering wheel. "We'll just find a hotel."

Yes, because that would fix every ounce of sexual tension—forced proximity, a comfy bed, bathrobes, and adrenaline.

Sure.

Oh, the lies we tell ourselves.