Page 24 of The Perfect Deal
“Not at the moment,” I said, licking some marshmallow off my lip. I hoped I got it all.
“Really?” Rhiannon seemed shocked. “But you’re so pretty.”
Grinning at her, I said, “Thank you. I don’t think being pretty has much to do with it, though. Finding the right guy can sometimes take a while, no matter what a person looks like.”
“Well, I bet you’ll find the right guy soon,” Elizabeth told me. “And when you do, the two of you will be in love forever.”
I opened my mouth to thank her as well, but before I got the chance, I heard a familiar voice calling my name from behind me. “Liberty? Can you come here for a second?”
I turned to see Joshua smiling at me. “Sure.” Popping the last bite of s’more into my mouth, I told the girls I’d be back and walked toward him.
He looked amazing standing there in the light of the enormous fire. The glow from the flames caught the lighter strands of his hair, giving him an ethereal look. I approached him with a smile on my face, hoping we’d get a few moments to chat.
“Wanna go for a walk?” he asked me with a sheepish smile.
“I’d love to,” I told him, wishing I could reach for his hand. The two of us began to walk toward the woods near the edge of the bonfire.
We didn’t make it too far before I heard Karrie shout, “Liberty! Where are you going? We have to stay with the girls.”
My mouth dropped open as I prepared to say something, but it was Joshua who replied. “They’ll be fine for a few minutes, Karrie. Thanks.” He then took me gently by the elbow and led me on as we heard Karrie “humph.”
I wasn’t sure what to think of her, but Joshua chuckled under his breath and shook his head. “She tends to get a little bossy sometimes.”
“She is a manager, right?” I asked, trying to be positive.
“That’s right.” He led me down a trail that wound through the trees. “Are you having fun so far? The girls really seem to like you.” He slid his hand down my arm and interlaced his fingers with mine. It felt so nice to be able to hold his hand and not worry about what anyone thought or who was watching.
“I’m having a blast,” I assured him. “I love working with the kids. The girls are great. Staying in a cabin is kind of fun, at least with all the girls, and I love spending time with you.”
He stopped, turning to face me. With the fading sun setting behind him filtering through the trees, everything had a mystical gleam to it. “You like being around me?”
I nodded, my breath caught in my throat. It took me a moment to work the words out, but when they did, it exposed everything to him. “Just because my brother forbids us from being together, that doesn’t mean I don’t want you.”
Joshua smiled at me and then said, “You’ve got a little marshmallow on your lip.” Immediately, I sucked my lip into my mouth, trying to work it off, but then he said, “Let me,” and his mouth was on mine.
My toes curled as I pushed up off the ground to meet him, my knees growing weak as my head began to swim.
15
JOSHUA
Liberty tasted even better than I always assumed she would, and it had nothing to do with the tiny speck of marshmallow on her lip. She tasted like the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten and the most refreshing, cool, crisp water a man could ever hope to drink after walking in a desert for over a decade. That was how long I had been dreaming of this moment, of actually kissing this girl without fear of anyone sneaking up on us.
But the moment that thought registered in my mind, that we were sneaking around behind my best friend’s back, I pulled away, leaving Liberty standing there panting, her eyes wide, and her mouth still agape.
I took a deep breath and took another step back. “I’m so sorry, Liberty,” I murmured. “I shouldn’t have—” I stopped myself, not sure what else there was to say.
Color flooded her cheeks, and it had nothing to do with the sunset behind me. “No, it’s okay,” she said with a shrug. “We should, uh, probably get back to the bonfire.”
“Yeah, we probably should.” I cleared my throat, wishing there was some way for me to both hang onto the memory of what had transpired between us and still not feel this sickening feeling that I’d just betrayed my best friend.
We walked back the way we had come, Liberty leading the way, neither of us saying anything. I hated the awkwardness between us now. In some ways, it would’ve been better if I hadn’t kissed her at all, but I found it hard to regret my actions when everything about it had been so perfect.
Back at the bonfire, the kids were laughing and having fun. I saw some mingling between the girls and boys and didn’t know if I should shut it down or let them enjoy their time together. It was always a concern for us that we had both sexes at camp at the same time, but most of these kids were the types who didn’t need to be watched nonstop to keep in line with our rules about the type of behavior I’d just partaken in myself. Still, with the feeling of Liberty’s lips seared into mine, I wanted to make sure I kept an eye on the students so none of them were up to any funny business.
Excusing myself from Liberty, I walked away, and she rejoined the girls who she’d been hanging out with before. I heard one of them excitedly ask what I’d wanted, and Liberty said, “We were just discussing the types of pictures I should be taking tomorrow.”
The girl seemed to buy it, and they returned to their conversation about basketball shoes.