It only takes about forty-five minutes to get out to the key, and we’re greeted first by the lighthouse — one that I hope to take Cassie up in tomorrow, if she doesn’t demand I take her back to shore tonight. Chancing a glance back at her from where I’m driving, she’s not giving anything away. There’s no smile on her face, but she doesn’t seem in a hurry to run away, either.
She’s waiting for me to make my move.
I just hope it’s enough.
After I dock the boat, I grab her hand and walk her quietly onto the tiny island.
“What is this place?” she asks, looking around in wonder at the mangroves, the small, sandy shore, the crystal blue water, made darker by the sun setting over the coast.
“Boca Chita Key.”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
I chuckle. “Well, we’re in college. I think we focus a little more on classes and partying than on cool places to camp.”
“Are we camping here?”
I swallow, pulling her to a stop along the shore. “I hope so.” Then, I look behind her.
She follows my gaze, and when she does, a soft gasp slips from her lips. She covers her mouth, and I hold my breath, hoping that reaction means everything I’ve set up is paying off.
Camping on the island is first-come, first-serve — so I came here early this morning, setting up a tent and working throughout the day to make it the most amazing campsite anyone could ask for. It took a little planning and a lot of figuring out how to do everything I wanted with just the power on the generator I bought for the Halloween party, but I pulled it off.
The two-person tent is cast in an orange glow, both from the setting sun and from the white string lights I hung above it. Two chairs wait by the fire, along with everything we need to make hot dogs and s’mores in a cooler and a couple reusable bags. There’s a bottle of wine in a bucket of ice that I set up just before going back to the mainland to pick her up, and two plastic wine glasses beside it.
Grabbing Cassie’s hand, I guide her toward the site, refilling the ice in the bucket as she looks around more. One peek inside the tent, and I know she’s seen that it’s filled with blankets and pillows and rose petals for a romantic touch. She closes the flap once more, standing, eyes tracing each and every detail of the scene before she looks at me.
“You did all this?”
My hands find my pockets, and I nod.
Her mouth parts, and she looks around in wonder, shaking her head. “It’s beautiful,” she whispers. “Are we the only ones out here?”
I look around at the vacant campsites. “It’s first-come, first-serve, and there are a few other spots to camp on the key. But it’s not really camping season. We very well might be.”
She nods, still taking it all in.
Everything about her is stunning in that moment — the glow of the sun on her fiery hair, the freckles dotting her cheeks, her wide, emerald eyes sweeping over the campsite. Everything inside me longs to hold her, and I decide I can’t wait another minute.
I swallow, reaching for her and breathing another sigh of relief when she lets me take her hands in my own. “Cassie, I’m sorry. I am so fucking sorry for the way I treated you at the Halloween party — for the way I’ve treated you most of this semester. We’re finally together, finally official, and I take the first opportunity to blow something out of proportion and fuck it all up.”
Her eyes well with tears, and she looks between us, rolling her lips together. “No, you had a right to be upset. I should have come to you that first day that I realized Grayson was in my class. I should have just told you from the start, and then maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
I tilt her chin with my knuckle. “Hey, it’s okay. I mean, with the way I reacted… well, it’s pretty clear why you were hesitant to tell me.”
Cassie sniffs, nodding slightly. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Adam. But I promise — nothing is going on between me and Grayson. Nothing ever will again. I’m yours, and I know it doesn’t make sense to you, but Grayson wanting to make amends and be friends… it’s important to me. It gives me the chance to not lose yet another person in my life. And—”
“I get it.”
Her green eyes widen. “You do?”
“I do,” I say, smoothing my thumbs over her knuckles. “I didn’t, not at first, but luckily I have some pretty great brothers who help me see clearer. I mean, I’m friends with Skyler, and you’ve never been opposed to that — other than when I put her before us, which was fair. But since we cleared that all out, it’s been me and you, and Skyler being my friend has never been an issue.”