Reception can be spotty in the mountains. The community has cell boosters, but I don’t give out my WiFi to everyone that parties at my house.
Most people hung around my property all day in clumps. There were around fifty people stranded, hovering near those that had better reception to check in with their parents and entertain themselves with social media. A local hashtag trended: #SOSatSaints.
My Instagram feed was blowing up with a bunch of posts with the tag.
I didn't have enough food in the house to feed everyone. The boat was out of gas, too, so I couldn’t go to Devlin’s for more. We have a rowboat, but I hate that thing.
People were getting on my nerves. It was more intense to keep my mask in place in my own house when there wasn’t a party going.
All I wanted was to go back to my room with Gemma, but she stayed out of sight along with her brother.
By the time they've taken care of the mudslide and downed tree, everyone peels off in a line of cars.
I’m glad to see them all go.
All except one person.
I snag Gemma around the waist when Alec says he’s got everything. They’re the last two people here. Even Devlin left.
She’s still in my hoodie and shorts as the late afternoon sun cuts across the lake. We’re on the back deck munching on the frozen pizza I shoved in the oven an hour ago. Alec snags another slice.
“That’s getting old,” Gemma shoots over her shoulder.
“Not to me.” I drag her into my lap on the Adirondack chair and offer her a bite of my pizza. She sighs and accepts. “I think you should stay.”
Alec’s brows jump up. Gemma’s follow suit. It’s funny how they both have the same expressions sometimes.
“Um,” Gemma drawls. “Crazy guy say what?”
She looks like the indignant meme of the guy blinking in disbelief.
“Stay here with me.”
“Why?”
I mutter in her ear so Alec doesn’t hear. “Because if you don’t, I’m just going to follow you home and drag you back here. I’m not ready to let you go. Keep your window unlocked for me, okay?”
Gemma punches my shoulder without much force. I dip my fingers into the pant leg of the basketball shorts and trace her skin.
When she shivers at my touch, the thrill of success buzzes on the tip of my tongue.
Gemma tries to disagree in silence and I answer her back with a face of my own. We have an entire conversation with nothing but our faces and hands.
“Wow.” Alec has an accusatory undertone as he addresses us. “You guys have silent communication down. How long have you been fucking my sister, dude?”
“Alec!” Gemma struggles out of my lap, scowling at me when I won’t let her go. I release her with my hands up. She charges into her brother’s face, steering him back despite the height he has on her. She’s a little spitfire and it makes an ember burn in my chest. “I am not sleeping with him. We’ve kissed.”
That’s not all of it, but I’m not going to admit that to her brother. I’m definitely not telling him about fingering her in the student lot. I already felt shitty about that conversation with Carter in front of Alec.
“After we got you to the room last night, Gemma took off.” My attention slides to her for a second. I still want to know what the hell happened to put her in that state of terror. “I went after her in the rain. That’s how we found out about the blocked road. Gemma almost crashed your car into it.”
“You didn’t tell me any of that,” Alec says to Gemma, his hands on her shoulders. “Holy shit, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It was—yeah. Lucas brought me back here.”
Gemma quiets for a second, lost in thought. She brushes her hand over a bruise on her leg peeking out from the bottom of the shorts. She glances at me.
There it is. She doesn’t know how to explain those to her family. I’ve got her.