The moon hung high above the river, scattering silver light across the rippling water. The air was cool, clean, and quiet, with just the whisper of current and the crunch of their shoes on gravel.

  Barrett stayed silent. Letting her speak first would put him in a position of strength. Or so he believed. Love was a negotiation, and he intended to stay on top.

  He studied her out of the corner of his eye. The pantsuit revealed little, but faint veins along her forearms suggested some fitness. Not a lifter. Pilates, maybe. He could respect that.

  Rei’s reflection shimmered in the water beside them. “You seem pretty relaxed about all this now,” she said, breaking the silence.

  Barrett grunted, “I’m ready for anything.”

  She turned her head, smirking. “Funny. Weren’t you the most freaked out when we first got here?”

  “Me? Freaked out? Nah.”

  “Pretending to be freaked?”

  “N-Not at all!”

  Her laugh was soft, low. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna grill you about your unusual level of preparedness.”

  Barrett forced a laugh, trying not to look too relieved.

  They walked in silence for a moment longer, their shadows stretching long along the bank. The water shimmered like quicksilver under the moon. Barrett racked his brain for something cool to say. He kicked himself for not watching more romantic comedies or something. The movies he watched didn’t have any instructions for this moment.

  Finally, he said, “You’re taking this pretty well yourself. You looked like you were having fun tossing around fireballs earlier.”

  Rei sighed and stopped walking. “Honestly? I’m relieved.”

  Barrett raised an eyebrow. “Relieved?”

  “This,” she said, gesturing to the surrounding forest, “is less stressful than corporate life. No emails. No meetings. No deadlines. Just survival. Simpler, in a way.”

  Barrett chuckled. “You serious?”

  “Dead serious.”

  He nodded, hands sliding into his coat pockets. “I get that.”

  She glanced at him. “How about you? What was your life before this?”

  Barrett hesitated. The river whispered beside them, moonlight trembling across the surface. “Does it matter?”

  “I don’t know,” she said lightly. “I’d just feel kinda weird hitting on you if it turned out you were working at a mall game shop or something twenty-four hours ago.”

  Her eyes gleamed with mischief.

  Barrett let out an awkward bark of laughter. “Forget about that world. All you need to know here is that I’m a big, jacked guy with a machete. Who gives a damn what my GPA was?”

  Rei laughed and stepped closer, her voice dropping. “You’re ridiculous.”

  Barrett’s heart pounded. Her eyes caught the moonlight sharp and confident, they dared him to make his move. His face felt hot, and his breathing uneven.

  Hell yeah, he thought. This is my time.

  For a heartbeat, it felt like when he was a kid standing on the edge of a high dive again. That mix of fear and adrenaline that demanded he jump.

  He leaned in.

  Their lips met for one perfect second.

  It was a single moment that felt like it justified his entire existence.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  A yell echoed through the night.

  Both of them froze.

  Barrett’s head snapped toward the camp. “Shit.”

  The yell came again, high and panicked.

  He met Rei’s eyes.

  “We gotta run.”

  —

  When Barrett sprinted back into camp, the fire was still burning low. Shadows danced across tense faces. Fred and a few others were huddled by Barrett’s tent, rummaging through his gear like vultures.

  The blonde kid and the redheaded girl were shouting, struggling against two older men holding them back.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing with that?” Barrett barked, spotting Fred elbow-deep in his pack.

  “Mister Donovan!” the redhead cried. Her freckled face was flushed with anger as one of Fred’s lackeys held her by the arm.

  Fred didn’t even turn around. “You must be the dumbest person I’ve ever met,” he said, his voice dripping with contempt.

  “Watch it.” Barrett’s hand dropped to his machete.

  Fred pulled out a container and scoffed. “A tub of creatine?”

  “Some studies say it prevents Alzheimer’s,” Barrett said flatly.

  Fred tossed it aside. “And what about this?” He grabbed a handful of cigars and dumped them into the dirt. “All these cigars?!”

  Barrett’s jaw tightened. “Those are Cohiba, you bastard.”

  Fred shook his head, flipping through the next item. “And The Calvin and Hobbes Essentials. Unbelievable.”

  Barrett puffed up. “Something for the spirit.”

  Rei leaned toward him, murmuring with a smirk. “I don’t blame you for that one.”

  Fred’s voice snapped through the moment. “So you somehow knew something like this was coming, and instead of bringing medical gear or food, you packed this garbage and a queen-sized bed?”

  Barrett stepped closer, his shadow stretching long in the firelight. “I don’t owe you any answers. Especially not after you ransacked my stuff.”

  Fred straightened, trying to stare him down. “What’s your deal, Donovan? What are you hiding?”

  Barrett grinned, slow and dangerous. “I know your type. Big shot, used to getting your way. I bet it’s killing you that a guy like me is holding more cards than you.”

  Tanya, the blonde with the quads, took a step forward. “Don’t get any closer.”

  But Barrett brushed past her, grabbed Fred by the collar, and yanked him close.

  “Careful, suit boy. You piss me off enough, and I might not save your sorry ass next time.”

  Fred shoved weakly against him, but Barrett’s grip was iron.

  “So what, you’re just gonna take your bag and leave? Go off on your own?” Fred snapped.

  Barrett released him and stepped back, staring as if the man had just said the dumbest thing alive. “And what? Leave you here with all the babes?” He barked a laugh. “Hell no, suit boy. Not while I’m getting decent looks.”

  A few chuckles rippled through the crowd. Rei folded her arms and looked away, trying not to smile.

  Barrett crouched, gathering his scattered belongings, methodically repacking them as the others watched in uneasy silence.

  Fred looked like he’d swallowed a bug. “Unbelievable.”

  Barrett zipped up his pack and slung it over one shoulder. “You wanna cavity search me next, Fred? Go ahead, but I’m warning you.” He grinned maniacally, “You might find my last shred of patience up there.”

  That broke whatever tension remained. Fred turned on his heel and stormed off, muttering curses, his cronies trailing behind, including the two guys he’d humiliated earlier. Tanya lingered just long enough to give Barrett a look of disappointment before following them into the dark.

  Rei lingered by the fire, rubbing her arm. She didn’t meet his eyes.

  “Any chance we can pick up where we left off?” Barrett asked with a grin.

  She looked up, surprised.

  “Seriously? No hard feelings for…you know. The distraction thing?”

  Barrett threw back his head and laughed, loud enough to startle the others.

  “You think I didn’t realize that was a play?”

  Rei blinked. “Wait, what?”

  “I knew right away it was a setup,” Barrett said, picking up one of the cigars Fred had tossed aside. He glanced up at her, grinning slyly. “But I also knew it was an excuse.”

  Her lips curved into a reluctant smile. “You do know I prefer guys who are like the exact opposite of you, right?”

  “So I’ve been told.” Barrett flicked the cigar between his fingers and held it out. “You gonna give a guy a light, or what?”

  Rei smirked, shaking her head. “You really are incorrigible, Donovan.”

  Barrett winked. “Damn right.”

  She turned, walking away toward the other fire. Barrett watched her go, cigar hanging loose from his fingers, the embers of the campfire flickering in his shades.

  He looked across to see the blonde boy in the hoodie lying back down again.

  “Yo kid.”

  “Hmm?” the boy murmured.

  “You got any idea what ‘incorrigible’ means?”

  The boy shrugged.

  Barrett chuckled, lying back beside the fire. “Incorrigible,” he said softly. “I like the sound of that.”

  —

  Later that night, Barrett lay on his back, staring up at the moon. The forest was quiet except for the crackle of dying embers and the hum of strange night insects. He couldn’t sleep; every time he closed his eyes, he replayed the kiss. A slow grin spread across his face.

  A hesitant poke pressed against his arm.

  He blinked and turned his head. The redheaded girl crouched beside him, her small face dimly lit by the fading firelight.

  “Mister Donovan,” she whispered.

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m sorry about earlier. I tried to stop them from going through your bag, but…I was too weak.” Her voice wavered, eyes glassy.

  Barrett let out a quiet laugh and turned onto his side. “Don’t worry about it, kid. No harm done.”

  She sniffed. “I know you like your secrets. I’m sorry that man exposed them in front of everyone.”

  “You think so?” Barrett’s grin turned sharp in the dark.

  She frowned, confused. “Huh?”

  He chuckled, rolling onto his back again. “He didn’t expose a damn thing. I’ve still got plenty of secrets.”

  The girl blinked at him, unsure whether to smile. Barrett only leaned back, eyes on the stars as the fire cracked softly beside him.