Chapter 9: Intruders at Dusk

Fishing was fun! James and I had rented a canoe and ventured out onto the serene lake. The tranquility of the water enveloped us and left me feeling calm. The gentle ripples of the lake against the sides of our boat were soothing.

“Isn't this just perfect, Keily?” James asked as he rowed us to the middle of the lake.

I nodded in agreement and breathed in the fresh air.

“It's absolutely beautiful out here,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper as I marveled at the breathtaking scenery.

“Very beautiful,” James said. But his eyes weren’t on the surroundings as he said this. They were on me.

As we came to a stop, James took the lead. He expertly maneuvered the fishing gear with practiced ease. I watched with admiration as he baited the hook and cast the line into the water.

“Here, let me show you how it's done,” James offered, his tone warm and encouraging as he turned to face me.

I nodded, grateful for his guidance as I followed his lead. With patience and gentle instruction, James walked me through the proper technique for casting the line.

“First, you want to hold the rod like this,” James explained, demonstrating the correct grip. “And then, when you're ready, you just flick your wrist like so…”

I did exactly as he said, eager to get it right. There was no reason why I’d fail.

“Keep your wrist loose, Keily,” James advised, his voice calm and reassuring. “You’re doing great. Just take it slow and remember to breathe.”

I focused on the task at hand. I felt oddly calm and confident. With James’s guidance, I slowly began to find my rhythm. The movements became more natural with each attempt.

“See? You’re getting the hang of it,” James praised, his smile warm and genuine as he watched my progress.

Pride made my chest swell. I began to believe that I could conquer any challenge that came my way.

He was good for me.

We sat down next to each other with the fishing lines in the water. Out here, it felt like no one could touch us.

“So, what do you think college will be like?” I asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between us.

James paused for a moment, his gaze distant as he contemplated the question.

“I’m not sure,” he admitted, his voice thoughtful. “But I imagine it’ll be a whole lot of parties.”

Urgh. I really didn’t look forward to cleaning up vomit again. James hadn’t mentioned it and I wondered if he even remembered. I didn’t bring it up, to save him the embarrassment.

“Yeah, it’s both exciting and scary at the same time,” I replied, my voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty.

James reached out to squeeze my hand reassuringly.

“We'll figure it out together,” he said, his tone gentle yet confident. “We'll face whatever comes our way, side by side.”

But what if we changed? Would we still figure things out together? Would we still stay by each other’s sides?

“Do you think we will change as we get older?” I mused. This thought made me bite my lip.

“Yeah, we probably will change,” he admitted. He didn’t sound scared about it. “But that's just a part of growing up. We'll learn and evolve, and hopefully, we'll grow closer together in the process.”

His words brought me a sense of comfort, a reassurance that no matter how much we changed, our bond would remain strong.

“I'm really lucky to have you, James,” I said. I was really, really lucky.

James smiled warmly, his eyes reflecting the affection in his heart.

“And I'm lucky to have you too, Keily,” he replied. “We'll always be there for each other, no matter what.”

“I hope you’re right,” I said, eyeing my fishing rod.

“I've been thinking,” James began tentatively. “What do you think about the idea of us moving in together?”

His question hung in the air. It was a question that left me momentarily speechless. While the idea didn’t necessarily fill me with dread, I knew it was a big decision.

“I... I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” I replied cautiously, the words tumbling from my lips with a hint of uncertainty. “But, you know, I’ve heard a lot of stories about couples breaking up after they move in together.”

After speaking, I felt so very uneasy. I thought about the stories I’ve heard. I didn’t want James and me to fight more if we moved in together. I didn’t want us to place too much pressure on our relationship. And I couldn’t stand the thought of breaking up.

James listened quietly, his expression thoughtful as he processed my words. For a moment, the air between us seemed charged with uncertainty.

“We won’t break up either way,” James said quickly.

“Do you want us to move in together?” I asked.

I held my fishing rod a little tighter. Before James could answer, there was a sudden tug on my fishing pole. It interrupted our conversation. Gasping in surprise, I scrambled to reel in the line. My heart raced as I felt the strong resistance at the other end. But the fish was stronger than I had anticipated, and before I knew it, I had lost my balance.

Oh no!

I tumbled overboard.

There was a big splash and the water was cold. As I surfaced, sputtering and soaked to the bone, I laughed at the absurdity of the situation. James had dived in after me—but I didn’t need rescuing.

His head broke the surface.

“Keily, are you okay?”

My laughter was answer enough. His frown turned into a smile, and he kissed me in the water. Then he climbed back into the canoe and helped me inside.

“It’s getting cold,” I remarked, my teeth chattering slightly. We weren’t planning on swimming, and therefore, we didn’t have any towels.

James nodded in agreement, his brow furrowing with concern.

“We should head back and change into dry clothes,” he suggested. He reeled in the fishing rods before he grabbed the paddle and began to steer us back toward shore.

From there, we walked.

As we made our way back to our campsite, the sun dipped lower on the horizon. I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at the pit of my stomach. We reached the campsite.

And there were those damn kids, snooping around our tent.