But one look in Sasha’s face says he’s not joking.
Unexpected outdoor sleepover with the man I’m dying to get away from, here we come.
We start the climb up the mountain in search of something resembling shelter. Sasha’s phone flashlight beam cuts through the deepening gloom, exposing gnarled roots that claw at our ankles. I’m down to one heel; the other dangles from my hand like a wounded bird.
His back becomes the focus of my attention. Every muscle shifts and stretches with his stride. Shadows pool in the hollows of his shoulders. Keeping him in sight is the only reason I continue putting one foot in front of the other.
Focus, Ariel. Unlovable and unbearable, remember? Just because we’ve veered sliiightly off-course doesn’t mean you abandon the whole plan.
When Sasha kneels to insp
