Chapter 33

Andy's POV

The cabin was peaceful, everyone was distracted by what they were doing. Bree was laying on the sofa, going through the pictures she had taken so far in her camera and admiring them. Violet was in the kitchen doing God knows what, but from the sounds and clatter of the pots, I guessed she was probably cooking or trying to, while Jason was sorted in the corner of the room, reading- or pretending to read one the books he had brought along with him.

I sat by the window, pretending to focus on the view outside. The lake glistened under the afternoon sun, its beauty and calmness the opposite of the turmoil I was feeling inside. But no matter how hard I tried to focus on something else other than him, I could feel Jason’s eyes on me, watching me. It was constant and unwavering. Each glance he threw my way seemed to burn through me and pulled me back to the memory of the kiss.

It was all I could think of. It was all that was in my head.

His soft lips on mine, the heat of his body against mine, the way he had held me like I was fragile. The way his touch had sent shivers all over my body and made me heat up.

I couldn’t push the memory away, and even worse, I could not stop thinking of how every single nerve in my body was drawn to him.

I had kissed him. I had leaned in, and that simple truth haunted me. What was I thinking? Bree’s father. My best friend’s father. This was crazy.

I kept my gaze trained outside, determined not to look his way. But every few minutes, I could feel it- I could feel his eyes on me, watching, waiting. As if he was silently willing me to look back. As if the kiss had affected him just as much as it had affected me. The tension between us was suffocating, but I couldn’t risk Bree noticing anything. She was too perceptive, too in tune with me for her own good. If she picked up on something, everything would spiral out of control.

“Andy?” Bree called, her voice breaking through my thoughts.

“Yes?” I replied as I turned towards her and forced a smile.

“You have been acting weird today,” she said as she sat up on the couch, her eyes studying me intently.

“Weird how?” I asked as I let out a small laugh, but the sound came out forced.

She narrowed her eyes at me as she replied. “You are being… distant. You have been staring out the window for like half an hour now.”

“I an just enjoying the view. It’s so peaceful out here,” I said with a shrug.

Bree did not seem convinced. She put her camera down and looked at her dad, who was still pretending to be focused on his book even though I could feel the tension that radiated from him where I was sitting across the room.

“I have noticed so thing else too,” she let out and my heart skipped a beat.

“What?”

“My dad has been looking at you all day,” she said with a low voice as her eyes looked between Jason and me.

I froze and my face paled as blood drained from it but I forced myself to stay calm.

“What? No he hasn’t,” I said hurriedly.

“Oh come on. Don’t play dumb with me Andy. He has barely looked up from the book he’s holding and every time he does look up, his eyes are on you.“

I swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the tightness that had settled in my throat. She was being suspicious and I could not let her find out and definitely not like this plus there was nothing going on.

“He is probably just worried. You know, with everything that has been going on. The whole Jake thing,” I said trying to get her to see it from other angle.

“Jake? You think that is why he has been acting all… I don’t know, protective?” She asked as she put on a frown and leaned back against the couch.

“Yeah. Of course, why else?” I said quickly, trying to sound as calm as possible. “I mean, the whole situation was intense and he’s still out there and your dad is working hard to make sure he’s punished right? He probably just wants to make sure I am okay,” I tried to explain.

Bree seemed to think about it for a little while, but eventually, she nodded in understanding.

“I guess that makes sense. My dad can be a little overbearing and over the board at times when it comes to protecting the people he cares about. I have seen it happen before,” she said.

I nodded and smiled tightly, hoping that was enough to satisfy her curiosity and give her answers to get question.

“Exactly, he is just… concerned.”

She didn’t push the subject further or say anything else which was much to my relief, but my mind was still racing. Bree was right, of course Jason had been watching me at every chance he got. I could not deny that the kiss had shifted something between us. The feelings I was hiding away looked like they were not out in the air and we couldn’t seem to escape it. And I also did not know how to deal with it.

Even though it was not easy, I tried my best to ignore Jason for the rest of the day. Each time he moved, I found myself so aware of his presence and every time he talked, my eyes were on his lips. I was so aware of each movement of his body and I could not brush away the fact that his lips were on mine hours ago. I hated how easily my body responded to him and how easily I let myself remember his touch on my body and the taste of his soft lips.

But Bree. Bree couldn’t know. I wouldn’t it her find out. This was not just about me- this was her fatter. If she discovered what had happened or what I was feeling for him, it would ruin everything she she would hate me and him. And I could not let that happen.