Camp Rewind Read online

  “Extremely fair.” Aware that Lila was still watching, apparently having forgotten her promise not to, Alice overcame the last vestiges of her modesty and stood. Lila’s gaze traveled down her body, settling on her hands as she fumbled to undo the button at her waist. She remembered how entranced she’d felt watching Lila do the same thing and marveled at the possibility that her attraction was truly reciprocated.

  Lila jerked suddenly and swiveled in place to give Alice privacy. “I’m so sorry. I kind of…spaced out for a minute.”

  Once she’d managed to thumb the button open, Alice pulled down her jeans before painstakingly placing them, folded, onto a dry patch of dock. “No more apologies. For the rest of the night, at least. Deal?”

  Lila nodded without turning around. “You’re on.”

  Though she normally liked to acclimate herself to water slowly—excruciatingly so, according to her ex-husband—the urgency to ensure that her scantily clad body would be submerged before Lila turned around compelled Alice to immediately leap over the side of the boat and into the lake in a less-than-graceful half-dive, half-belly flop. She kicked her feet and rose to the surface upon entry, glad that Lila hadn’t witnessed the ridiculous display. After smoothing wet hair away from her face, she cleared her throat and said, “I’m in.”

  Lila wore a grin when she turned around. “Doesn’t it feel incredible?”

  Alice had to admit, it did feel nice. Every bit of it. She smiled, then kicked her legs to spin in place like a little kid. “Yes.” After a few rotations, Alice stopped abruptly at the sight of Lila swimming closer. Her chest expanded, part pleasure, part pain. All good. Past the point of self-censoring, she said, “Thank you for talking me into this. No matter what else happens, this will always be a night to remember.”

  Lila’s grin melted into something softer, more melancholy. Her eyes shone brightly under the moonlight, full to the brim with emotion too complex for Alice to interpret. Worried that she’d embarrassed herself with the confession, Alice shook her head to clear it. She felt like she was in a dream state, like she was inhabiting someone else’s life. She was probably making a complete fool of herself. Was Lila nearly as caught up in this experience as she was?

  As if to answer her question, Lila swam closer. Close enough to touch. Alice kept her hands far below the surface of the water, fisted at her sides, so she wouldn’t get herself into trouble like she had earlier, when her tongue had gone rogue during that shotgunned hit. She studied Lila’s face, tingling with the anticipation of what might happen next.

  Lila’s hand brushed against her hip, making her jump. “Sorr—” Lila stopped, perhaps remembering their pact. “I was going to say that I’ll always remember tonight, too.” As she studied the surface of the water, Alice got the impression she was actively struggling not to swim away.

  She’s embarrassed, too. At this point, their entire interaction felt so mind-blowingly reciprocal that Alice stopped trying to convince herself that her attraction wasn’t returned. It had to be. Why else would Lila be so nervous? The question triggered an automatic litany of paranoid thoughts, each more frightening and far-fetched than the last. Alice looked around, peering into the darkness to make sure they were truly alone, that this wasn’t just some massive practical joke.

  “I was going to hold your hand,” Lila blurted out. When Alice met her eyes, she lifted a shoulder and grabbed the back of her neck in one hand, visibly squeezing. “When I touched you just now. I don’t want you to think I was trying to grope you or anything like that.”

  No, Lila’s anxiety was 100 percent genuine—and 100 percent unnecessary. “I wasn’t offended,” Alice explained. “Just startled. Really.”

  “Okay.” Lila exhaled, then forced a fairly unconvincing chuckle. “I have no idea what I’m doing either, as you can tell. Socially.”

  Alice continued to tread water as she tried to read Lila’s face. Did friends usually hold hands? Or had that been Lila’s attempt to signal that she was interested in venturing beyond mere platonic friendship? Though Alice had daydreamed about what it might be like to have a casual fling at Camp Rewind, she’d never believed she’d actually get the opportunity. Especially not with a woman. But maybe, inexplicably, this was her chance. Clearing her throat, Alice tried not to sound as excited as she felt. “You’re fine. And if you want to hold my hand…” Slowly, once again detached from her actions, Alice raised her outstretched fingers to skim across the surface of the water, toward Lila. “I’m okay with that.”

  “Just okay?” Lila seemed to hold her breath as she awaited the answer.

  “Completely okay.” Alice managed not to react when Lila’s fingers carefully entwined with hers. Their bodies drifted closer together, as though compelled by an invisible current. Alice’s leg brushed against Lila’s, their hips touched, and then suddenly Alice watched her arms loop around Lila’s neck—for balance, she thought, preparing an excuse even as she committed the transgression—as they fell into a natural embrace. Frightened by her own lack of timidity, Alice attempted to pull away, but Lila tightened the arms she’d already wrapped around Alice’s waist.

  “Don’t leave,” Lila whispered. She rested her chin on Alice’s shoulder and placed a hand in the center of her back, holding her so they didn’t have to meet each other’s eyes. “Please, unless you don’t like it.”

  Alice more than liked it. Surrendering to the comfort, she closed her eyes and rested her head against Lila’s, enjoying the warmth of another human’s skin, the thrum of a second heartbeat echoing through her chest. She hadn’t been hugged in years, certainly not by her parents, not since the last time John had bothered to offer her an emotionless squeeze. Being touched felt so good she never wanted it to end. She raised her hands to Lila’s back, tracing her fingers over the soft skin, relishing the quiet sigh of contentment she was able to draw out with a simple caress.

  They stayed that way for five minutes, perhaps, until Lila began to shiver in her arms. When Alice tried to release her, Lila shook her head and clung tighter. “Wait.”

  “All right.” Alice dropped a hand to rest against Lila’s lower back, keeping her close. “But you’re cold.”

  “Getting there,” Lila admitted. She kissed Alice’s neck, a warm, soft press of her lips, before disentangling herself sheepishly. “So…wow. I know we’re not supposed to apologize to each other anymore, but—”

  Full of unfamiliar confidence, Alice shook her head. “Don’t. We both needed that, obviously. There’s no reason to be embarrassed, right? Either one of us.”

  For the first time, she noticed a shallow dimple in Lila’s left cheek. “You’re absolutely correct.”

  “Anyway, that’s what friends do.” Not that Alice had the first clue what friends actually did. It sounded good, though. “Right?”

  “Totally.” Lila shivered again and nodded toward the dock. “Should we get out?”

  Alice emerged from the water before remembering her wet shirt and Lila’s offer to let her borrow the dry one. Indeed, despite the fact that her teeth chattered audibly, Lila didn’t hesitate to pick up the cold, damp T-shirt. Alice hastily snatched it away. “Thanks, but I’ll wear that.”

  Lila surprised her by swiping it back. “No. I know you’re self-conscious, and it’s very possible we’ll run into other people on the way to our bunks. I meant it when I said I’d wear it for you. Please, let me.” Her hands trembled as she pulled the shirt over her head. “Consider it payment for the awesome hug.”

  Not wanting to start an argument no matter how well-intentioned, Alice nodded. “Thanks.” She knelt to gather her jeans and Lila’s dry shirt, which smelled so good it made Alice dizzy. Dressing as fast as she could, she waited for Lila to button her shorts before extending her arm in invitation. “At least let me help keep you warm?”

  With a fairly violent shiver, Lila stripped off the wet shirt. “You know what? I’d rather walk back in my bra. I can carry the damn shirt.” When Alice opened her mouth to protest aga
in, her guilt renewed, Lila moved close to her side and cuddled up tight. “I’ll happily accept your offer of warmth, though.”

  Alice curled her hand around a cold, bare shoulder instinctually. The obvious goose bumps beneath her fingers prompted her to tighten the embrace and made her wish she could somehow transfer the heat from her body to Lila’s through sheer will alone. Though she’d met the woman less than two hours ago, she already wanted nothing more than to make her happy. As inexplicably happy as Lila had already made her.

  They walked to the end of the dock before Lila broke the silence that had risen between them. “That was fun.”

  Alice smiled at the dark, slightly uneven ground. “It really was.”

  Lila’s cold arm slid behind her back, making the embrace mutual. “And I really haven’t made you uncomfortable?”

  “Not at all.” Alice was glad she didn’t have to look Lila in the eyes right then, because she didn’t trust herself not to somehow reveal exactly how much she’d enjoyed everything they’d just done—and what they were still doing now. She caressed Lila’s upper arm with her thumb, betraying at least a little of her true feelings. “Sadly, I’m already more comfortable with you than nearly everyone else I know. Except my therapist.”

  “That is sad, but only because I don’t like thinking of you feeling that alone.” Lila hugged her around the waist. “On the other hand, hearing you say you feel comfortable with me pretty much wins the goddamn night.”

  “It’ll make sitting together at breakfast less awkward, as well.”

  Lila’s laughter made Alice feel all-powerful, like a bigger and better version of herself. So did the smile Lila directed her way, and the sparkle in what appeared to be a gaze full of affection. “Glad to hear we’re still on for that.”

  “Are you kidding? Of course we are.” The combined effect of the cool air, Lila’s chilly, still-shivering body pressed tightly against her side, and her own excitement sent a noticeable tremor through Alice, which prompted Lila to draw her nearer. Alice went willingly. “You’re stuck with me now.”

  “Good.” As they drew closer to the dwindling bonfire, Lila lowered her voice. “You cold, too? We could go warm ourselves by the fire, if you want.”

  Alice shook her head. Tonight had been more magical than she could have ever dreamed. No need to ruin it by involving other people. “I think I’ll turn in for the night. You go ahead, if you’d like.”

  “Nah.” Lila steered them toward the women’s cabin without missing a step. “I’m stuck with you, remember?”

  “Yes, but I know you’re cold.”

  Lila released her to climb the cabin steps, leaving Alice bereft in her absence. “True, but I’ve got dry pajamas inside. Come on.”

  Alice followed Lila into the canvas-covered structure, blinking rapidly as she tried to adjust to the sudden darkness. Despite two large, screened-in windows on either side of the room, the path between the double rows of bunk beds was only dimly illuminated and wholly perilous to navigate. After stumbling over an object she couldn’t identify, Alice whispered, “I can’t see anything.”

  Lila’s hand touched her arm, easing anxiety that had only just begun to stir. “Close your eyes and then massage them gently with your fingers for about ten seconds. Supposedly it helps to reset your low-light vision.”

  Alice gave it a try. When she reopened her eyes, she had no trouble discerning Lila’s pretty face only a few tantalizing inches from her own. Something came over her or, more accurately, swept through her. A moment of impossible courage, no doubt inspired by a lifetime of vicarious romantic thrills delivered by Hollywood movies. Unable to detect even a hint of rejection in Lila’s expression, Alice moved forward and pressed their lips together in a nearly chaste, somewhat clumsy kiss. Lila gasped audibly the instant their mouths touched, then shot out her hands and gripped Alice’s elbows to prevent her from backing away.

  As soon as she understood that the kiss was welcome, that she’d only surprised Lila, Alice shut off her brain and let her body take over. Lila’s tongue poked out, licking her upper lip, so Alice opened up to let her inside. She moaned at the improbable softness of another woman, so different than anything she’d felt before. Her hands moved on their own, at first resting on Lila’s shoulders, then tangling in her hair. Stirred by the incredible passion of this single, first kiss—a kiss more arousing than anything she and her ex-husband had ever done—Alice brought her own tongue into play, sliding against Lila’s in a dance that left her so hot, so instantly slick, that she couldn’t help but blush and pull away.

  “Please don’t say you’re sorry,” Lila whispered before Alice could catch her breath. “Please.”

  “That was the deal, right?” Alice amazed herself by speaking, and coherently at that. But her knees wobbled, threatening to send her to the floor. “I think I need to sit down.”

  Lila threaded their fingers together, the new familiarity of the gesture making it no less thrilling this time around. “Which bed is yours?”

  Alice had only a fuzzy memory of depositing her suitcase on the last available bunk—a top one, naturally—en route to join the opening ceremony-in-progress. “Um…”

  Lila pulled her along to the far corner of the room. “No worries, you can use mine. Over here.”

  Alice’s legs melted away when she reached Lila’s unmade bed. She sank onto the edge, watching in silence as Lila unzipped a large duffel bag and dug around inside. Though she knew she should probably find her suitcase if only to change out of her wet bra and panties, she didn’t yet trust her legs to carry her. Eager to fill the oppressive silence, she murmured, “It’s a top bunk, unfortunately. It was the only one that hadn’t been taken…I left my suitcase on the mattress.”

  Lila turned to the side, partially shielding her body from view as she unhooked and discarded her wet bra. “I’ll look as soon as I get my pajamas on.” Alice tried not to stare at the silhouette of a full, bare breast as Lila rolled a dry tank top on over her head. She adjusted the hem so it hung low over her hips, then swiftly unbuttoned and discarded both her shorts and wet panties in a single, fluid motion, revealing a brief, alluring flash of one plump buttock as she shimmied on a fresh pair of boxer shorts. “Please excuse the half moon.”

  It took a moment for Alice to understand the playful nature of the comment, but as soon as Lila’s meaning registered, any embarrassment she might have felt about sneaking a peek dissolved, along with her, into giggles. “I didn’t mean to look.”

  “It was hard to miss.” She could see Lila’s flirtatious wink even in the low light, yet somehow managed not to look away. “Anyway, I’m taking it as a compliment.”

  “Good.” In a quieter voice, she added, “You should.”

  Lila bent to kiss the top of her head, then straightened. “What color is your suitcase?”

  “Blue.” Alice surveyed the room, growing sheepish as a thought occurred. “It might actually be—”

  “Right here?” Smiling, Lila hefted the suitcase down from its place on the bunk directly over Alice’s head. “Nice choice.”

  “I guess so.” Alice shivered violently, no longer able to fight off the chill in the air. She sank onto her knees beside her suitcase and unzipped it with shaking hands, searching for an embarrassingly long time before coming up with the long pajama pants and T-shirt she’d brought to sleep in. Glancing over her shoulder, she found Lila with her back already turned. “Thanks.”

  “Not a problem.” Lila shook out a light bedsheet she’d taken from her bag, laying it over the thin mattress as Alice performed the quickest wardrobe change of her life. “I wish I’d realized how chilly it would be at night…or anticipated that I’d do something silly like decide to swim right before bed.” She unfolded a second sheet and arranged it on top of the first. “I’d have brought an actual blanket.”

  Alice hung her wet T-shirt and bra from the corner of the top bunk, then returned to her bag for the quilted nylon blanket she’d packed alongside every other
possible supply she’d thought she might need. “Borrow mine.” She tossed the drawstring travel bag onto Lila’s bunk. “It’s my fault you had to walk back pretty much topless.”

  “Maybe so, but you’re cold, too.” Lila sank onto her bed and lobbed the blanket back to Alice. “I should have packed smarter.”

  Exhaustion crept into Alice’s bones, sapping her of the energy to argue. Still, she had to try to make amends somehow. She was the reason Lila was suffering. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep if I know you’re freezing right below me…”

  Lila crawled between her sheets and rested her head on the pillow with a quiet, contented sigh. Then she rolled onto her side. “So let’s share the blanket. Come on. Get in here next to me before you pass out.”

  Too tired to argue and not at all eager to attempt a nighttime ascent to the top bunk, Alice found it almost easy to accept Lila’s invitation. She withdrew the thermal blanket from its bag, spread it over Lila’s body with an air of tenderness she had no idea she possessed, and crawled beneath to stretch out on her side. Perched at the very edge of the mattress, she worried that the bed wasn’t big enough for two adults to sleep comfortably until the moment Lila wrapped an arm around her stomach and dragged her backward into a cozy embrace.

  Alice relaxed, muscle by muscle, until she no longer had any sense of where Lila ended and she began. A heart beat against her back, mimicking her own. Quiet, even breaths stirred the tiny hairs on her neck, a reminder that tonight, at least, she wasn’t alone. Alice relished the heat of Lila’s body behind hers, the security she provided. Truly at peace, she gave the arm around her waist a tender caress and then closed her eyes. Within moments, Alice fell into the soundest sleep she’d enjoyed in years.

  Chapter Five

  Rosa awoke the next morning to the familiar sensation of a warm body slipping stealthily out of her bed. Without taking the time to remember who she’d slept with and what, exactly, she’d done last night, she tightened her arm around her bed partner and murmured, “Leaving without saying good-bye?”