06: Reading by Moonlight

Morning came and Abigail awoke to find Zach pulling on his dried jeans and shirt near the back of the cave. He smiled at her as she rolled over the blanket still naked and dreamily looked up at him. Zach started towards her and fell to his knees beside the firepit. “Morning, Sleepyhead,” he leaned down and lightly brushed his lips against hers before pulling her completely beneath him and deepening the kiss.

A frown formed on his face once he’d released his hold on her mouth and she felt nervous tension tug at her gut, almost afraid to ask. “W-what’s that look for?”

“Your lips. They don’t taste like green apple anymore. I don’t think I like kissing them now.”

“Well I-I um…”

“Relax, Abigail, I’m only teasing,” he grinned, “These lips are a treasure to be cherished,” he finished and kissed her again.

“Mmm well y-you must have eaten it all off when you got hungry last night,” she finally retorted, feeling an ounce of courage. “And you can call me Abby, everyone does.”

“Well in that case I prefer Abigail. It can be mine and mine alone.”

She couldn’t help the smile that grew on her lips and wrapped her arms around his neck as he gazed at her. “How long have you been awake?”

“I couldn’t tell you,” Zach replied as he stood from the ground and started for the rock that held Abby’s clothing. “My phone died and my charger’s back at camp.”

“Oh.”

“And in speaking of which, you should get dressed so we can start heading back. As tricky as the weather is, there’s no telling when it’ll start raining again.” Tossing her clothes to the blanket, Zach began packing up the other items he’d brought with him as Abigail got dressed.

On the walk back to camp, Abigail and Zach talked about everything and nothing. He learned what her favorite hobbies were and the kind of music she enjoyed. He paid close attention when she talked about her normal routine and the way she and Jemma became friends. And as she talked about her likes and dislikes in food, authors and artwork and even her favorite childhood memory, he listened carefully. Her voice was like a siren’s song that captivated him and held his attention through the long hike back. Zach wanted to learn everything he could about her and made mental notes of the things that made her smile most when she talked; such as her favorite smell, most read books and ideal date.

Similarly Abigail was enthralled with Zach’s life story and how he came to be the great football player he is today when his interests primarily lie in building things and creating art. She learned that since childhood, he imagined the world as the all mighty Hanna-Barbera envisioned it in the cartoon series The Jetsons and wanted to recreate it someday. She came to recognize everything he believed important and appreciated the way he held his father, a renowned architect, in such high esteem.

When he started talking about his relationship with Sasha her attention dwindled a little as her mind began comparing herself to the captain of the cheerleading team. But her interest piqued again when he related his drawing to her love of photography and asked if she would pose for him sometime. “You have a unique face and I think it would look great in my sketchbook.”

‘Unique face?’ That was usually code for ‘ugly,’ she thought and simply nodded when he asked again. They talked for so long that neither noticed they were walking down the trail heading into camp. “ABBY!” Jemma shrieked and ran towards her friend with her arms extended. Before she could say a word, Jemma bombarded her with a million questions, but where she’d gone and why she took off were the two most important.

“I…”

“What on earth were either of you thinking?” Professor Jones interrupted Abigail as she’d started to explain. “You both could have been killed, do you realize that? We outlined the safety guidelines for this trip for just this reason! Young lady, do you think because you’re here on a special pass you can roam free whenever you want? And you,” he yelled, turning his attention to Zach, “don’t think being the star member of our football team grants you any special treatment! You are both hereby confined to your cabins for the remainder of this trip! Now go, get out of my sight. I need to call the Ranger station and have them call off their manhunt!”

He stormed off and Abigail glanced up hesitantly at Zach before slinking away towards her cabin. Jemma was right on her tail as she smashed through the door and she heard it slam shut behind her. “Abby?”

“Please, Jemma, not you too. I can’t be yelled at anymore right now ok?” she threw herself into her pillows as warm tears crept down her face. For once she was grateful she was alone, for the most part. The other occupants of their cabin were nowhere in sight and from the looks of things they’d taken their belongings with them too.

“That’s not what I was gonna do. Geez, girl, you had me worried! Do you have any idea what I was going through thinking the worst happened to you out there? I’m just glad you’re back and safe, that’s all.” Jemma sank onto the bed beside her and gently rubbed her back. “You know you can talk to me about anything right?”

“I know, Jemma. But sometimes I just feel so alone, you don’t understand and you can’t understand because you’re pretty and popular and you make friends so much easier. You don’t know what it’s like being the butt of everyone’s joke!”

“You’re right I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I don’t try to at least be there for you when you need me. You’re like my sister, Abs, and I’d do anything for you!” she felt the tension ease out of Abigail’s shoulders slightly as her sobbing diminished and she rolled over.

Sliding her legs over the side of the bed, Abigail rested her head on Jemma’s shoulder and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry I ran off like that. It was just too much you know? And then Sasha and her evil minions…” Looking around again, she realized that not only were the other girls’ items missing, but their beds appeared to have not been slept in either. “Where are they anyway?”

“Oh, Professor Chauncey moved them to another cabin.”

“Well someone left a bag.”

“It’s Sasha’s. When she realizes it’s missing, I’m sure she’ll come looking for it.”

“Oh. Why did they move?”

“Apparently, we didn’t get along well. I don’t know though. If you ask me, Sasha’s face really seemed to enjoy the fat end of my fist!” Jemma laughed and Abigail stared at her in shock.

“You didn’t!?”

“I sure as hell did! She’s been sporting a bruised eye and a fat lip since late afternoon!” Abigail squealed and threw her arms around her best friend. They laughed together for a moment and Jemma squeezed her tighter against her as she thought a moment and smiled to herself. “Uh, so, Abigail Leslie Carmichael, you wanna explain to me why you’re not wearing a bra and the reason why Zach was smiling like a Cheshire when you two got back?”

She jumped back, wide-eyed and shocked as she listened to Jemma put two and two together and blushed. “Um…I…”

Jemma gasped and stood from her seat dancing and cheering. “No way! You’ve got to be kidding me! You fucked Zach?” she whispered the word to keep from alerting the entire camp.

“It-it wasn’t um…we didn’t exactly mean for anything to…”

“OH MY GOD YOU DID!” She again burst into a fit of joy, pulling Abigail’s hands and moving them around in frantic circles as she ran in place. “I can’t believe this! It must have been one crazy night! That is great! Your first time and it was with the man of your dreams! Wow! And I bet he has a really big…”

“JEMMA!” Abigail’s eyes widened as she pulled her hands away, smiling with embarrassment. Although Jemma was wrong thinking it was Abigail’s first time that was a bit of information she had no intentions of correcting. No one knew about her past and she preferred it that way. No one, that is, except Zach who she was sure guessed what her panic attack was all about. “It really was not something I’d planned and well…ok maybe I was a little more courageous than normal, maybe a lot, but sleeping with Zach was far from my norm.”

“But I bet you enjoyed it! Oh my God! You fucked THE number one college quarterback in the nation! You’re like royalty right now!” Jemma remarked again smiling at her.

“You can’t tell ANYONE about this, Jem! I mean that! It stays between us.”

“Of course, Abs! My lips are sealed. But yours on the other hand…oh my god you little ho! Spill!”

“Jemma…”

“Yes?” 

“It was amazing!” Abigail beamed and kicked her legs playfully as Jemma once again joined her on the bed. Over the next few hours Abigail recounted what it was like ‘losing her virginity’ to Zach. Jemma made her repeat a few parts ad nauseam, hanging on to her every word. The part she most enjoyed was the way Abigail suggested they stay warm by laying in each other’s arms. When she’d finally had enough of the tale, she poked her head out of their cabin checking for where their chaperones were and waved her arms until she had Knox’s attention.

“So I take it you two have kissed and made up?”

“Kissed, yeah I guess. It wasn’t quite as romantic as you and Zach but, Knoxxy knows what I like,” she wiggled her eyebrows teasingly. “I wanted to go down to the falls but it’s been marked off limits since you went missing. So Knox and I are going to enjoy the view from the inside of the bus.”

“Uh, you know we have to ride that thing back to campus, right?”

“And?”

“And I’d appreciate it if you tried not to leave Knox juice everywhere.” The thought alone gave Abigail the heebie-jeebies and she shuddered. “What time are you getting back?”

“I’m not sure,” she shrugged, shutting out the lights as she timed her exit with Knox. “But don’t wait up.” Abigail watched as the linebacker trucked it across the lawn towards the bus and Jemma danced with excitement as she met him near the door.

She laughed to herself as she got ready for bed. Abigail changed into her pajama top and sweat pants, kicking herself for not bringing a spare long sleeved shirt since the other one had gotten dirty. Quietly she slid beneath the covers, pulling her book from the nightstand beside the bed. 

Flipping to the page where she left off, she tried engaging herself in the antics of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy but found it hard concentrating on the words. Her mind kept wandering to the cave and the night she’d spent sleeping in Zach’s arms. He was warm. And he smelled like sandalwood, musk and bergamot; a pleasant mix of woodsy and citrus with the right hint of manliness.

A knock on the door interrupted her daydream and she noticed a dark figure standing on the stoop through the screen door. Zach cleared his throat, letting her know who it was and she smiled to herself before strutting over to answer. “Hey,” she whispered, backing away to let him inside.

“Hey, I hope I’m not waking you.”

“No, I’d just lain down,” she responded, ambling back over towards her bed. Zach followed, watching the sashaying of her hips as she moved. With a light sigh, Abigail sat on the edge of her bed and Zach dropped down beside her.

“Reading by moonlight? Don’t you know that’s bad for your eyes?”

“Yeah well, I don’t think my eyesight could get any worse,” she shrugged and closed the book up, placing it back on the nightstand. “Uh…so…what’s up?” How lame, she thought and instantly regretted saying those words. But, fortunately for her, it was too dark for Zach to make out the rosiness of her humiliation.

“I, um, I saw Jemma leave and thought you might be scared being in here alone.” 

“And you thought what? That I needed a big, strong football player to protect me?” There was iciness to her words that stabbed their cold daggers sharply into Zach’s heart, but he glossed over it realizing he’d just put his foot in his mouth.

“Ok…maybe I just wanted to see you,” he backtracked; flashing a sexy smile that made her heart flutter and she nervously chewed her bottom lip. “I, um, I couldn’t sleep. I kept seeing your face and I thought, or rather was hoping that if I saw it in person I could get it out of my system and get some rest. Only…”

“Only what?” Abigail asked hanging on to his every word as each one drew him closer and closer.

“Only seeing you kinda throws the idea of ‘sleep’ right out the window.” 

He caught himself staring at her, mesmerized by the way the moonlight danced in her eyes. Her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip and Zach watched it disappear back between her soft, pink lips. He was leaning towards her before he even knew what he was doing, but Abigail cleared her throat before their lips connected. “About that whole thing, in the woods…when I freaked out…”

“You don’t have to explain,” he replied quietly, drawing back to the foot of the bed. “I don’t want you to tell me anything you don’t want to. I’m just sorry I scared you.”

Abigail rewarded him with a half smile and Zach smiled back. As he spoke, he gently massaged her arm and felt tiny goosebumps cover her smooth skin. “You’re so cold.” He held his arm out and she scooted under it, snuggling up next to him. “Is that better?” His voice, low and soft, sent shivers down her spine.

“Much better.” Abigail closed her eyes as the smell of him surrounded her, making her feel safe. Briefly she wondered at his ability to make her feel so comfortable so easily considering what had happened between them. It had been quite a while since she felt at ease in the company of someone other than Jemma. And honestly it would have been a little terrifying if it didn’t feel so right. 

She shifted a little, inching closer still and Zach looked down at her with a smile. They stared at each other for a moment and Abigail’s heart beat faster in anticipation. His hand wrapped around her neck, gently drawing her forward. Their lips touched in a quiet collision, knocking the wind from them both. Zach held her loosely, his hands wandering down her back, lightly tickling caresses along her spine. 

Abigail’s hand came up to his hair and she expertly tilted his head, deepening the kiss. Zach softly brushed her bottom lip with his tongue until he felt her mouth open. Sweeping his tongue into her mouth, he moaned as he felt it tangling with hers. When they pulled away, Abigail took a breath and giggled to herself at the playful smirk on Zach’s face.

“Can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure,” he answered, smiling down at her.

She suddenly felt very nervous and really didn’t want to have to say what she was about to, but she needed to make sure he understood. “It’s just that…well…you know, or at least I’d imagine you’ve probably guessed some things about me that most people don’t know. Things I’ve never mentioned to anyone else,” she spoke with a pleading look in her eyes. “Not even Jemma.”

The smile faded from Zach’s face and he looked absolutely serious. “Abigail, what happened last night, all of it, stays between us. I have no intentions of running my mouth to anyone. Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.” She gave him a grateful smile and was even more relieved when he leaned down again and kissed her.

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