That moment played in his mind again. The teachers patrolling the campsite like hawks.
The way his body had pressed against a tent's edge, frozen, waiting for the Math teacher to turn away.
The rock he had thrown into the water, creating a splash just in time to redirect their suspicion.
Close call.
Lucas exhaled slowly and reached for the zipper of his tent. He pulled it open just enough to let the cold night air in, relief washing over him as the heat inside his tent finally broke.
The breeze kissed his sweat-dampened skin, bringing him back to the present.
And that's when he saw it.
A figure in the sleeping bag.
His sleeping bag.
His breath hitched.
For a second, his mind went blank, his body locked in place. But as the moonlight trickled in through the small opening, it illuminated her.
Mia.
She wasn't asleep.
Her eyes, heavy-lidded yet sharp, met his the second the dim light exposed her presence.
Lucas didn't move.
Didn't even breathe.
