Xavier and the Wolf (Legends of Pinewood 1)

28. You're living the dream

"You washed the tent and the sleeping bag, right?"

Iris narrowed her eyes at me in suspicion. We stood in front of her parents' open shed, but she didn't accept the closed tent bag I offered her. 

"Iris, please. I washed the sleeping bag because we slept in it," I replied, emphasising the word slept. "And the tent is fine."

Iris still jokingly side-eyed me, but she accepted the bag from my hands now. "You slept? Xavier, you realise you don't go camping with a hot guy in the woods to sleep, right?"

"Okay, fine. We didn't only sle—" I stopped myself from going on. 

Iris stood up straighter with sparkling eyes. "Yes?"

"Never mind that," I said quickly. "I, uh, actually had something else I wanted to ask you. Another favour, I'm afraid."

"Well now." Iris arched a brow. "You refuse to give me any juicy details about what happened last night with the big James Aquila switcheroo, and you keeping asking me favours. Why are we friends again?"

"Okay, okay fine, I get it, you really want the gossip," I gave in with a chuckle. "You wouldn't believe it, but after leaving the bonfire I ran into yet another wolf with James in the woods. He ran away and left me alone. Aquila then found me and stayed with me. That's all."

Iris blinked. "... What?"

"That's what I mean with it's hard to explain," I said. "But all you really need to know is that anything I had with James is very over now, and I'm going to see where things go with Aquila."

"Okay." Iris scratched the back of her head and shrugged. "I mean don't get me wrong, they're both hot. But...really? You're picking a grouch like Aquila over fun James?"

"Yep," I said. I couldn't stop the smile from spreading on my lips. "I'm picking the grouch with the 'strange' behaviour that's making the entire town talk."

"You know what? I love that for you. He must be quite the lover, judging from the way you're blushing right now." Iris winked. 

"I'm not blushing!" I protested, though I felt my face grow hotter by the second.

Iris laughed as she dipped into the shed to stow the tent away. "So, what's the other favour you wanted to ask then? Shoot."

I swallowed. "Well, it's kind of a big favour, I'll warn you."

Iris head poked out of the shed. She looked even more interested now than she had asking about James and Aquila, and that was saying something. "Go on," she said, stretching the words.

"It's about you leaving Pinewood when you go to college and the matter with your mom and dad," I started carefully, lowering my voice to just above a whisper because we were standing in her driveway and Iris' parents were inside.

Iris expression grew a little darker. A little more guarded. "Yes?"

"I know you don't want to take over your parents' supermarket but I was thinking." I paused to take a deep breath. "Maybe I could?"

Iris stared at me. "You want to take over the Apple supermarket?" she asked. "You do realise that means you have to stay here. In Pinewood. As in, you couldn't leave? For a very long time?"

"Yes, I realise that."

Iris frowned. "And that's what you want to do?"

I needed a little longer to respond to that question. "I think so, yes," I said after a brief silence.

Iris planted her hands on her hips. "You need to be little bit more sure than 'I think so', Xav," she said. "This is quite a decision. You know my parents love you and they might say yes. But you can't tell my parents you're not going to do this after all a few months after you tell them you will. It's a long-term choice."