Toasted Marshmallows (A Sweetly Novella)

11 | Picnic Table

11 | Picnic Table

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Reyna and I were sitting at a picnic table playing Nertz—a card game we've played since we were kids—when Wesley came over and sat down beside her. He had only been with my dad for almost two rounds of our game and I was surprised to see him so soon.

"You didn't last long," I said, putting a card down in one of the center piles before Reyna could get to it.

"His favorite fish is halibut," he commented as he watched us play, intrigued by the lesser known game.

"Ok...?"

"Nertz!" Reyna shouted as she put her last card down, earning a scowl from me while I collected the cards to count the points.

I defeated her the first time, but her winning streak had begun. It was hard to beat her because of how quick she could be, especially when she was on a sugar high.

"Your dad didn't like it when I told him how much mercury is in the average halibut." Wesley adjusted his glasses and smiled, "The final straw was when I went into detail about the health hazards related to mercury."

"You are brilliant," Reyna grinned, happy that her boyfriend got out of an afternoon away from her.

"Well, I'm not eating fish for dinner," I muttered, tossing him a pack of cards. We had an extra deck because Ian played with us when he was bored enough, but he was too busy keeping Meg out of trouble.

We explained the rules to Wesley and showed him how to play. He was pretty good for a newbie, but he was too slow and Reyna still won. He told her that he could probably beat her with some practice.

I choked back laughter and she just gave him an indulgent smile.

As we were about to start another round, our moms finally decided to make their first appearance of the day.

They forced us to vacate the picnic table in order to make room for them, the romance books they were giggling over, and a small cooler packed with sandwich essentials for lunch.

"Yeah, great to see you too, mom," I told my mom sarcastically after I motioned for Reyna and Wesley to go on without me.

"Oh, sweetie. Don't feel so dejected," she pulled me into a hug and smothered me with a kiss on the cheek. "I knew you would be safe with Ian, but I am very happy to see you. I just assumed your class ran late and you guys decided to drive out here this morning."

"Actually," I crossed my arms, "we got lost in the woods last night. And had a bear encounter, that we survived because of me."

Her eyes widened and the jaws of all three women dropped.

"Just so you know." I turned on my heels and walked away.

Maybe next time I would be shown a little more concern when I returned from the bear claws of death, unscathed to see another day.

My friends were already waiting for me at the end of the pier, while Ian and Meg were already in the water. We all wore swimsuits under our clothes in anticipation for a swim in the lake.

I almost laughed when I saw the goofy grin on Reyna's face when Wes took his glasses and shirt off. Instead of teasing her about her expression, he smiled and gave her a quick kiss before jumping into the water.

Meg, perched on Ian's shoulders, giggled and clapped above his head while he treaded water nearby. I was the last one in after Reyna, so I angled towards those two when I jumped, making a splash in their direction. The sight of my little sister clinging to Ian's head like a baby octopus while she glared at me was beyond satisfying.