A Spotlight Summer (Jack Gilinsky)

Chapter Eighteen

Jack POV

“We are going to die.” Kelsey stated from her usual spot, the passenger seat of my jeep.

I suppressed a laugh at her serious tone.

“I am completely serious! This is not normal. Normal people don’t go on dates to the woods.” Kelsey said.

“Technically this is our second date in the woods.” I corrected her.

She threw her hands up and shook her head. This time the laugh escaped my mouth and I reached my hand over to rest it on her knee.

“That is so not going to relax me.” Kelsey said, eyeing my hand.

“Why can’t we ever go on normal dates? Like the movies? Or dinner?” Kelsey continued.

I squeezed her knee and she replied, “Ok see that is definitely not calming me down. That is distracting me. Which you might try to be doing because you’re taking me to the woods but I would appreciate the full function of my brain right now so I can come up with a possible escape plan if we get kidnapped or attacked and your hand on my bare knee is so not helping my brain to function.”

I reluctantly lifted my hand from her skin when her eyes met mine with a look of disapproval.

“I didn’t say you should move it.” Kelsey reached over and took my hand back and placed it where it had just been.

“You are so complicated.” I grinned.

“You love it.”

“Debatable.” I raised my eyebrows in a teasing manner.

“If you weren’t driving right now I would challenge you even more on this by using various parts of my body but since I value our lives I’m going to allow you to stay focused.” Kelsey winked.

I looked over at her and she could tell by the expression on my face that she won.

“That’s what I thought.” Kelsey sung, her tone laced with victory as she leaned over and placed a kiss on my cheek.

“Seriously though, tonight is going to be so much fun. Johnson will tell you once you see him.” I encouraged.

“A night in the woods is not fun.” she insisted.

“It is in Omaha. We always go camping. It’s a thing.” I explained.

“I’m pretty sure it’s only a thing in your group of friends.” she continued.

Staying true to tradition, the boys and I decided to head out camping this weekend. You never know what’s going to happen when you throw all of us in the woods. This year would be a very different crowd though. For one, Sara and Janelle would not be attending, nor would Nash. Plus, Kelsey was coming. I couldn’t wait to see her try to fend in the woods for a night, even with all of our food packed and Kelsey’s insistence of bringing her own pillow. She barely handled fishing for a couple of hours; having her all night in the woods is surely going to be hilarious.

All night. In the woods.

I cursed my mind for immediately traveling to how badly I wanted Kelsey. To how much she consumes my every thought.

“Hey hey! You guys excited?” Johnson’s voice broke my less than pure thoughts as he hopped in the backseat of my jeep. I had picked Kelsey up first because I craved any alone time with her, even if it was for five minutes before we had to pick up Johnson.

“No.” Kelsey said.

“Yes!” I replied at the same time.

“Kels, I know every time we bring you to a gathering things don’t exactly end up going smoothly but—” Johnson was cut off by Kelsey turning her body and glaring at him from the front seat.