To Be Alone With You

9. crash

CHAPTER NINE

CRASH

—

Only Zahra, Phoenix, and Atreya actually wanted to swim.

"Just come in for like ten minutes," Zahra said, trying to persuade Stella to enter the water.

Stella gave her an adamant shake of her head. "Hell fuckin' no, I'm freezing just looking at the lake."

"You're a bore. Kas? Rowan?"

Rowan gave her a grim smile. "If you want me to become a human icicle, sure."

Kaspian noticed Rowan's hands were trembling again, like they did sometimes, and he decided to make a bold decision. "Give me your hands."

Rowan held his hands out for Kaspian, and he took them in his own hands, wincing at how cold they were. "We're going to have to get you gloves or something. What the fuck?"

Chuckling, Rowan replied, "My hands are just always really cold. And really fucking pale. If someone saw only my hands and no other part of my body, they'd assume I was white or something."

Kaspian grinned, letting Rowan's hands go after realising that they can't be warmed up anymore. He turned to North, who was sitting on the ground, warming themself up. North couldn't swim, nor did they like to swim, so Zahra didn't even bother to ask them if they wanted to get in the lake.

"Are y'all hungry?" Phoenix suddenly asked.

Just at that moment, Kaspian's stomach decided to make an animalistic growl, causing North to let out a loud laugh.

"Clearly Kas is hungry. We have ramen and we have some biscuits. Take your pick." North started to stand up, Stella following them inside the cabin. Rowan got up, dusting himself off and he gave Kaspian his hand to help him up. Rowan pulled him, and Kaspian went stumbling forward, not even having to use his own strength to get up.

"How the fuck did you do that?"

"What?" Rowan asked, as they made their way inside.

"Pull me up like that."

"I may look like a twig, but I still have some sort of muscle." Rowan rolled up the sleeve of his jumper and flexed his non-existent biceps.

Kaspian looked at him dryly. "Looks great."

Rowan beamed at him, pushing his sleeve back down. The two of them entered the kitchen, and found North taking out a bunch of bottles. Alcohol. Ew.

"What are you doing?" Kaspian questioned, opening a packet of chocolate biscuits and offering them to Rowan. He shook his head and took his own packet of normal salted biscuits.

"Checking the stash."

Stella rolled her eyes, and lightly smacked North on the head. "We have enough. Kas isn't even going to drink."

"I'm not drinking either," Atreya commented, entering the cabin with Phoenix and Zahra.

"Athletes are so boring." Stella sighed, but Kaspian knew she was joking. "But also, y'all are very useful at parties when everyone else is drunk, so. Guess it works out either way."