Chapter 13

With everything considered, the camping trip's conditions were nearly perfect. The site we chose was nestled on the higher ground of the large forest located a couple hours outside of Rochester. The surrounding vegetation was as stunning as the view of the sunset from where we had set up camp. The large bonfire was already burning providing the centerpiece to our surrounding circle of tents. Judy lazily strummed her guitar as we all gathered around roasting marshmallows. It was so cliché. I loved it.

What I loved even more were the looks from Will. I would feel those eyes following me when I was laughing at something Charlotte said or freaking out about a marshmallow catching fire. When I would glance up to meet his gaze, he held eye contact, not the least bit embarrassed that I had caught him looking. With each encounter a new round of butterflies appeared in my stomach. I couldn't stop smiling and it was getting harder and harder to ignore the sexual tension between us. I think he was communicating exactly what I was thinking: when can I get you alone.

Finally, it was too much.

"I'll be back, bathroom," I announced, loud enough so that he would hear. I handed my roasting stick to Jane and quickly walked into the now dark surrounding vegetation, hoping that Will had realized that bathroom break was code for follow me.

I stopped behind a tree, just out of sight of the camp and tried to breath. How did this even happen? Last week I was ready to punch Will Darcy for how much he infuriated me and now I was waiting in the woods for a secret rendezvous with him? I must be going crazy.

But the thought of his hands on me and his tongue inside my mouth made my heart beat quicken and my breath shorten. Will Darcy gave me feelings that no man had ever given me before. And it scared the hell out of me.

Rustling of leaves from behind me broke me from my reverie. A hugely embarrassing smile crept onto my face as I turned, unable to contain my excitement at seeing him.

"And what the hell do you think you're doing?" Charlotte stood a few yards away from me with her hands on her hips. My smile disappeared instantly.

"Char, what the hell -"

"This doesn't look like peeing," she walked towards me, the look in her eyes and tone in her voice reminding me way too much of my mother.

"Do you mind? It's hard enough having to go to the bathroom by popping a squat near a tree and now I need a babysitter?"

"You're so defensive," she quipped, looking at my face intently, "it means you have something to hide."

"Char -"

"Cut the crap, Lizzie." she raised her hand to stop me, "you're going to tell me what's going on right now or I'm going back up there and asking Will."

"You wouldn't dare," I narrowed my gaze at her.

"Try me," she crossed her arms, giving me a defiant look.

I sighed. Char wouldn't be Char if she didn't have her nose in everything. I guess I kinda loved her for that.

"Will and I," I mumbled, lowering my head.

"You and Will, what?" Charlotte continued impatiently.

"We were fighting -"

"Big surprise," she quipped, I gave her a look.

"We were fighting and then he said something that was kind of amazing. The most romantic thing I ever heard, really, and I just realized how...how wrong I've been. All this time, I've been this stubborn, annoying, judge-y girl but he saw past all of that, he...he saw me." It sounded so corny but there was truth in my own words. I hadn't really realized how true they really were until I said them out loud.

"And you see him now too?" Charlotte asked, shedding her earlier tone.

"I think so," I grinned, it seemed she knew I was always missing something about Will. Something she had always seen. It was undeniable in her smile.

"So, anyway," I laughed, "we made out."

"WHAT," Charlotte practically screamed and I had to slap my hand over her mouth to avoid grabbing the attention of the group. But I couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.

"Oh my God," she whispered, "I knew it, that sexual tension was ridiculous. How was it?" I felt a slight blush.

"Char, it was -" I couldn't even describe it.

"Totally hot."

"Exactly," I breathed, smiling from ear to ear, "he's - well, he's Will freaking Darcy, isn't he?" We both laughed.

"Oh, I so called this," Charlotte said between chuckles. Before I could answer with no you didn't, Charlotte and I both turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. My heart skipped a beat at the thought of Will, but instead I heard the high, melodic voice of someone familiar.

"Called what?" Jane appeared, stepping down carefully to where Charlotte and I stood.

"Oh, so this is just a free-for-all, huh? You know, what if I was actually pee -"

"Her and Will," Charlotte cut me off, answering Jane.

"You and Will?!" Jane practically screamed too, Charlotte and I both had to shush her.

"They made out," Charlotte continued, Jane looked at me, shock and excitement in her eyes.

"I knew it," she answered, smiling with pride.

"You did not," I said, looking at both of them, "neither of you knew anything, I didn't know anything."

"Yea, but you're Lizzie," Jane said with a shrug, turning to Charlotte to giggle about something. Presumably me. I couldn't believe this. My own sister?

"Jane, I wouldn't talk," I said louder over their chatter, "you and Charles? What do you have to say about that?" She blushed profusely.

"I'm not denying anything," Jane answered softly, "you on the other hand have texted me for months calling Will Darcy every name in the book and now, suddenly, you're meeting him the forest for a quick make-out session? Not that I'm surprised, I really did call it. I have to tell Mary I won the bet."

"There's a -" I began outraged when Charles's voice reached down to where the three of us stood.

"Is everything ok?" he asked, concerned, I'm guessing for Jane, even though she'd only been gone for about a minute herself. Already sprung.

"Yea, Charles," she called sweetly, "we'll be right there."

I turned to head back to camp, slightly dejected that I hadn't accomplished what I ventured out to get, some alone time to Will. But Jane's hand stopped me, causing me to turn to look at my two best friends in the world.

"We really are happy for you," Charlotte said with a wide grin, Jane nodding in agreement with her own knowing smile.

I smiled back at them, my heart warming at their support. They were as happy about it as I was. Even if I didn't exactly know where all this was going, that was the most important thing, right?

Making our way back to the bonfire, I immediately made eye contact with Will. He was on the other side of the circle, his ear being talked off by Caroline, of course. A pang of something that felt a lot like jealousy ripped my gut but it was subdued by Will's obvious indifference to her chattering. He simply continued to look at me. His eyes seeming to say: Help. I stiffled a laugh.

"Let's play a game, guys," Judy suggested loudly, finishing the song she was strumming.

"Why do we always have to play a game?" Cam groaned, Rosa sitting on his lap.

"It's fun," Char snapped, always excited at the prospect of competition, "what were you thinking, Judy?"

"How about hide-n-seek?" Carey perked up.

"That's perfect," Charlotte squealed, "it'll give us a chance to explore too."

"Um, I don't know, Charlotte, that seems a little dangerous -" Charles began, worried as usual, but was silenced by, surprisingly, Will.

"Oh, c'mon, Charles," he walked over to him, slapping a hand on his back, "it'll be fun, what's the worst that could happen?" Charles didn't answer right away but simply stared into Will's face for a beat.

"What has gotten into you?"

I suppressed another large grin.

"Who's finding first?" Will asked, addressing the group.

"How about the youngest?" Rosa suggested, eyeing us freshman.

"That would be Lizzie," Charlotte said. It was true, I was considered very young among my class.

"Oh, come on," I groaned, "I'm so bad at finding, ask Jane, it's disgraceful really."

"It's true," Jane nodded, "but how many places are there to hide in a forest? Maybe you'll finally redeem yourself."

Jane, who's team are you on?

"So," Charlotte continued, "count to 100 and then come after us. Don't make it too hard on our youngling, guys." The whole group snickered as they retreated to the darkness. I swiftly scanned them for Will, wanting to note which way he was going in particular. But he was no where in sight. And soon, no one else was.

I finished my count and started toward the line of trees. It was eerily quiet, only the sound of the bonfire crackling and the occasional cricket. The hairs on my skin began to stand up as I moved deeper into the forest, listening for any noise that would give my friends away, but hearing nothing. For some reason, the possibility of having multiple pairs of eyes trained on me at this moment while I searched made my heartbeat quicken.

In a moment, before I even knew what was happening, hands gripped my waste and pushed my back forcefully into the nearest tree. The body that belonged to those hands pinned me there and suddenly, the quickness of my heartbeat had nothing to do with fear.

"Will," I breathed, relieved that it was him and aroused by his sudden forcefulness.

"You found me," he smiled wickedly, pulling my face to his by running his fingers through my hair and stroking his thumb along my cheek.

I responded eagerly, kissing him with similar force. I slipped my fingers through his belt loops and pulled his hips to mine, wanting to feel every inch of him.

He traced my lips with his tongue, moving the hand that was in my hair down my arm to rest on my waist, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind.

"Will," I moaned into his mouth, not wanting to stop the momentum but feeling desperately exposed.

"Yea," he answered, stopping and looking into my eyes. His own were alight with excitement and adoration as he studied my face waiting for an answer. I could barely remember the reason I stopped him anymore. He really does see me.

"I'm supposed to be seeking," I chuckled, running my hand along his jaw.

"You're so bad at it though," he joked, moving his face closer again, obviously ready to resume, "might as well give up and have some fun."

"I would be better if you weren't distracting me," I insisted, my eyes rolling back in my head as he sucked and nibbled at my neck.

"You're distracting," he answered as I ran my hands through his hair, "I haven't been to stop thinking about getting you alone all night."

"Same," I sighed, "the bathroom thing was a cover." He moved to my mouth again.

"I figured," he said between kisses, "freaking Charlotte beat me to it."

He kissed me with more passion then, obviously done talking for now. I felt the full weight of him against me and the want growing between his legs, even beneath his jeans. I wanted to reach down and feel him but his next move made thoughts and actions impossible for me.

His large hand on my waist made it's way slowly up my stomach before lightly grazing my breast. My breath hitched as he took the clothed mound in his hand, gently squeezing. I sucked my his bottom lip to encourage his touch. His thumb slowly moved over my now hardened nipple, sending a jolt of pleasure straight between my thighs. I moaned. Too loudly.

"Lizzie," Will breathed, suddenly looking at me and moving his hand, much to my dismay, "Lizzie, I have to tell you this now before anything else."

"Ok," I answered, now slightly worried.

"I know you, you're a smart girl, so I realize you want to take this at a certain speed. So, you have to tell me. You have to tell me what you want. Because I won't want to stop, I don't want to stop. Ever."

I felt my grin from ear to ear. Will will always be a gentleman but his words showed me how much he wanted to me. I've never had that effect on anyone before, that want that could sometimes get out of control. I found myself further aroused. I needed a man like Will, who respects me but isn't afraid to tell me exactly how it's going to be. As much as I hated to admit it, I needed someone to challenge me. Will had never been shy about that.

Instead of answering him, I gripped his shirt collar and roughly pulled his face back to mine. It seems I'm not the only one that illicits a need for the other. Will sufficiently drives me wild. This going slow thing is going to be harder than I thought.

But things came to a hault on their own when Will and I both heard rustling a few yards away, followed by a loud thud.

"AHH," the person yelled. Will immediately went towards the noises as I followed behind.

"Who's that?" Will called as a dark figure laying on the ground came into view. Instead of words, the person answered with more groans. I felt worry eating at my gut, not only for the injured person but for the fact that from where they had fallen they would have had a perfect view of me and Will's display.

"Caroline?" Will asked, bending down to look closer. I froze

"Yes," she groaned, holding her ankle, "I think it's broken."

Without another word, Will began helping her up. After very little effort, she sat down again.

"I can't walk, Will, do you think you can carry me?" I swear she gave me a smug look amidst her pain.

He obliged, picking her up bridal style. I stayed silent. Despite the nagging voice in my head that wanted me to tell Will to leave her in the forest. Food for bears or whatever.

We walked back to camp in silence except for Will yelling to the rest of the group hiding that they should meet back at the bonfire.

Caroline stared at Will the whole time, only straying to look at me once. I could have been imagining things in the dark, but from what I could tell, her look communicated one thing: hatred.

It was obvious.

Caroline knew.

A/N: Hello again! First off, sorry for the slightly longer time between updates, I had finals and was super stressed! Second, I loved y'all's reactions to the make-out session, I had to keep it going. As always, thanks to all of you out there that read, review, fave, follow, etc.

kmart92: You're so right, as usual! Thanks again :)

Guest: Oh, yeeees

missmagpie: She's my fave haha. Thanks girl!

nesciamema: Exactly, my friend. Typical Caroline as we just saw! Thank you

LucyKatie: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you're enjoying :)

Guest: Always keeping you on your toes! Thanks a lot!

Saralee: She's so oblivious, haha. I think so too :) Thanks!

machi3663: I'm glad you got double the update! Thank you so much.

Julianabr: Haha omg seriously loved this review! Thanks so much for your awesomeness. I'm sorry for the wait, I totally understand the "in-progress" problem as I am an avid FF reader myself. I'll do my best though! Thanks so much.

calfoo33: I KNOW RIGHT. About time ugh

hazeleyedgurl22: haha you go it! Thanks.

Mery Vedder: Thank you so much !

NaturalSound: Thanks a million :)

paucajtro: My thoughts exactly!

Maigra917: ADKJFASDKFALS no thank you!

Guest: Of course, I'll try!

wendywho: I think so ;)

woohoo: Thank you I sure will!

Guest: Thank you so, so much!

mymemoriesdefined: He really is haha. Thank you so much I will for you haha

MaebeSara: haha of course, thanks!