Sara headed into her tent as soon as she and Nick made it back to their
campsite. She rolled her sleeping bag out and reorganized her pack. As
she sat there trying to get heart rate under control, she mulled over what
had just transpired between her and Nick. He'd made her jump into the
water, had pulled her down with him actually. They'd had a water fight,
just simple horsing around, nothing to get excited about. Until that
stupid fish had nibbled at her foot and scared the hell out of her. She
lay down on her sleeping bag and covered her eyes with her hand. She
couldn't believe that she'd thrown her arms around Nick's neck. The second
he looked into her eyes and asked her what was going on, little jolts of
electricity had shot through her body. They doubled in force when he'd
placed his hands on her waist to steady her. But when his thumbs had
caressed her sides, she turned to Jell-O. She hoped he couldn't see what
kind of effect he had on her, it would just ruin the weekend, not to
mention their friendship. She chided herself silently, 'Get a grip, Sara.
Nick Stokes is not interested in you. You're just friends. He might think
you're attractive in a swimsuit, but he likes women, all women. Whatever
happened back there was all in your head. Move on. Let it go. He was
just concerned. He was not going to kiss you.'
Nick was irritated with himself. He had let Warrick's comments get the best of him and now he had pissed off Sara. Why couldn't he just keep his hands still? Dammit. He grabbed a T-shirt to pull on and sat back thinking for a moment. Sara's fear of heights caused him to grin. He had to admit he liked pulling her down off the cliff with him. He thoroughly enjoyed their water fight, but when she had thrown her arms around his neck, electricity had coursed through him. Looking into her eyes he could see himself getting lost in them. It just seemed second nature to put his hands on her waist to steady her, but he just couldn't keep his hands still. He had wanted to kiss her, as much as he needed to breath, but then she pulled away. He was sure that he'd pissed her off. Warrick was wrong, she wasn't into him. Now he had two more days of this trip to try and restrain his hormones. He was going to have to make sure the three of them stuck together and that Warrick didn't try and leave them alone again. He was pretty sure he'd already done some damage to their friendship. He cursed under his breath and pulled his T-shirt on laying back on his sleeping bag for a moment.
Sara sat up, the temperature in her tent was becoming stifling. So much for hiding out the rest of the weekend. She grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top and threw them on over her swimsuit which had already dried in the desert heat. As she emerged from the tent, she saw that Warrick was almost finished making lunch.
Warrick glanced over as Sara emerged from her tent, "Feeling cooler?"
Sara shook her head, "I'm pretty sure you could use my tent to do any cooking this weekend. We wouldn't have to build a fire later that way."
Warrick chuckled, "We'll just have to go swimming after lunch."
Sara walked over to where Warrick stood, "What's for lunch?"
Warrick grinned at her, "Don't worry, it's all veggie friendly. We're having a freeze dried feast of pasta."
Sara grinned, "Good, I'm starving."
Nick was roasting in his tent, but he wasn't sure he was ready to face Sara yet. The heat finally got the best of him and he emerged.
Warrick and Sara looked up as he exited his tent. Warrick grinned as he noticed Nick's gaze immediately going to Sara. Warrick raised a curious eyebrow as he noticed Sara lock eyes with Nick and then turn her gaze away. Nick looked at Warrick and just shook his head, indicating that they would talk about it later.
"I hope you guys are hungry, because there's a ton of pasta here." Warrick announced. He dished himself a large portion and then went and sat down on a log they had pulled over to their campsite.
Sara filled her plate with pasta and went and sat next to Warrick. Nick kept a respectful distance from her and then moved in and filled his plate, sitting on the ground across from Warrick and Sara.
No one talked while they ate. Warrick attempted to start conversation a few times, but it ended with one word answers from Nick and Sara. A bemused smile crossed his face as he finished his lunch. He turned to Nick and Sara and arched a brow, "I don't know what's going on with you two, but I am not spending two more days with you where you're not talking to each other. I'm going hiking. Alone. When I get back, you'd better have figured it out, or I'll pack out tonight and leave you here alone.
Warrick had to restrain a chuckle as both Nick and Sara registered his comment by casting an uncomfortable glance at each other and then giving Warrick a look of disbelief.
Warrick cleaned his plate off and stowed it away before trudging off toward Mooney Falls with a daypack. Leaving Nick and Sara in an uncomfortable silence as they finished their meal.
Nick was irritated with himself. He had let Warrick's comments get the best of him and now he had pissed off Sara. Why couldn't he just keep his hands still? Dammit. He grabbed a T-shirt to pull on and sat back thinking for a moment. Sara's fear of heights caused him to grin. He had to admit he liked pulling her down off the cliff with him. He thoroughly enjoyed their water fight, but when she had thrown her arms around his neck, electricity had coursed through him. Looking into her eyes he could see himself getting lost in them. It just seemed second nature to put his hands on her waist to steady her, but he just couldn't keep his hands still. He had wanted to kiss her, as much as he needed to breath, but then she pulled away. He was sure that he'd pissed her off. Warrick was wrong, she wasn't into him. Now he had two more days of this trip to try and restrain his hormones. He was going to have to make sure the three of them stuck together and that Warrick didn't try and leave them alone again. He was pretty sure he'd already done some damage to their friendship. He cursed under his breath and pulled his T-shirt on laying back on his sleeping bag for a moment.
Sara sat up, the temperature in her tent was becoming stifling. So much for hiding out the rest of the weekend. She grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top and threw them on over her swimsuit which had already dried in the desert heat. As she emerged from the tent, she saw that Warrick was almost finished making lunch.
Warrick glanced over as Sara emerged from her tent, "Feeling cooler?"
Sara shook her head, "I'm pretty sure you could use my tent to do any cooking this weekend. We wouldn't have to build a fire later that way."
Warrick chuckled, "We'll just have to go swimming after lunch."
Sara walked over to where Warrick stood, "What's for lunch?"
Warrick grinned at her, "Don't worry, it's all veggie friendly. We're having a freeze dried feast of pasta."
Sara grinned, "Good, I'm starving."
Nick was roasting in his tent, but he wasn't sure he was ready to face Sara yet. The heat finally got the best of him and he emerged.
Warrick and Sara looked up as he exited his tent. Warrick grinned as he noticed Nick's gaze immediately going to Sara. Warrick raised a curious eyebrow as he noticed Sara lock eyes with Nick and then turn her gaze away. Nick looked at Warrick and just shook his head, indicating that they would talk about it later.
"I hope you guys are hungry, because there's a ton of pasta here." Warrick announced. He dished himself a large portion and then went and sat down on a log they had pulled over to their campsite.
Sara filled her plate with pasta and went and sat next to Warrick. Nick kept a respectful distance from her and then moved in and filled his plate, sitting on the ground across from Warrick and Sara.
No one talked while they ate. Warrick attempted to start conversation a few times, but it ended with one word answers from Nick and Sara. A bemused smile crossed his face as he finished his lunch. He turned to Nick and Sara and arched a brow, "I don't know what's going on with you two, but I am not spending two more days with you where you're not talking to each other. I'm going hiking. Alone. When I get back, you'd better have figured it out, or I'll pack out tonight and leave you here alone.
Warrick had to restrain a chuckle as both Nick and Sara registered his comment by casting an uncomfortable glance at each other and then giving Warrick a look of disbelief.
Warrick cleaned his plate off and stowed it away before trudging off toward Mooney Falls with a daypack. Leaving Nick and Sara in an uncomfortable silence as they finished their meal.