E


    The rain was cold and heavy. Within seconds, we were bothpletely soaked.


    Alexander grabbed my hand. “Come on, we need to get inside.”


    We scrambled to pack up the pic as fast as we could, but it was useless. The rain wasing down so hard I could barely see two feet in front of me. Alexander shoved the soggy sandwiches and wet nkets into the basket while I tried to gather the sopping wet candles.


    “Leave it,” Alexander said, taking my arm. “We’lle back for the rest tomorrow.”


    We took off running toward the mansion, but the forest floor was already turning into a mess of wet leaves and mud. My shoes had zero traction–I had foolishly chosen style over practicality–and before we made it far, my ankle twisted in the mud.


    I went down with a cry. Pain shot up my leg, momentarily blinding me.


    “E!” Alexander was beside me in an instant. “Are you hurt?”


    “My ankle.” I tried to stand and immediately sat back down with a hiss of pain. “Fuck, that hurts.”


    Alexander gently probed my ankle with his fingers, and I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out. “I don’t think it’s broken, but it’s definitely sprained,” he said, his voice nearly lost below the sound of the sudden summer storm. “You shouldn’t walk on it.”


    I looked around at the pouring rain and the muddy forest. “How am I supposed to get back to the house?” <b>It </b>was a half mile walk.


    “Easy.” Alexander stood up and turned around, crouching down in front of me. “Hop on.”


    “What? No. Alexander, I’m too heavy, and you’ll hurt your back, and-”


    “E.” He looked at me over his shoulder. “Get on my back before we both die of hypothermia.”


    I wanted to argue more, but another gust of wind sent rain directly into my face, and I gave up. Wrapping my arms around Alexander’s neck, I let him hoist me up piggyback style.


    He was stronger than I’d expected. Even with my added pregnancy weight, he didn’t seem to have any trouble carrying me through the forest. But I still felt guilty about it.


    “I’m sorry,” I muttered into his shoulder. “This is all my fault. I should have checked the weather forecast before nning a stupid outdoor date.”


    “It’s not stupid. And it’s not your fault that it started raining.” Alexander adjusted his grip on my legs. Besides, I was having a good time before the weather turned.”


    “Really?


    “Really.”


    We walked in silence for a few more minutes, Alexander navigating carefully through the trees while ! tried not to think about how much my ankle was throbbing. The rain wasn’t letting up, and we were both shivering by now.


    “There,” Alexander said suddenly, pointing through the trees. “We can wait out the storm in there.”


    I squinted through the rain and saw what looked like a wooden structure built between tworge oak trees. It took me a moment to realize what it was.


    “Is that a treehouse?”


    “Yeah. I can’t believe it’s still standing.” Alexander carried me closer, and I could see that while the wood was weathered and old, the structure looked solid. “I haven’t been up there in probably fifteen years.*


    <b>“</b>You built this?”


    “My father and I did. When I was maybe eight or nine.” Alexander set me down carefully at the base of the tree, keeping one arm around my waist so I could lean on him. “Can you make it <b>up </b>thedder with your ankle?”


    I looked up at the ropedder hanging down from the treehouse. It wasn’t that high, maybe ten feet off the ground, but with my twisted ankle, it might as well have been a mountain. But I nodded anyway, determined to get out of the rain.


    “I can try.”


    It took some effort, but we managed to get me up thedder with Alexander basically pushing me from behind. The treehouse was bigger than I’d expected, with enough room for both of us to sitfortably. There were even a few old cushions scattered around, although I personally wouldn’t risk sitting on them.


    Alexander helped me sit on the floor, propped up against the wall. “How does that feel?”


    “Better. Thank you.”


    For a few minutes, we just sat there listening to the rain pound against the roof. It was actually kind of <b>cozy</b>, being tucked away in this little wooden shelter while the storm raged outside. If I had known this tree house was here, I would have nned to have our pic in it instead.