Chapter 386


    #Chapter 386 – By the Fire


    E


    The trip improves by leaps and bounds the moment we stop at the campground for the night.


    “Finally,” I sigh, taking a deep breath of the fresh air as I climb down the steps of the RV, my


    baby curled in my arm and looking around him with bright and interested eyes. “It’s good to be on


    steady ground again.”


    “Remind me never to take you on a boat,” Sinir murmurs,ing down the stairs behind me.


    If you didn’t like this…you won’t respond well to that.”


    “Yes sir,” I say passively, smiling down at the baby, who frees one of his arms and reaches out


    into the cool evening air, sping his fingers at a firefly who passes close by. I don’t mention that


    I liked the sea voyage to the desert much more than I liked this, even though the amodations


    weren’t as nice.


    “What about this?” Sinir murmurs as he steps down the final step andes to stand behind


    me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I smile as I lean back against his chest. “Is the forest


    an improvement?”


    I look around our isted campsite, lit with grey and blue tones in the dying light of the day. I


    smile at what I see, appreciating the cool air and the blinking light of the fireflies that floatzily


    through the space.


    “Yes,” I say with a decisive nod. “This will do quite well.”


    “Good,” Sinir replies, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek before releasing me and moving to a


    luggagepartment low on the RV. I watch as he opens it and begins pulling out camping gear –


    chairs, a cooler, some bags with extra snacks and bug spray.


    “Oh!” I say, surprised by it all as my mate begins to set it all up around a burned-out ring where a


    fire goes. “Oh, we’re very prepared.”


    “Of course we are,” Roger says, climbing out of the RV with Cora behind him. When he reaches. the


    ground, Roger flicks the switch that prepares Henry’s little elevator. “We’re always ready to go


    mping in this family.”


    Iugh at the term, settling into a chair that Sinir waves me towards, smiling down at the baby “What


    do you think, Rafe?” I whisper to him “Do you like mping?” He gives a happy little coo in response


    and Iugh, grinning up at his father. “I think that’s a yes


    “Kid has taste,” Sinir says, winking at me as he continues his work


    We’re all settled around a ! much faster than I thought was possible and ! anile as I watch


    “They only cook,” Henry whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving us a smile, “when it’s


    outdoors. Otherwise, they’re not interested.”


    “Not true!” Sinir protests, his eyes still on the fire.


    “Absolutely true!” Roger chimes in, making usugh. “If I’m making food, it’s grilled. Otherwise. I’m


    getting takeout.”


    “Guess your baby is gonna eat a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur to Cora.


    “And eggrolls,” she adds, sighing. Then she looks over at me from her chair next to mine. “You know I


    can’t cook either.”


    I shrug. “Maybe we can make them hire us chefs,” I consider. She raises her eyebrows, pleased at the


    idea, and we both grin.


    It continues like this long into the night – the family gathered happily around the fire, talking about


    nothing and everything, chatting lightly about what we’ll be doing in our mutual future but not touching


    on any of the big, scary subjects that lurk behind the conversation. We all know that they’re there, after


    all – and we all simultaneously decide to leave them untouched for the moment.


    Instead, tonight is just aboutughter, and fun, and spending time together.


    I moan a little as I bite into a smore that Sinir hands me, the marshmallow burned to a crisp just the


    way I like it. “Oh my god,” I murmur, closing my eyes as I chew. “This is so good, I can barely stand it.”


    “You’re dripping,” Sinirughs, “you’re going to get marshmallow all over the baby -”


    “I don’t care,” I murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my eyes as I take another bite – He


    won’t mind -” Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Sinirughs again as hees and lifts Rafe from my arms I let him, wanting to be alone. with my


    s’more anyway Cora, Roger, and Henryugh as well as Sinir walks Rafe away from me,


    apologizing in a loud murmur for how messy and inconsiderate his mother is I wave a hand at him,


    dismissing him and his words, knowing that he’s kidding anyway


    Regretfully, I finish my s’more and look around at my family, watching them quietly Henry watches


    Sinir and his grandchild while Cora and Roger sit close to each other, not talking but clearly


    connected in this peaceful moment


    “It’s ruce out here Cora says, wrapping her arms around herself and smiling around at our dark Camp 7


    didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in the dink by a tie as much as this


    dark


    “Something primal about pantele Roger murs to sing a hand to y with Cora s hair


    murmurs


    “Yeah,” she says, looking up at the stars and then turning her head to look at Roger, beaming at


    him.


    I can’t help my own smile from crossing my face as I watch them. And then, as they stare at each


    other, I decide that that’s my cue.


    As quiet as I can, I stand up from my little camping chair and send a pulse down my bond with


    Sinir. He looks up at me, curious and I nod my head first towards the RV and then towards


    Roger and Cora, who begin talking quietly. My mate follows my gaze and then nods his


    understanding. He walks to his father and puts a hand on his back, leaning down to speak a whispered


    word.


    Then, one by one, as stealthily as we can – which is not very stealthy, considering Henry has to


    be lifted into the RV with a noisy tform – the three of us and the baby make our way back into


    the little mobile house, leaving Cora and Roger alone by the fire to have a moment to themselves.


    “What do you think they’re talking about,” I say to Sinir as he climbsst into the RV, pulling


    the door shut behind him, the baby still curled in his arms. I’m sitting in the little kitchen nook,


    peering out the window at Roger and Cora through the tinted window.


    “Isn’t that their business, little spy?” he says,ing to sit with me on the plush leather. Henry,


    perhaps wanting to give us our own moment, rolls his way back to the bedroom, making some


    excuse about wanting to watch some television, though we both know he doesn’t watch TV.


    “Yes,” I sigh, looking up at my mate and reaching for my baby, who Sinir passes into my arms


    “But you know I always want to know.”


    Sinirughs. “Do you know,” he murmurs, slipping his arms low around me and pulling the


    baby and I warmly against hin, resting his chin on my shoulder so that he too can look out at Cora


    and Roger, “I never cared as much about the details of my brother’s love life until you came along ”


    “Why not,” I say, still peering out at them. “Roger’s hot. He probably has had lots of interesting


    girlfriend drama -”


    “Roger’s hot?” Sinir asks, his body going stiff behind me, just a little bit.


    “What?” I ask, turning to him, confused now.


    “You think my brother’s hot?”


    I burst outughing, lifting a hand to my mate’s face “Dominic,” I say, shaking my head at him


    Your brother is hot It’s an ostensible fact not my opinion


    “Still.” he growls, pulling me tighter “I don’t like to hear you say it”


    “Oh?” I inquire with a smirk “And what would you have me say instead?


    That all men, beside me, are nonexistent. Or disgusting swamp creatures


    I burst outughing again at this, tilting my head back.


    Sinirughs along with me and I tuck myself even closer to him, grinning up into his face. “I


    promise,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to his mouth, “all men, next to you, actually are disgusting swamp


    creatures. But, for Cora’s sake, I’m d Roger’s hot.”


    Sinir’s chest hums for a moment as he considers my point but then he nods sharply, finding


    this eptable.


    I quirk my head to the side, a questioning to me quite suddenly. “Do you think Cora’s pretty?”


    “What?” he asks, pulling back a little, aghast.


    I grin. “It’s just a question.”


    “E,” he says, looking at me as if I’m strange and shaking his head. “I’ve never even thought


    about it. I don’t look at her that way.”


    “Really?” I ask, curious. “You don’t look at other women?”


    –


    “No,” he says, shaking his head seriously. “It’s not it doesn’t even cross my mind anymore. All of those


    parts of my focus are directed solely at you. It doesn’t even enter my mind to think if I’m


    attracted to anyone else – it doesn’t matter.”


    “Oh,” I say, raising my eyebrows, surprised and pleased. Then I smile at him. “Well, that’s very


    nice to hear.”


    “You’re it for me, E,” Sinir murmurs, putting a hand on my cheek and turning my face up to him.


    Then, quite softly, he presses a kiss to my mouth. “You’re the only one who matters, who will


    matter, ever.”


    “Same for me, my love,” I whisper back to him, and then I kiss him again, for real


    The kiss sweeps through me – fast, hot. My heart rate increases and I find myself panting much sooner


    than I thought I’d be.


    “Shit,” Sinir sighs, ncing around the very public room in which we’re sitting.


    “Dream state?” I suggest, grimacing a little. Because I think we both know that we’d rather…


    “Yes,” he sighs, standing up to rearrange the furniture in the living area and turn it into a little bedroom,


    though he nces with a grimace at the little twin bed where we know his father will sleep “Though


    next vacation,” he says, sending me a frustrated nce, “were going alone And


    there will be doors”


    “Agreed,” I say with a sigh And then I spend the new few mutes getting the baby ready for bed


    bedroom.