Chapter Eleven

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-Oliver-

The trees in the Hoh Rainforest were some of the biggest I'd ever seen in person. Everything was green - the leaves, the ferns blanketing the ground, and the moss growing up the trunks of the trees. Moss was also draped from tree branches, hanging in curtains that stretched towards the ground. With rain lightly falling, every tree and plant dripped water. It felt like I was walking through a fairytale, through an ancient, enchanted forest that had been here since the beginning of time.

I turned towards Cooper. "This is incredible. I know I've been saying that about everything, but I really mean it. You weren't kidding when you said this was a rainforest. This is so...majestic," I said, trying to find the words. "It's like seeing the Earth as it would have been millions of years ago."

Cooper's face lit up. "That's exactly how I feel. Like I'm going back in time."

"I love it," I said, gazing around at the forest. "You're lucky to live near this."

As we walked along the path that wound its way through the trees, I wanted to reach over and hold Cooper's hand. This would be perfect for a romantic walk. Instead, I stuck my hands in the pockets of my rain jacket. It wouldn't be right to use Cooper as a vacation hook-up or a rebound. That's not what it would be to me, but that's what it might seem like to him.

Besides, I wasn't sure if Cooper would be interested in me. He was probably just being friendly. I mean, he was friendly to everyone. I probably wasn't special. The last thing I needed to do was read too much into things, make a fool out of myself, and put Cooper in an awkward situation.

When we stopped near a large moss-covered maple tree and Cooper was looking up at the branches, I allowed myself to indulge in my crush for a moment. I let my eyes move down Cooper's body. He was muscular with massive shoulders and biceps, but he wasn't cut. Despite his stomach being flat, I could tell he had a layer of fat over his abs. He was solid, and I really liked that. One of the best things about his body was his ass - it was huge, and most of it was muscle. I wanted it in my hands, even though I knew there was no way it would fit into my hands.

I felt myself blushing. I shouldn't be standing here thinking about Cooper like this. I needed to stay in the moment.

"When did you come here for the first time?" I asked.

"When I was a baby. My parents liked to get pictures of us here."

I laughed. "I should have known. Where else did they take you? Did you all travel a lot?"

"We tried to, but we didn't have a ton of money growing up. We'd go to Oregon a lot, and we went to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, and once we took a road trip across the country to see the Great Smoky Mountains and Mammoth Cave National Park. And of course I've been to California and Alaska for my fishing job. But that's it."

"That's a completely different experience from mine," I replied. "My parents liked cities and beaches. So there were a lot of trips to Chicago and New York, and then to Florida. I studied abroad for a semester in college and got to see London, Paris, and Barcelona. I guess that's why I'm trying to do a trip involving the outdoors now. It's something different."

"You sound well traveled. I'm impressed," Cooper said, grinning.

"It was mostly because of studying abroad. Did your college have any programs like that?"

"I didn't go to college."

"Oh," I said, not sure how Cooper felt about it. "Sorry, I just assumed."

Cooper laughed. "I'm glad you assumed I'm smart enough for college. But I didn't need it for logging or fishing, and it would have been tough to find the money to pay for it."

"Well, you're doing a lot better in life than I am," I joked. "You own a home and have two careers. I struggle to afford rent and it's going to take a while for me to move up in my career."

"It's all a matter of perspective."

"You're right. I mean, going to college doesn't mean I'm smart. I have plenty of dumb moments."

"Oh really?" Cooper asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's one of them?"

"Um, okay, here's one you'll find amusing. In college, my friends and I were on a trip to San Francisco, and there was a sea lion sleeping at the end of one of the piers. I wanted to know how they felt, like if they were slippery, so I snuck up and touched the sea lion's back. I thought I could just feel its skin and then walk away without it waking up, but it immediately flung its head up and roared. I ran away screaming, and then tripped on a loose board on the pier and fell into the water."

Cooper threw his head back and laughed. "I would have loved to have seen that."

"My friends were all laughing at me, and then we had to go back to the hotel so I could change into dry clothes. It was not my finest moment."

"Was the sea lion slippery?"

"That's the dumbest part. I was so freaked out I forgot what it felt like for the split second my hand was on it."

"There are plenty of sea lions on the peninsula. Do you want to try again?" Cooper asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I do not. I learned my lesson," I said, laughing.


-Cooper-

I was enjoying getting to know more about Oliver, and it seemed like the day was passing by too quickly. We spent a few hours in the Hoh Rainforest before driving over to Ruby Beach, and I was hoping the clouds would clear up more. I'd packed sandwiches and a blanket, and I was planning on us eating dinner and watching the sunset.

I really liked Oliver, but I didn't think anything would happen between us. He had just been through a break-up, and even if he was willing to have a fling, I probably wasn't his type. He probably wanted someone super fit like him, someone lean who had ab muscles he could count, not ab muscles covered by a fluffy layer. Besides, in a few days, Oliver was going to go back to his California life and find another boyfriend.

I needed to stop falling for him.

After I got my pack out of the truck, I followed Oliver down the path to the beach. At the edge of the trees, he stopped and looked at the dense stretch of sun-bleached logs in front of us.

"Do all Washington beaches have a huge log graveyard to go through first?" he asked.

"Not all of them, but a lot," I chuckled. "I'll lead the way."

I made sure Oliver got through the logs safely, holding out my hand for him to grab and steady himself when he needed it. Every time his hand was in mine, I didn't want to let go. I could imagine us strolling along the beach, or spending our weekends hiking together. I could imagine him in my house, helping me make dinner for the two of us.

I forced myself to focus on the scenery around us. It was low tide and the water had receded, leaving the sand looking smooth and wet. There was enough water that it was reflecting the sky, as though someone were holding up a giant mirror.

"Wow," Oliver said. "This is amazing. It's a perfect reflection."

"It happens at low tide. Hey, guess what I'm about to ask you to do?"

"What?" Oliver asked, turning towards me with a curious expression.

I grinned. "Walk out onto the sand and model for me. This will be a great picture."

Oliver laughed. "I should have guessed. You only invited me to stay for another week so you'd have a human subject to put in your pictures, didn't you?"

I held up my hands. "Guilty."

Oliver walked further out onto the sand, and I got several pictures of him walking with his back to the camera, and then standing and gazing out towards the ocean. It was a cool effect to have someone silhouetted against the reflected sky.

"Do you want one?" Oliver called out.

I gestured for him to come back over to me. "Here," I said, handing him my phone. "I know exactly what I want."

I found a large, sturdy log and laid down on top of it on my side, facing Oliver. I propped my head up with one hand and stared seductively, doing my best impression of a pin-up pose.

Oliver couldn't stop laughing. Once he managed to get a few pictures, we explored the beach. I'd been here a million times, but I pointed out Destruction Island in the distance with its lighthouse, and then showed Oliver some of the tide pools filled with colorful starfish and sea anemones.

After spending a couple hours walking around and climbing on rocks, I got out the blanket and spread it out on a dry patch of sand near the logs. The sun was already making its descent through the sky and bathing the scenery in a soft orange. Oliver and I watched it sink towards the ocean as we ate our sandwiches.

I knew I shouldn't torture myself and ask the question that had been on my mind for the past few hours, but I did it anyway. I had to know if there was any way I had a chance with Oliver.

"So," I said, trying to sound casual. "What are you looking for in your next boyfriend?"

Oliver laughed. "I don't know if I'll be looking anytime soon. I need to focus on my career and find a place to live."

"And you should. It'll give you time to move on. Getting over a break-up doesn't happen quickly."

"No, it doesn't. But I want the next guy to be kind and make me a priority. I want someone who's excited to spend time with me, instead of acting like it's a chore or they'd rather be doing something else or be with someone else. Someone who wants to do the same things as me. Not all the time, of course, but enough that I don't feel like we're constantly compromising."

I smiled. "You deserve all that and more. What about the superficial stuff? Like appearance and career?"

Oliver shrugged. "I try not to put too much importance on that stuff. Obviously I want to be attracted to who I'm with and I want them to have a job, but it's more about how they make me feel." He looked up at me and smiled. "What about you? I know you don't have a ton of options out here, but what are you looking for?"

"Kind of the same as you, honestly. I want a guy who likes the outdoors and who'll go hiking and camping with me. And it's important to me that he gets along with my family and likes hanging out with them."

"It's great how close you are with your family," Oliver said. "Not everyone is that lucky."

As I looked at Oliver in the golden glow of the setting sun, I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to cup his face in my hand and run my thumb over the dimple in his cheek. I wanted to know how his lips felt against mine. And it wasn't just because he was gorgeous - he was a sweet and gentle person, the kind of guy who would be a bright spot in anyone's life.

I still wasn't sure if I had a chance with Oliver or not, but he'd made it clear that he wasn't looking right now, so I wasn't going to push.

As it got dark, I knew we should leave, but I wished we could stay here on this blanket and I could pull Oliver into my arms and lay under the stars with him. If it were any other situation, I would have made a move already, but I respected Oliver too much to do that while he was still hurting from his break-up.

"We should get going," I said. "I don't want it to get much darker before we have to navigate the logs."

"Good point. I definitely don't want to fall and become part of the log graveyard."

"I won't let that happen," I promised.

I packed up the blanket and we began climbing over the logs. There was enough moonlight to see, but I still helped Oliver. We were almost through the logs when Oliver tripped. I whirled around and caught him, my hands on his waist and his arms around my shoulders. Our faces were only inches apart.

"That was close," Oliver said, laughing nervously. "I almost became part of the log graveyard."

"And I didn't let that happen. I keep my promises." My tone was light and teasing, but my heart was pounding in my chest. Oliver's face was right there, and his eyes were shining in the moonlight, looking straight into mine. I wanted to run my hands up his sides and feel the toned muscles there. I wanted to pull him even nearer, closing the distance between our lips.

He stared into my eyes for another second before he shifted his gaze. "Thank you," he said, and then leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. 

It wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but it was something. I felt myself blushing in the dark and I was grateful Oliver couldn't see my reaction to one simple, innocent kiss.

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