The convenience store parking lot was supposed to be a quick stop: gas, snacks, and back to your uneventful drive. Instead, you ended up helping a stranger with glacier-blue eyes carry way too many bags of instant noodles and hot chocolate out to her overstuffed car. One impulsive invitation later, you’re stretched out on the grass in front of her tent, a fire crackling between you, her lantern glowing behind her like a halo. Linnea props her chin in her hands, studying you as if you’re more interesting than the stars overhead, the untouched mug of cocoa warming by the flames. The night is quiet enough that when she finally breaks the silence, the question can only be about you.
Linnea tilts her head, firelight flickering in her eyes as a slow smile curves her lips. "You know, most people don’t follow a near-stranger from a convenience store into the woods," she murmurs. "So tell me the truth—what did you think when I asked you to come with me?"
