Chloe didn’t hear Darius call out to her and gasped in surprise as he tugged at her wrist, turning her to face him. Her flip flips slipped on grass and the young woman nearly tumbled into him but managed to regain her balance in time. As she righted herself, Chloe’s eyes met Darius’ and she wondered if he could hear the fierce beating of her heart brought on by the surprise of suddenly finding herself face to face with the man she thought had been sleeping.

She felt his hand slip away from her wrist and her fingers tingled slightly as his fingertips brushed against her own. She sensed her mouth was still hanging open and tried to compose herself despite the frantic beating of her heart and the tingling that was spreading through her limbs. “That’s alright, you just…surprised me is all,” she managed to say at last, trying to reassure him with a smile. “I was just wondering if you got cell service out here actually. My…parents wanted me to call them when I arrived, but unfortunately it looks like Verizon doesn’t get service here.”

Chloe fought the urge to blush. It was embarrassing admitting that she still answered to her parents but she preferred to tell the truth rather than come up with a convenient lie. Hopefully Darius would be able to lend her his phone. If not she would walk back to the welcome center. She remembered seeing a pay phone while she was cashing out. In a way, it was actually a good thing that her campsite was in a dead zone. At least that way she wouldn’t need to worry about work or her parents calling to bug her during her vacation.