Only a few other occupied spaces filled the campground as we passed on the way to ours. Kendall sat in the back, looking over a brochure that the park ranger had given us regarding bear safety. Do you remember how freaked out she was all weekend? Seriously, she was about to lose her shit as she started to read it aloud.

“Lie on your stomach with your arms and legs spread wide. This will help prevent bears from flipping you over to reveal your vital organs …” I remember looking up as she paused and catching sight of her in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were alarmingly round and her mouth hung open in shock. “Are they kidding? I’m sleeping in the car.”

“Babe, it’ll be fine. Bears don’t hunt humans. We won’t see any animals except for some birds and shit like that.” Jameson glanced at me to reaffirm the message, but frankly I sort of enjoyed watching her squirm a little.

My eyes moved up in my mirror, and for the hundredth time on that drive, I saw you. You were sitting in the passenger seat with your feet bare, propped up on the dashboard, your head lying against the head rest, laughing at something Landon had said.

“Whoa, whoa! You passed it. One-o-seven is back there.” Kendall motioned to the back window with her thumb. “Distracted much?”

Apparently, that’s what I got for letting her squirm. Snide remarks.

We were in a pretty secluded area and able to look out onto the lake from our camp spot, which was a good hundred feet from us, down a slight incline. It was beautiful and tranquil, and I felt grateful once again to be back home where it was nearly eighty degrees in September.

I remember everything about your expression as you stood beside the passenger door of Landon’s SUV, your attention on the lake. Your lips were slightly parted, forcing me to stare at them for a second longer because seriously, you have the most beautiful lips I’ve ever seen. The sun was starting to turn orange, casting shadows over your face that enunciated your high cheekbones, and the curve of your jaw that I loved to put my lips to. You looked blissful, relaxed, and the fact that I helped create that, made a surge of pride run through me as I approached you. Hearing me, you turned and gave me my smile. I’m sure I returned it, but I don’t remember, I was too busy staring at you to consider my own reactions. Then I slid a hand around the back of your neck, tangling it in your hair and pulling you close so I could kiss you.

The moment lasted about a second. Do you remember why it ended? That’s right. Kendall. She threw that damn soccer ball at us. Thankfully, she has horrible aim and throws like a girl.

“Let’s get these tents set up, lover boy. Then we need to get a fire going and make some noise. The brochure says it’ll deter the bears.”

“You guys gave her the brochure?” I’d already known it had been a mistake to do so, but the knowing look on your face confirmed it. You laughed and then shook your head, turning to grab a bag from the SUV.

Setting up camp is something that still makes me laugh whenever I think back to it. Remember trying to test your skills out on setting up a tent? You were rummaging through one of the bags, emptying the contents. “Where are the directions?”

“Oh it’s easy. Once you’ve put a tent together, it’s like riding a bike. Same basic concept for all of them,” Jameson explained.

You looked slightly bemused as you knelt and began helping him as Landon and I started setting up another one of the tents.

We were nearly done when I heard you laughing and looked over to see Kendall had joined in the efforts. She was arguing about something with Jameson, who looked to be taking it all in good stride.

Landon looked at me and shook his head as we move on to setting up the next tent.

“Kendall wants to sleep in the car tonight anyways, we’ll just designate that tent as theirs.” Landon laughed at my remark as we watched the three of you. Kendall was glancing around looking paranoid, while you explained something, your voice a little louder than normal conveying you were getting frustrated, as Jameson continued constructing things.

“I don’t know what in the hell he’s doing,” Landon said quietly.

Kendall was heckling Jameson about needing training wheels again when Landon and I came to help. She looked relieved to see us. You and Jameson both looked a little annoyed.

You probably don’t want to hear this, even now, a year later, but you guys were both wrong and would never have managed to set that thing up before dark. You have a great many talents, tent construction however, is not one of them.

By the time we got it staked, Kendall and you were making a plan to go to the restrooms so you wouldn’t have to go once it got dark. I watched you leave, your arm linked with Kendall’s, your heads tilted toward one another as you guys laughed at something. I’d seen you guys like that so many times over the years. You were still laughing as your head turned, your eyes found me over your shoulder, and your smile grew before you turned back to Kendall and I knew I’d seen that exact same move countless times, and it suddenly made me see so many little things in our previous encounters slightly different.

Then Jameson hit me with a pillow. “At least wait until you get a couple of drinks in you to get sappy.”

“That’s what you want to say after your girlfriend packed fifty pounds of clothes into the forest.”

“Fifty? I wish. That big bag weighs at least seventy-five. I have no idea what she packed out here.”

“Obviously nothing to repel bears.” Jameson and I both laughed but Landon just smiled. He didn’t say it to be mean, I’m sure you know that. Landon loved your family from the first time he met all of you at the barbecue. War had caused his nightmares, but his parents’ divorce and messy custody battles jaded him. I think your family gave him hope that happiness and love can happen and last.

“Where in the hell did they go? They’ve been gone forever,” Jameson repeated my thoughts. We’d hauled mats and sleeping bags into all of the tents, got bags arranged, and food organized for cooking dinner and you guys were still gone.

“I need to take a piss. I was just going to go behind a tree, but I can go up and make sure things are alright,” Landon volunteered.

“I’ll go with you. Something just seems off about this.” It did. I don’t know why we’d allowed so much time to pass before finally going. I followed Landon down the paved road with Jameson sorting through a bag at camp.

Landon swung the women’s bathroom door open, revealing the lights were off. A sense of dread filled me as I turned and anxiously peered around, trying to figure out where you guys could have gone. About twenty feet away, something glimmered in the rays of sun still filtering through the trees. I walked over and picked up a small earring.

“What’d you find?” Landon asked.

I held it up for him to see.

“Does it belong to one of them?”

“Fuck! That’s Kendall’s!” Landon and I turned to see Jameson looking half crazed with fear. He raised both of his hands and fisted his hair as his eyes scanned around us.

“Let’s go. They’ve got to be close.” Landon’s voice was calm, but he didn’t turn to face us for assurance, instead, he instantly set off in the direction we found the earring, his steps brisk.

The fear I felt as we searched the campsites was unreal. Who would have known it was a small piece of foreshadowing for what was to come. I didn’t sleep at all the night before you left for Delaware. How could I? I stayed up, staring at your window and pacing. I even went to your front door a few times. I was pissed at you, Ace. I was livid. Even more though, I was terrified.

I heard you, your laugh. I would have recognized it anywhere, I still would.

We turned to the right and began running, stopping when we saw your two blond heads sitting in lawn chairs and laughing.