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I didn’t bother putting on ain They were dirty and damp and sweaty I would have to le ground, trying to not cut myself, I looked around for Caleb I couldn’t see hi of a branch overhead I looked up to see Caleb halfway up a tall tree

"Up here," he grunted

Gripping hold of one of the branches, I started to cliross insects I passed as I cliher into the tree until I reached the spot where Caleb was standing He was ripping branches and snapping the them out over thick branches to form a flat platform I looked upward to see he’d already laid out two platforher up He worked fast

"There are three beds here," he said "You will sleep on top I will sleep in the middle Annora will sleep down here, on the lowest level" He looked at me darkly "Clearly, there needs to be separation between the two of you"

I kept cli upward, past Caleb’s platforly stable Now I just had to figure out how to avoid getting eaten alive byhere in my bikini Oh, and I’d have to hope I didn’t roll tooto know that Caleb was directly beneaththem down over the wood to hopefully make it more comfortable I didn’t stop until the whole platfor down the last slab of Annora’s layer I cli down leaves as I’d just done with mine Then I lowered myself back down to Annora’s level She can ainst a trunk as he finished, wiping the bark on his hands onto his pants

Our eyeshis throat The gentle chirping of birds surrounded us, the sigh of the wind in the trees For once, I didn’t have Annora’s voice in my ears

I didn’t know if it would make him feel uncomfortable, but I didn’t kno to stophi distant was killing h his ed between us, so I at least wouldn’t continue thinking and acting under false pretenses If soed, I would rather face the pain now than have the uncertainty drag out longer

Asles down my spine The way my body responded to him made me realize just how much I ached for his affection

"Caleb," I said, my voice hoarse as I stared into his eyes "I… I need to know--"

"Caleb"

I exhaled in frustration to hear branches creaking beneath us A few seconds later, Annora hoisted herself up onto the platfor her Tothick hair for modesty Around her waist was a narroreath of leaves