Nate

“Oh my God! I seriously don’t know how I’ve survived eighteen years without beignets in my life. Does the rest of the world know about these?” Nate asked stuffing the powdered pastry into his mouth.

“I’m pretty sure they do.”

Nate continued to cram large sugary bites into his mouth.

“Which beignets do you like better? Café du Monde or Café Beignet?” Camille asked.

“That’s like asking me which parent I like better.”

She laughed. “Fair enough.”

“Just to be sure, though. I think you need to take me to every place that serves beignets in New Orleans.”

“That might take a while.”

Nate grinned, knowing full well his face was covered in powdered sugar. “Good.”

Camille had taken Nate to the famous Café du Monde as promised. But instead of sitting beneath the iconic green and white stripped awning with the tourists, she led Nate up to what she called, the best seat in the house—the Moon Walk.

The beautiful riverside promenade curved along the Mississippi River, dotted with benches to enjoy the view while the gentle breeze offered relief from the constant humidity.

“So this is the place, huh?” Nate asked from his spot beside her on the sun-bleached bench.

Camille seemed lost in thought. “Huh?”

“Where you want to go swimming?” Nate prodded.

“Oh. Yeah.”

“Well,” Nate licked the grease and sugar from his fingers. “There’s no time like the present.”

He was on his feet, pulling his shirt over his head when he felt Cami’s hands on his chest. “Whoa. No way,” she yelped, pushing him back toward the bench.

“I thought you said you wanted to go swimming.”

“I do, but not now.”

“Why not?”

Camille seemed to notice her hand was still on his chest. It hadn’t slipped Nate’s mind for a moment. Feeling her hand above his heart only made it beat faster. He wondered if she noticed.

“I have a plan,” Camille huffed. “And it doesn’t involve swimming today.”

“Do you have a plan for everything?”

“Pretty much.”

“Well that doesn’t sound like much fun.”

“Not all of us can just do whatever we want whenever we want to, Nate.”

“Sure we can,” he said kicking off his shoes and scooping Camille into his arms.

She squealed but looped her arms tightly around his neck as he headed for the river. There was a wide set of stairs leading straight into the water, as if daring them to walk right in—challenge accepted.

Nate marched toward the stairs with Camille in his arm.

She started to squirm. “Nate! Nate! No! We can’t do this.”

Nate only grinned at her, his face inches from hers. “Cami, it’s time to live a little.”

Cami

Camille was shaking as Nate descended the staircase to the river. She could see trash collecting in the weeds below the levee wall. He wasn’t going to do it. He was just trying to scare her. He’d probably get right to the edge and stop.

She’d seen enough teen romance movies to know this was all part of the flirting process. Scare the girl you like so she holds you a little tighter. Camille cursed herself, realizing she was playing right into Nate’s hands. Her grip on his neck was practically lethal.

3 steps to the water. 2 steps. 1 . . . He was going to stop. He had to stop!

That’s what a normal guy would do. But Nate was definitely not normal. When he stepped onto the last submerged step Camille screamed.

“Nate! Stop.”

“I’ve got you, Cami.”

He took one more step and they were in the river! The step dropped them down to Nate’s waist and Camille shrieked, practically climbing up him like he was a beanstalk. Her legs were wrapped around his waist now and her arms clamped so tightly around his neck that his face was buried in her chest.

“Cami, I’m not complaining about the view, but I sorta need to breathe here.”

“Nate, this isn’t funny!”

“It sorta is,” he said smirking up at her.

“My phone is soaked,” she yelled.

“Mine too.”

“And my boots! These are my favorite boots!”

“Cami, those are just things. Things can be replaced. But this,” he said letting go of her with one arm, so he could gesture to the river. “This is living!”

She gripped him tighter. “Do not let go!”

“I’ve got ya.”

“You’re insane!”

“I know. It’s fun, right?”

“Fun?”

But before Camille could reply, Nate took another step into the river, submerging them completely. She was shivering from fear and exhilaration.

Nate’s eyes were shining. “Ready?”

“For what?”

“We’re gonna swim. Unless . . . you weren’t lying about the knowing how to swim thing, were you?”

“No.”

“Good. Then let’s go.”

“Where?”

“To the next set of stairs.”

“But—”

Nate had already let go of the railing and they were moving. Standing still against the current was impossible. They bobbed as the water got deeper until they were floating at a steady pace.

“Cami, we gotta swim. We’ll both sink if you keep holding onto me like this.”

Panic ripped through her and she shook her head rapidly. “I can’t. I can’t.”

“Yes you can. Give me your hand. I won’t let go.”

Camille looked into Nate’s bright eyes. The sun sparked off the gold flecks, making them glow. “I won’t let go,” he repeated.

It was as if those four little words had awoken some unknown source of bravery within her heart. She nodded and untangled herself from Nate, letting the churning Mississippi cradle her as they drifted down the river.

“Swim,” Nate yelled, grinning like a fool.

She did.

“Kick your feet.”

She did that too.

“That’s it! Wahoo!” he screamed. “This is livin, Cami! No plan, just livin!”

She couldn’t help but laugh. Her heart was soaring. She was doing it, swimming in the Mississippi River. This wasn’t at all how she’d planned it. She’d been saving this task for last. Because Nate was right, the river was terribly polluted and Camille wasn’t all that sure her weak immune system could handle it. She’d planned on going for a swim closer to graduation in case she got sick from the polluted water. But as she swam, her hand tight in Nate’s, Cami suddenly didn’t care that he’d blown her plan to smithereens. This was much better than the way she’d planned it.

The sun sparked off the water like glitter on glass. Seagulls sang overhead, and every time Cami looked over, Nate grinned back at her. He howled like a crazed Teen Wolf fan.

“Come on, let me hear you!” Nate howled again, and this time Cami joined him.

“See I knew you could go off script. You can thank me later,” he teased, blowing her a kiss.

Camille splashed him. “Let’s keep going.”

“I’ve created a monster!”

“There’s another set of stairs under the bridge. We’ll climb out there.”

“You sure?” he asked.

She nodded. “Just don’t let go.”

“Never.”