Merlina and Craig ducked into the tent, the canvas flap rustling shut behind them. Inside, the air was thick with leftover sun, fabric warmth, and someone's vanilla lotion.
Three students, two girls and a guy, were already sprawled on their camp mattresses when Merlina slipped in, Craig right behind her.
The room shifted the moment he entered.
One girl blinked, nudging her friend.
"Is that—?" she whispered.
The other sat up fast, smoothing her hair.
Craig Lesnar. Here. In their tent.
He barely acknowledged them. Just a quiet "Hey"—flat, expressionless. His focus didn't waver from Merlina, like no one else existed.
But Merlina couldn't help but feel small and invisible, like she was just his backdrop.
When they rolled out their duvets, he placed his right beside hers, like it was the obvious choice. The only person he knew here. Yet even sitting shoulder to shoulder, as they arranged their sleeping spot, the silence felt anything but easy.
