My fingers tap impatiently against the dashboard of Lelani's Jeep, my chest finally breathing a sigh of relief as she reappears through the automatic sliding doors of Walmart's entrance. She struggles as she makes her way back to the car, her arms packed full with various equipment and groceries. I quickly hop out of the car, jogging towards her and relieving her from the duty of carrying it all by herself. I chuckle as my fingers catch a bag of Spicy Nacho Doritos just before they hit the hard concrete of the parking lot. "Lani, what the hell? There's a thing called plastic bags, you know?"

"There's also a thing called saving the freaking turtles, Brodie," Lelani's fingers pull against the handle of her door, prying it the rest of the way open with her foot. She climbs into the driver's seat on her knees, tossing the supplies into the backseat. "Plastic bags are the world's cancer. Why use them, when I can just use my hands?"

"Environmentalist, huh?" I smile, dumping my own armful into the floorboard behind my seat.

Lelani shoots a playful eyebrow my way, as we adjust back into our seats, "'Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.'"

Now my dimples are on full display, immediately recognizing the quote, "So she loves the environment and The Lorax. The more I get to know you, the more I realize what a complex creature you are."

Lelani giggles, "I could say the same for you." Her hands turn against the key in the ignition, cranking up the car and switching on the headlights. "I didn't take you for a Dr. Suess fangirl."

"It's just one of the few books Susan had laying around the house," I start to say, recalling memories from my chaotic childhood, "I would read it to the younger boys in the..." My words trail off, finally coming to the realization that I hadn't told her about how I was raised up through the foster care system.

"In the?" Lelani sings, nudging me to continue with her elbow, "Go on."

I cut my eyes up away from the floorboard, meeting her's, the fluorescent lighting of the parking lot making her brown irises sparkle. I take in her round face, full-pink lips, and golden cheeks, highlighted in a gentle shade of red from the day she's spent out in the Hawaiin sun. I didn't necessarily like to tell people about my upbringing because usually, it ignited a series of judgmental questions and stares, as well as unnecessary pity. But Lelani's gaze is warm, and I feel comfortable enough right now to speak the truth. "I um," the words get caught in my throat, "I would read it to the younger boys in the group home I lived in. I-I was raised in the foster care system."

Lelani waits a moment, letting silence surround us for a second or two before finally speaking back up. "That's really sweet of you," and I can tell her words are genuine, as she keeps her eyes on mine, exuding this look of admiration. "I'm sure that meant a lot to them, you know?"

I nod, appreciating her words, but not exactly knowing what to say back. It felt really nice to be candid and open with her, even if my explanations about everything remain vague. But if I'm being honest, dwelling on the past was the last thing I wanted to do right now- even if I was the one who initially brought it up. I'd much rather be present in this moment; right here, right now- beside Lelani, our seats soaking beneath us. This moment that's giving my eyes the perfect view of the slightly-wet black ringlets that hang over her tanned shoulders, while the anticipation of what she has up her sleeve for us tonight surrounds us. So instead of speaking further on the subject of my shitty childhood, I lift the red plastic bag in my hands, teasing, "I hardly see how buying a bag of spicy Doritos is proof that you can take risks, Lelani."

She giggles beside me, the humming of the car's engine buzzing in the background, "Well, how big of a risk I'm willing to take all depends on how much time you're willing to give me."

"Well, the jets aren't flying tomorrow, so I guess that means tonight I'm all yours," I say, batting my thick black eyelashes in her direction.

"Good," she replies, cocking her head over to me. She reaches into the back seat before instructing me, "Take your clothes off."

A sudden wad of saliva forms in my throat, making me choke, "I'm sorry, what?"

"Take your clothes off," she repeats matter-of-factly. I wait another moment, unsure if my ears are actually hearing her correctly. Lelani tosses a heap of dark navy clothing into my lap before finally explaining, "If you want to be stealthy, you gotta look the part too." She motions to my bottoms, a look of amusement painting her face, "Those bright ass swim trunks aren't going to conceal us very well, Maverick."

My eyes cut down to the seafoam-green and yellow banana printed shorts, immediately regretting my chosen apparel for the day. "Right," I laugh, pulling off my damp shirt and yanking the colorful material away from my hips before working them off of my legs. In one swift movement, I pull the navy shirt Lelani bought me over my shoulders, meeting her stare as soon as my head pops through the fabric. She pulls her eyes away quickly, nervously biting down against her bottom lip.

Oh, too late, Lani. You've been caught.

"It's okay," I chuckle, feeling a god-awful sense of pride start to wash over me as I pull a matching pair of navy gym shorts over my wet boxers, "I won't tell on you for looking."

"I wasn't looking," she argues back quickly, peeling off her own clothing in front of me and revealing the sapphire blue bikini sticking to her body underneath. I try my damn best to not watch too intently as she dresses in her dark attire, but I can't stop myself from snorting with laughter as she struggles to shimmy on a pair of dark nylon leggings over her wet thighs.

"Now who's the one staring?" Lelani accuses, meeting my glance through the corner of her eye.

"Am not," I mumble back, pulling my head away and turning my attention out of the window as she finishes getting dressed.

Lelani reaches into the back seat one last time, and my eyes widen as she pulls forward two pairs of head flashlights. Without a warning, she leans across the middle console, stretching one of the elastic headbands over my head and sending us both into a fit of laughter as she adjusts the light against the center of my forehead. "What the hell do we need these for? Where are you taking us tonight?"

Lelani plops back down into the driver's seat, quickly fastening her seatbelt before pulling the gear shift into drive. The car begins to roll on its wheels, and Lelani sends a smile my way, the look on her face a perfect mixture of trouble and innocence, "To heaven."

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"Okay," Lelani sighs out, as the car bumps to a stop on the sidewalk of a dimly lit neighborhood. "I'd figure I'd go ahead and give you a fair warning about what's about to go down, Maverick."

"Are you trying to intimidate me, Lani?" I chuckle out.

She adjusts the flashlight against her head, eyeing me over with a wicked smirk, "Oh, you have no idea, Brodie. We've got a long night ahead of us. I hope you enjoy hiking."

"This is your idea of taking a risk? Going on a freaking hike?" Once more I glance around our surroundings, taking in the orange glow of lamp posts and the residential homes that stretch their way down the quiet street. My eyes flick around to the fenced-in front yards, palm trees planted firm in almost every single one, their leaves dancing against the warm night air. Nothing about the domestic neighborhood seems even the slightest bit risky.

Lelani rolls her eyes, ignoring my taunting, "Make sure those shoes of yours are double knotted. We're going to have to book it to get onto the main path."

"Book it? We don't have to be in a hurry, remember? I told you I had all night."

She scoffs, opening the door and landing on her feet as she jumps out of the car. Her hands quickly pull her long curly locks into a ponytail, as her eyes scan the dark road around her. She swings a small backpack across her shoulders, finally replying "You will be in a hurry when those red and blue lights are chasing you."

"Red and blue lights?!" I nearly shout.

Lelani's eyes shoot open with panic, her voice immediately reprimanding me, "Shhhh! You need to keep quiet."

I hop out of the car, joining her on the other side. "I need to keep quiet?!" I whisper-yell, "I think you forgot to mention the part where we would have to be sneaking past the cops tonight! Are you out of your mind?"

Her hands throw themselves up at her sides, "Oh, come on, Brodie! Don't tell me you're going to let the men in blue stop you from having a fun ass adventure tonight. You wanted me to prove to you that I could take a risk, and so I am!"

"Do you know how much trouble I could get in if I'm caught, Lelani? I'm serving in the damn military for crying out loud; leadership will have my ass!"

"We've made it all the way here," Lelani says, pouting and stomping her foot down against the pavement, "Don't give up on me now! I promise you it'll be worth every ounce of risk I'm putting us through."

"Lelani..." I let out slowly, contemplating my options. The last thing I needed was to get in more trouble with my boss' back at work, but I also find myself struggling to turn down the invitation and opportunity for an exhilarating adrenaline rush. "I don't know..." I shuffle nervously on my feet, the anxiety of our possible escapade consuming my every thought.

"Well, you better figure it out because I'm going with or without you." Lelani swivels on her heels, tugging tight onto the straps of her backpack as she carries her way confidently down the sidewalk. I watch carefully as her curvy body slips farther away from my eyesight, my heart beating fast in my chest as I grapple to make a logical decision.

"Oh, fuck it," I finally huff out, sprinting fast after her in a means to catch up. I'm practically breathless as I meet up to her, my lungs working overtime as I follow closely directly behind her.

Our feet finally come to a halt against the stop sign at the end of the street. Lelani's head darts back behind us, her eyes immediately widening, "Shit!"

My head jerks back, instantly catching a glimpse of the white stream of light now pointing in our direction. The black uniform becomes clearer as the body stomps down the street after us. "Let's just go for it," I blurt out quietly, a sense of panic starting to wash over me as the glow of the officer's flashlight becomes brighter.

"Fuck," Lelani hushes out, her words becoming urgent as her hands motion me to trail after her, "Let's go, Brodie!"

Not wasting another second, Lelani and I start bolting across the two-way intersection ahead of us, thankful for the lack of vehicles out on the roads tonight. Already I can hear the cop's footsteps pounding after us, which only makes our legs work that much quicker. He shouts after the two of us, but my ears are ringing so hard that I can't even begin to make out what he's saying.

"It's right up here," Lelani announces, her words barely cutting through her labored breaths as she points towards a strip of woods right ahead of us. Lelani stumbles, her feet getting caught as we begin treading through a tangled mess of weeds. I act on instinct, wrapping an arm around her waist and yanking her body back up just before it collides into the overgrown grass.

As soon as she regains her balance, my gaze darts back, my ears noticing the cop's presence rapidly gaining on us. "Lani, run!" Branches snap beneath our feet and the leaves blanketing the earth crunch loudly as she weaves us through a maze of trees, the red glow of her headlamp acting as our only visual guide. A burning sensation spreads through my chest, and we're both panting as we race our way deeper into the dark forest. Lelani reaches back, gripping onto my wrist and steering us into a thick labyrinth of bamboo trees. Green stalks smack against my face as we work our way through the tall plants. Once we are hidden far enough back within the bamboo, we both duck down onto our knees, remaining as silent as our wheezing allows us to be.

We listen carefully to the footsteps treading closely around us, Lelani holding a death grip against my shirt as we anxiously wait for them to disappear. The police officer's flashlight scans the entire area, occasionally peeking through the lush curtain that nature is so graciously providing us right now. The muscles in my legs twitch, growing tired from my immobile stance, but I don't dare move, afraid that even the slightest sound would give off our location.

After what feels like hours, but is actually only a few minutes, the cop finally starts to trail away, the sound of his steps fading along with his existence in the woods. Lelani falls back, her legs finally giving out and her spine meeting against the dry, dirt and leaf-covered ground. I turn my headlamp on, directing it right over her face. Her eyes squint hard, blinded by the light, and she breaks out into an endless fit of giggles, squirming with pleasure. "Oh my god! That was so fun!"

My bones are still trembling with fear at our near-miss with the law enforcement, but I allow the adrenaline from the chase to soak in, suddenly replacing that fear with a newfound sense of thrill. It isn't a moment more until I find myself laughing with her, throwing myself back onto the ground beside her, and letting the rise and fall of my chest steady. My eyes admire the view above us, the stars shining bright in the clear, navy blue sky blanketing us. It's funny how they look the exact same as they did back home in Minnesota, but strange how the image I'm seeing now feels so different.

"This hike you have in store for us better be worth what you just put us through," I laugh, wiping a bead of sweat away from my forehead.

"Oh trust me," Lelani replies softly, turning her body to face me, "It will be."

I pivot my torso and hips, facing her and scooting closer as I close in the distance between us. "Points have been made. I guess Lelani Kahale knows how to take a risk, after all."

"That was only half of it," she chuckles out breathlessly.

"You're fucking wild, you know that?"

Lani doesn't answer back, but instead just stares at me with playful eyes and a child-like smile. The tension that was building between us back on the beach today returns, sucking me right back in and making my head spin with how badly I want this girl. Our mouths come closer to one another, and as much as I want to know the feeling of hers's on mine, we both let the space between us linger, practically too stuck in each other's gravity to move another inch.

"I like wild."

"Good," she whispers back, teasing me as she almost touches her lips against mine but abruptly brings herself to her feet. I groan quietly to myself, as she offers a hand down to me, helping me from up off the ground as I stand to my feet. "Let's go, Maverick. We've got a mountain to climb."

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