The senior camping trip should’ve been a fun escape, but being stuck next to Jacob Evans for eight hours was a nightmare.

Jacob had always hated you, but you never understood why. Back in sophomore year, you had accidentally spilled your drink on his favorite jacket in the lunchroom. You apologized profusely, but he had exploded, loudly accusing you of being careless and ruining his day. Since then, he avoided you like the plague, and the resentment only grew. Every time you crossed paths, there was a coldness in his eyes, a bitterness that made you feel like you were somehow to blame.

So, when you boarded the bus and saw the only open seat was next to him, you froze.

He didn’t even look up as you stood awkwardly beside him. “What, you gonna sit down or just stand there?” he snapped, clearly annoyed.

You slid into the seat, keeping as much distance between you as possible. The first few hours were tense, filled with silence and the occasional sharp glare from Jacob whenever you moved too much. You kept your eyes on the window, trying to ignore the growing discomfort.

By the third hour, exhaustion began to take over. The bus’s steady motion, the warmth of the sun, everything made your eyelids heavy. You tried to stay awake, but sleep crept in.

You didn’t notice when your head shifted and found its way to Jacob’s shoulder.

Jacob stiffened at first, his body tense as if he was going to pull away. But then, something changed. Instead of pushing you off, he let out a quiet breath and slowly wrapped his arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer. It wasn’t aggressive, and it wasn’t out of affection—it was almost protective.

He didn’t hate you in that moment. He realized that maybe the anger he’d held onto for so long was misplaced, maybe even pointless.

You didn’t wake up to see it. You were deep in sleep, unaware of the way Jacob’s arm stayed around you, how he let you stay close without pulling away.