Chapter 50: Day of Rest 5 (Final Part)
Gwen descended the steps of the treehouse with quick but steady strides.
She wasn't running.
She wasn't fleeing.
She just needed space.
The night air hit her face like it was trying to calm her, but it didn't work.
Not this time.
Music still floated in the background of the camp, like a distant echo of something she no longer wanted to remember.
The kiss.
Heather's gaze.
The way Cody didn't pull away.
"It wasn't his fault," Gwen thought, clenching her fists.
"But he didn't do anything either."
The anger wasn't explosive.
It was the kind of discomfort that settles in your chest and doesn't scream… but doesn't leave either.
She walked toward the edge of the clearing, where the trees began to close in the landscape.
She didn't want to be seen.
She didn't want to be followed.
But she was.
Footsteps behind her.
Not rushed.
But deliberate.
Gwen didn't turn.
Didn't ask.
She already knew who it was.
Cody.
He stopped a few meters behind her.
Said nothing.
Just waited.
Gwen turned slowly.
The dim sky cast a soft shadow on her face, but her eyes didn't match it.
They were tense.
Upset.
And not because of the kiss.
Because of what it meant.
Cody looked at her.
Not with guilt.
But with uncertainty.
Like someone unsure whether to speak… or let silence explain.
Gwen watched him for a moment longer.
And then she saw it.
The lipstick.
A faint mark, barely visible, but enough.
Heather didn't wear bold colors.
But it was there.
At the corner of Cody's lower lip.
Gwen pressed her lips together.
Not out of jealousy.
Out of discomfort.
From feeling something had crossed a line she couldn't stop.
Cody noticed her gaze.
Lowered his eyes.
And understood.
But didn't move.
Gwen stepped forward.
Said nothing.
Made no dramatic gesture.
She simply raised her hand.
Took the edge of her sleeve.
And with a slow motion, wiped his lips.
Not with force.
Not with anger.
With precision.
Like someone erasing a word that shouldn't have been written.
Cody didn't pull away.
Didn't defend himself.
Just looked at her.
And when Gwen finished, she lowered her hand.
The sleeve had a faint stain.
But that didn't matter.
What mattered was that now…
he no longer had anything of Heather on his face.
"Are you going to say something?" Gwen asked, without softness.
Cody took a deep breath.
But didn't answer right away.
Because what he wanted to say…
he still didn't know how.
—
Cody stayed still for a moment after Gwen wiped his lips.
Not because of the gesture itself.
But because of what it meant.
It was as if she had erased more than makeup.
Discomfort settled in his chest, right where illusion used to live.
Heather had kissed him.
And for a second, he felt like the protagonist of a poorly written romantic comedy.
But now, with Gwen in front of him, he understood there was nothing funny about it.
He stepped forward.
Then again.
And without thinking too much, took Gwen's hand.
She didn't resist.
Said nothing.
Just followed.
The walk to the cut tree trunk was short, but felt longer than usual.
Maybe because of the silence.
Maybe because of what wasn't being said.
Cody thought.
Not about Heather.
About Roxy.
About Eve.
About the other girls at school who had once put him in awkward situations.
"And I thought that was the worst," he told himself with an ironic smile.
"At least with them, there was no lipstick involved."
The thought made him laugh internally.
But he didn't share it.
Not the moment.
Gwen walked beside him, not looking back.
Her hand still in his, firm but without tension.
As if waiting to see what he'd do with it.
When they reached the trunk, Cody let go of her hand.
Not abruptly.
Just naturally.
They both sat down.
Not too close.
But not far either.
Cody sat on the trunk, elbows on his knees, eyes fixed on the moon.
He didn't look at it for beauty.
He looked at it like someone searching for answers in something that can't respond.
Beside him, Gwen remained silent, arms crossed, expression tense.
The night air was cool, but not cold.
Just uncomfortable, like the conversation about to begin.
Cody took a deep breath, and without turning, spoke.
"Gwen… I don't know what to say right now," Cody said, voice low, almost like talking to himself.
"I feel uncomfortable seeing you upset, but I understand why," he said, fingers tightening.
"We've talked about it: I like you. A lot. And I know you like me too," Cody said, turning his head slightly toward her.
"Whether I want it or not, what happened with Heather affected you," he said, lowering his gaze to the ground.
Gwen didn't respond immediately.
Her eyes were fixed on the drawing Cody had given her hours earlier.
She held it between her fingers, folded in half, as if unsure whether to keep it or tear it.
Cody swallowed, feeling the weight of what was coming.
"I know we're not a couple, but I also felt weird seeing you with Trent," Cody said, with a nervous smile that faded quickly.
"It's selfish and unfair, I know. I've said it from the start: I came to camp to have fun, not to be in a committed relationship," Cody said, shrugging, as if trying to justify something he knew couldn't be justified.
He scratched his neck, uncomfortable, avoiding eye contact.
"I'm clumsy. And a pervert. I don't hide that," Cody said, with a brief, bitter laugh.
Gwen glanced at him, frowning.
Her expression was stern, but not indifferent.
There was something in her eyes—a mix of disappointment and doubt.
"So you're just playing with me?" Gwen said, upset, turning toward him.
Cody raised his hands, as if trying to stop an accusation he didn't know how to answer.
"I don't want to hurt you. You don't deserve that," Cody said, sincerity in his voice.
"So… what should we do?" Cody said, lowering his hands slowly.
He turned fully toward her, this time without evasion.
His eyes searched for Gwen's, but she avoided them, looking at the ground.
"It's not like we don't notice the other girls' eyes. And we're stuck on this island, with emotions crossing every five minutes," Cody said, firmer now, as if trying to bring order to the chaos.
Gwen pressed her lips together.
The drawing still in her hand, now wrinkled from the pressure of her fingers.
Cody leaned slightly toward her, without touching.
"Tell me, Gwen… do you want us to be a couple?" Cody said, voice clearer than at any other point that night.
The question hung in the air.
No music.
No shouting.
Just the two of them, and the moon as witness.
Gwen finally looked at him.
Not with anger.
Not with tenderness.
With a mix of fear and longing.
Like someone who knows that saying "yes" changes everything…
and saying "no" does too.
—
Gwen remained silent.
Her eyes fixed on the drawing, but her mind elsewhere.
She reflected.
She didn't know if Cody was being serious or just emotionally clumsy.
She didn't know if what she felt was something to protect… or avoid.
Finally, she looked up.
"And what would change if I say yes… and what if I say no?" Gwen said, in a neutral tone, like someone who doesn't want to show vulnerability.
Cody looked at her.
Then looked back at the moon, as if searching for an answer in its glow.
"I'm not sure about everything," Cody said honestly.
"Saying yes would mean being honest with each other. I don't know what the other girls will do, or if they'll try something," he said, lowering his gaze.
Gwen narrowed her eyes.
Not out of anger.
Out of analysis.
"And what would you do with them?" Gwen asked bluntly.
Cody stayed still.
The silence stretched.
Only the rustling of branches in the wind could be heard.
"I don't know…" Cody said quietly.
Gwen watched him, expecting more than evasions.
Cody rubbed his hands nervously, and finally spoke.
"Gwen… when I see you, I find so many things that make me want to be with you," Cody said, looking at her sincerely.
"But when I see them… I won't lie and say I feel nothing," he said, lowering his voice.
Gwen frowned.
Her body tensed.
"There are things… and they're undeniable," Cody said, swallowing hard.
"I've kissed Courtney, Lindsay, and Bridgette," Cody said plainly.
The silence that followed wasn't like the others.
It was heavier.
Sharper.
Gwen pressed her lips together.
Her eyes hardened.
The drawing in her hand crumpled even more, as if absorbing her frustration.
"And what does that mean to you?" Gwen asked, upset, voice restrained.
Cody didn't respond immediately.
He knew any word could break what little they'd built.
—
The silence between them was no longer uncomfortable.
It was dense.
As if the air had filled with words neither dared to say.
Gwen stared at him, arms crossed, brow furrowed, the crumpled drawing between her fingers.
Cody kept his gaze down, as if every word weighed more than the last.
"You made a choice in that dance with Trent that I didn't make in other moments," Cody said, voice firm but heavy with guilt.
"We've been taught about emotional responsibility… and I've just been having fun, not realizing how it would affect people," Cody said, clenching his fists on his knees.
Gwen watched him, not interrupting.
Her expression was stern, but not closed.
"But…" Cody said, leaving the sentence hanging.
Then he turned.
Took her hand decisively, and without giving her time to react, pulled her toward him.
Their lips met in a deep, unexpected kiss that made the world go silent for a moment.
Gwen stiffened at first, then closed her eyes.
The kiss wasn't gentle.
It was intense.
As if something inside Cody had burst.
As if the fireworks that hadn't been launched at the party… had been saved for this moment.
They separated slowly.
Gwen still had her eyes closed.
Cody looked at her, heart pounding like never before.
"That tells us there's something here," Cody said, voice trembling but clear.
Gwen opened her eyes, still lost in what had just happened.
Her breathing was fast.
Her mind, a whirlwind.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Gwen said sharply.
"For me to accept your adventures while I choose you?" Gwen said, stepping back.
Cody shook his head, without hesitation.
"No," Cody said firmly.
"I don't expect that. And it wouldn't be fair to you," Cody said, looking her straight in the eyes.
Gwen searched his face for signs of a lie.
She found none.
"The only thing I can promise…" Cody said, lowering his voice.
"Is to try to make you happy. And be honest with whatever you ask me," Cody said, with a sincerity he hadn't shown before.
Gwen lowered her gaze.
The drawing fell to the ground.
She didn't pick it up.
—
The drawing remained on the ground.
The moon, silent witness, seemed brighter than ever.
Cody didn't move.
He waited.
Not for an answer.
For judgment.
Gwen looked at him.
But didn't see him.
Her mind raced.
She thought about her life at home, the boys she'd met, every disappointment, every moment she felt invisible or misunderstood.
She compared.
One by one.
And Cody…
Cody didn't fit any category.
He was clumsy.
Impulsive.
Emotionally messy.
But that feeling he gave her when she was with him…
she'd never felt that before.
Gwen clenched her fists.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
She looked at him, and in the middle of her internal struggle, stepped toward him.
And kissed him.
Not like before.
Not as a response.
As an explosion.
A kiss that released everything in her chest.
Anger.
Confusion.
Desire.
Hope.
Cody stayed still, surprised, but didn't pull away.
His hands trembled, but he didn't touch her.
That kiss wasn't his.
It was Gwen's.
She pulled away suddenly.
And hit him in the chest with both hands, shouting.
"You're an idiot!" Gwen said, tears in her eyes.
"Emotionally clueless!" Gwen said, hitting him again.
"Pervert!" Gwen said, voice cracking.
"Heartbreaker!" Gwen said, delivering one last blow.
Cody didn't defend himself.
Just looked at her, eyes wide, unsure whether to speak or stay silent.
Gwen stood still, breathing heavily.
The tears flowed freely.
Her body trembled.
Then she lowered her head.
And said it.
"And still…" Gwen said, voice broken.
"I want you to be my idiot," Gwen said, lifting her gaze.
"I want to be your girlfriend," Gwen said, hiding nothing.
Cody didn't respond.
Not from lack of words.
But because in that moment…
everything he'd wished for was right in front of him.
Cody wrapped his arms around Gwen, holding her by the waist with a mix of nervousness and tenderness. The silence between them was thick, but not uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that only comes after an emotional storm.
"So… now you're my girlfriend," Cody said, with a smile that tried to be confident but cracked at the edges.
Gwen looked at him with one raised eyebrow, as if still not believing it was all happening. Then, without a word, she leaned in and kissed him again. This time without anger, without doubt. Just her, and him, and the moment they'd built through mistakes, apologies, and truths.
"Yes," Gwen said between breaths, barely pulling away from his lips. "And you're mine."
Another kiss. Longer. More certain. Cody held her tighter, as if afraid the world might interrupt them.
"Does this mean I have to stop drawing hearts with your name in secret?" Cody said, half joking.
"Now you can do it in public," Gwen said, smiling.
"Those girls are going to be furious," Gwen said, with a smile that mixed mischief and resignation.
"We'll see what happens," Cody said, looking at the moon as if searching for an answer—or at least a little peace.
They walked together toward the cabin, hand in hand. The forest seemed to fall silent out of respect, and the camp lights flickered in the distance like discreet witnesses.
From the treehouse, several girls watched them. Some with arms crossed, others with tight lips. Each with her own ideas, her own theories. But only one redhead, sitting on a rock with her chin resting on her hand, didn't watch the scene like the others.
Her name was Izzy.
She didn't need guesses.
She could read lips.
And what she'd seen… gave her a lot to think about.