by E. M. Moore
I give Mom a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you in a few weeks.”
“Six,” she says, her voice not only fired up, but sad now, too.
“I’ll have my cell phone. We can video chat.” It’s been like this every year. Dad and I go off and leave her for most of the summer. Before, she’d take the opportunity to go on a vacation with some of her girlfriends, but she’s not in the best place right now. I offer it to her anyway, hoping to change her mind. “Why don’t you take off for a little while, Mom? Go on a cruise or a health retreat or something.”
She shrugs. “I’ve thought about it.”
I nudge her. “Think harder. I’m sure you can get a few of the girls to go with you.” I step away from her and grab an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter and bite into it. “Just don’t go anywhere I want to go.”
“Just for that, I’m going to go everywhere you want to go.”
My mouth drops in mock horror. In all honesty, I’d love for her to take a trip for herself…mainly because I’d rather her do that instead of trying to plan my transfer to Springs next year because it’s not happening. “You wouldn’t.”
She smiles. “Have fun at camp, Tess.” Her demeanor changes. “I’m a phone call away, and your dad’s right there. I promise you he’ll be there for you. All you have to do is say the word.”
“I know, Mom.” After I give her a small wave, I kiss her on the cheek and then grab my bag before heading out the door. I throw my bag into the trunk along with another one and then go around the side of the car. The drive to camp is a couple of hours long. The camp itself is situated on a really beautiful piece of land, right next to a lake that even has a manmade sandy beach along with kayaks and canoes and a platform to swim and dive off of. It’s one of my favorite places in the whole world.
My phone pings in my pocket. Expecting a text from Dawn, I bring it out so I can answer before I start the long drive. It’s not from Dawn though. It’s a text from Ryan Linc. The hell? I click on it and then have to suppress a smile. The freaking balls on this guy. What the actual fuck? Sloan’s Jeep won’t start. We need a ride.
I slide into the front seat, a smile on my face as I start the car. With the phone still in my hand, it pings again. Your dad already left.
I know he already left. He always leaves early because he has a ton of shit to do before the rest of us get there. I tinker with the idea of not messaging him back, just letting him wait there in oblivion, wondering if I’m going to come to their rescue or not. I’m fucking not, by the way.
Getting comfortable in the seat, I think about the perfect response. I could tell him I’ve already left too, but I don’t want it to go down like that. I want him to know I’m telling him no. Act like a dick, get the repercussions of a dick. I type out the short message, smiling the whole time. Do they really think I’ll help them? Do they really think I’d put Lake anywhere near my fucking car? Fuck them. Um, no.
Then, I put my phone on silent and enjoy the ride all the way to Camp Holly…by myself.
4
I step out of the car onto the stone parking lot at Camp Holly and breathe in deep. The air always seems fresher out here in the middle of the vast forest and uninterrupted sunshine. It sets me at ease, even knowing what’s to come.
Past the main building and the section of cabins closest to me, I see glimpses of the glistening lake water below. The sun plays across the surface until it’s shining like diamonds, a myriad of sparks in the beautiful landscape before me. Orange buoys connected with rope bob in and out of the water, signifying the only swimming area. To my left is the outdoor basketball courts. They’ve always been here, but my dad also put some money into the camp, building an indoor court as well as a weight room for our use while we’re here. That building is further into the woods, only accessible by a trail lined with woodchips.
Coming to camp after the incident with Ryan used to make me uneasy. Now, though, there aren’t as many players here that remember that year. We’re the seniors, so all the upperclassmen who teased me unmercifully about it are away at college, and therefore, ineligible to attend camp. Timothy Dale Camp is strictly for high school and younger kids only. Also, invitation only. The best three players for each position in the whole state are invited. For shooting guards this year, it’s me, Lake, and River. I have no doubt River is good. My dad scouts the players himself, except for me. For me, he has other unbiased parties come in to help. As soon as I’m off to college next year, he won’t need to justify his choices, which will probably be a relief to him.
Leaving my bags in the trunk, I head toward the main building to sign in. There, I’ll be given my cabin assignment and a schedule for the whole six weeks of camp. My dad works on camp specifics all year. What coaches he’s going to bring in, what kids, and what he’ll focus on while we’re here. Whatever else he is, he’s dedicated to making youths better at basketball. He wants to give those who were like him at this age a chance—a shot at making it big. I admire him for that.
The door to the biggest log cabin at the camp still opens with a creak. Despite the skylights and the many windows in this section of the main building, it always seems so dark in here with all the wood interior. Up ahead, my dad is standing with another gentleman. When I get closer, my dad glimpses me out of the corner of his eyes. “Pumpkin,” he says, all smiles. Camp is a year’s worth of work all condensed into six weeks. He’s either stressed or enjoying the culmination of all his efforts. Right now, it looks like everything is going smoothly.
“Hey, Dad,” I smile.
“I got you all signed in already.” He heads over to the table, picks up a set of keys, and then throws them to me. “You’re in Whispering Winds again.”
I chuckle at that. There are perks to being my father’s daughter. I get the cabin closest to the water. If questioned, my dad says it’s because the cabin is a little further away from the others in our section. You know, on account of needing privacy because I’m a girl at a mainly all-boy camp, but really, I think he knows how much I enjoy being on the water.
He looks behind me. “Where’s Ryan?”
I raise my eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“He told me Sloan’s Jeep wouldn’t start, so I told him to call you.”
I keep my voice neutral. “Oh, that,” I say. “You know how small my car is. I’d never fit everyone in there with their bags and everything.” I smile to take the edge off. I don’t think he trusts the rest of the Ballers as much as he used to after the incident with the panties, but he does trust Ryan. He’s dating his mother, after all. I don’t know the extent of the conversation they had after that game, but whatever came out of it, Dad still loves Linc.
“Oh.” He looks a little taken aback after that. “Alright.” He reaches into his pocket, takes out his cell phone to look at the screen, then places it back where it was.
The door squeaks behind us again. Dad looks over my head, and I turn around.
Alec Christopoulos walks in. I clench my hands together, the set of keys to my cabin digging into my palm. Sometimes I just look at him and ask myself why I let him touch me so intimately. Then again, there’s a good reason for that. I liked him. I didn’t know he was going to turn on me and be a douche. So, then I just wonder how he can even stand himself after what he’s done. Doing that with me and then pretending as if it didn’t matter. It mattered to him. I know it did.
When he sees me, he stops. A voice whines behind him. “Alec.” I look down at his feet and notice his little sister Roberta has run into the backs of his legs. “Ugh.” She picks up the pillow she had in her hands that fell to the ground and then comes around the side of him. When she doesn’t have the large obstruction of her brother’s frame in front of her, she sees me and then she doesn’t even care about the pillow anymore. She drops it to the ground and comes running forward. “Tessa!” She wraps her little arms around my legs, and I bend over to pat her back. When she pulls away, she says, “Alec’s been working on free throw
s with me. I’m getting better. I want to show you. I keep asking him to invite you over, but he tells me you’re too busy. What are you doing all the time that you’re so busy?”
“Roberta,” Alec says, a warning to his tone.
Just then, his mom walks in behind him. She searches the area and when she sees Roberta with me, she relaxes. “Jeez. I don’t remember you being that fast, Alec. Your sister’s going to give me a heart attack before I turn forty.”
I crouch down next to Roberta. “That’s great. I’m happy to hear that.” I look past Roberta to Alec who’s looking on in interest at our exchange. “And I think what your brother means is that he’s too busy to invite me over…” Because he’s an asshole. Of course, I leave that part out.
“Yeah, baseball takes a lot out of him. He talks about it constantly. But he did specifically say that you’re too busy.”
I tug on her hair. “Why don’t you just call me next time you want me to come over? I’ll tell you if I’m too busy or not.”
She beams. “Really? Okay.”
I look up. Alec’s walking to the folding table now. He looks at me from the corner of his eye. There’s no doubt in my mind he heard everything I just said. He keeps his face neutral though.
His mom’s right beside him, making small talk with my dad and signing papers. Roberta is chirping in my ear, but it’s hard for me to stop looking at Alec. With his build and looks, it’s difficult not to notice him or have my gaze drawn his way. The guy is perpetually in top shape because there’s only a few weeks out of the year he’s not playing sports or training for sports.
Roberta tugs on my jeans. “Why does my brother get mad at me when I talk about you?”
I look back down at her. “You’ll have to ask him that.”
“I have. He just yells at me more.”
I shrug, feeling sad that she’s caught in the crossfire. I lean closer to her like I’m telling her a secret. “Boys are dumb, Roberta.”
She seems to take that into serious consideration. She looks away, her eyes intent, and then she nods once, finally accepting the answer I’ve given her.
When I stand, Alec is staring at the both of us. There’s something in his green eyes, but it’s nothing for me to dwell on. All I have to do is be his teammate. Though, the harder he stares, I can’t keep my body from blushing. Even with his mother and his sister here, I remember how my body responded to his confident, expert fingers. Just thinking about it makes my throat go dry.
As I make that observation, Alec turns to my dad. “Ryan, Sloan, and Hayes are going to be late. They had to make other arrangements.”
Inwardly, I laugh. Outwardly, I place a pout over my lips. “That’s too bad. Hopefully there’s nothing serious wrong with the Jeep.”
Alec’s gaze cuts to mine. My frown turns into a smile. The nerve of them to even ask me to help them out. Though, I do feel badly about leaving Hayes out to dry. It’s irrational, but I just keep picturing his bike parked outside my house. If he doesn’t find a ride with Ryan and Sloan, how the hell is he even going to get here?
Again, the rational part of my brain jumps in. Not your problem. And you know what? That little voice is right. They wouldn’t think twice about me if the reverse had happened. They’d laugh their way to fucking camp, and that’s all I need to know.
The door squeaks again, and Lake and River O’Brien walk in with their father. I’ve met him a handful of times and he’s just as assholish as they are. I take that as my cue to leave so I can set up my cabin for the next six weeks.
“And here’s all my shooting guards,” Dad announces as we pass one another.
I wave to him over my head, not bothering to even look at the O’Briens as they approach my father. “See you later, Dad.”
Roberta and Alec’s mom follow me out of the main building. The three of us make the trek back to the parking lot where I notice they’re parked right next to me. I pull my bag out from the car as Roberta rattles along next to me. She’s telling me all about how she fixed her free throws, then tells me Alec is going to work with her on her dribbling next. “Your brother’s so nice,” I tell her, and I can even almost get it out without feeling like I’m choking on the words. For everything else Alec is, he is a really good brother.
I drop the bag next to my feet. Alec’s mom looks at it then back toward the path. “Alec,” she calls out. “Why don’t you help Tessa with her bags?”
“Oh no,” I tell her, immediately hiking the first one up on my shoulder. “I’m absolutely fine. I’m sure Alec has his own stuff to carry.”
Alec comes around the side of the car by himself. His dark hair is a little shorter than it was during the school year. The cropped length makes his green eyes pop even more. “I can help.”
I shake my head. “My cabin isn’t anywhere near yours. Trust me. I got it.”
Alec’s mom looks between him and me. I remember the looks she used to give me after the games when the Baller Bitches made their presence known. I’d always see her talk to Alec afterward, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not the Christopoulos’s charity case. “Alec,” she says.
Alec sighs. He turns toward me, his lips thin. “Listen, I have to help you, or my mom won’t stop bugging me about it, okay?”
My jaw tightens, but his mom smiles from ear-to-ear. “That’s my boy.”
I’m still thinking up excuses to carry my bags myself when a voice says, “Tessa?”
I turn at the sound. It isn’t a voice I thought I’d be hearing at camp. My mouth drops when I find a lacrosse clad Chase Fisher behind me. His lacrosse stick lowers as he approaches our group with a bunch of guys who are dressed just like him.
“It is you,” he says.
“Hey,” I finally say, feeling a rush of awkwardness swim through me when we just stand there. We’re not on hugging terms, we’re barely even on speaking terms. He’s asked me out. I’ve told him no. Or, should I say the Ballers told him no for me? He’s got a lot of balls approaching me with Alec in full view. If I were him, I’d be afraid the Ballers would follow through on another show of dominance to keep him away from me. Then again, he’s got himself a few friends with him now. He’s probably not afraid at all. “What are you doing here?”
He twirls the stick in his grip. “The guys on my lacrosse team and I decided to have a little guys’ trip, sports related, obviously.”
“Oh, cool. Here?”
He nods. “We rented out the cabins over there.” He points toward the path through the woods that leads to another section of cabins. “But the field is over here.” He looks me up and down and then at the bag by my feet. “Wait, are you staying here, too?”
“Yeah, it’s my dad’s basketball camp. We’re here for six weeks.”
Chase finally looks over. When he sees Alec, his face turns red and his gaze narrows. “I guess I know why these cabins were unavailable now.”
“Wait,” one of the guys he’s with says. “Is this Tessa Dale?”
My face flames. I’m in that weird position where I want people to know who I am, but at the same time, when it happens, I get super nervous. Chase confirms that it is, in fact, me.
Chase introduces his teammates after that, and all I can think is what are the odds that he’d be here now?
“This is cool,” one of his teammates says. I can see now that they’re all wearing practice jerseys with the name Huntington College in type across their chests. And then I piece together even further that Huntington is the closest town to Holly Lake. It’s not that far of a stretch to think that Chase and his lacrosse buddies would be here. It’s just a coincidence that they would be here at the same time as us. “Maybe we’ll get to hang out,” the guy says.
“Yeah, maybe,” I say, not wanting to commit to anything. I have goals for this camp, and I can’t lose focus.
I bend over to pick up my bag, but Chase moves forward to intercept me. “Let me get that.”
Alec, who’s been quietly observing the whole time, steps close to
me. “Actually, I’m helping Tessa.” The way he stands, it’s almost possessive. He’s angled toward me and a little in front of me to stop Chase from moving forward any more.
I move away and pull my own bag up on my shoulder. “And I told you I could get it.”
A few of Chase’s teammates’ eyes round a little. So maybe my voice came out a little more sharply than I meant it to, but seriously, what did Alec expect to happen? He deserted me. I’m not going to play nice after that. Basketball is one thing, but friends, or more, he can kiss my ass.
“Well, I’ve got your pillow,” Roberta says. She pulls it out of my trunk before I can tell her not to. Then, she’s clutching it so tightly there’s really no room for me to say anything. Her demeanor, too, brooks no arguments.
A few of the guys laugh. “Is this your sister?”
“No,” Alec says. “That’s my sister.”
Chase comes around. He slides his hand up the strap on my bag and pulls it gently away from me. “Come on, Dale. What kind of a gentleman would I be if I didn’t help you with your bags?”
I peek back at Alec. His face is red and fuming.
I let Chase take the strap from me. Another one of his teammates grabs the other bag from my trunk until I just have a small canvas bag with some books, sunscreen, and a couple snack packs inside.
We’re just about to turn and head toward my cabin when a car pulls into the parking lot. It looks oddly familiar, but it isn’t until it passes us and Coach Bradley waves from the driver’s side window that I realize why it looks familiar. He parks the car and Ryan, Sloan, and Hayes step out.