I shake my head.
‘No, there’s nothing they could do here anyway, and by the time they get here, we will know for sure if she has to go to the hospital or not. Also her mom is really busy with a big trial and I think her dad and brother are at some big football retreat until the day after tomorrow. We have the situation under control, and I know Clary would freak out if you called her mom...’
‘Ok. I won’t lie to you, even though I am very good friends with her grandparents, I am worried that Lauren could sue...’
Lauren is Clary’s mom and Angie isn’t wrong judging by the stuff Clary says about her. And I understand that a law suit now, would be the end for Emerald Lake Camp.
‘Don’t worry, we’ll make sure that Clary is all right. But what about Hayley? I have the feeling that she’s involved somehow in this “accident”...’
Angie nods.
‘I do too. But she refuses to talk and maintains that when she arrived on the plank, there was nobody around. We’ll have to ask Clary when she wakes up properly... Actually, I think I should stay here...’
I tell her to go to bed and that we’ll call her as soon as Clary wakes up properly and not to worry: there’s 6 of us watching her like hawks and at the slightest sign that something is wrong, I swear to go and get her.
After my aunt leaves, I return to Clary’s side and I must fall asleep because I wake with a start when I hear her stirring by my side.
***
Clary
I wake up in my own bed: at first the room struggles to come into focus and everything looks blurry but I fight to keep my eyes open and I know even before I see them, that my boys are all by my side.
I smell sunscreen and soap and sandalwood and amber: I see Joel and Xander lying one on each side of me, both with one arm around my waist.
I also can smell Logan and Austin but more faintly and when I briefly manage to lift my neck, I spot them lying down on the floor at either side of the bed.
My head falls back immediately on the pillow and I squeeze my eyes shut when a jolt of pain radiates from the back of my head all the way to every nerve ending.
‘Ouch...’
I complain softly and I feel two different hands cupping my jaws and the bed dips when two more people climb on.
‘Clary, baby!’
Whispers, Xander, placing the softest kiss on my forehead.
‘Thank god. I thought we had lost you, I...’
Joel’s forehead touches mine, a tear wets my face.
‘Oh, Clary!’
This is Logan hugging my knees.
‘Princess...’
Austin comes closer and Joel moves aside to give him space.
‘Austin... I... What happened? We were talking and then...’
‘I’m sorry, it’s all my fault! I should have let you come with me...’
The memory is really fuzzy: the last thing I remember is being by the lake in Austin’s arms, he was about to kiss me... And then nothing else.
When I try to push through the fog enveloping my memories of last night, my head protests with a fit of pain and I have to close my eyes and take a deep breath.
It seems that every time I try to lift my head from the pillows, I am rewarded with waves of pain and nausea.
The boys all crowd around me and then Brie and Hazel erupt into the room and come to hug me.
‘You said you’d wake us up when she woke!’
Complains Brie and Austin shoots her a hard look to which, to my shock, she responds by stopping to talk.
I guess those two are still on not speaking terms after how Brie treated Brooklyn.
‘Someone should go call Angie and tell Mrs Taffar to send some breakfast for Clary...’
Points out Hazel but none of the boys intend to move so my BFFs head out to get the adults while Logan fetches me a glass of water and some Tylenol.
I ask them for clarification on the events of last night and I find out that Austin and Joel dove into the dark, cold water of the lake and saved my life not only fishing me out of the water but also performing CPR, which the paramedics said was fundamental because when they got me out of the lake I wasn’t breathing.
‘Do you remember anything about Hayley? She was there before we found you...’
Prompts Austin and I blurt out:
‘She pushed me!’
‘I knew it!’
Snaps Joel and he recounts how her dress was torn and she was sitting there alone but she’d denied knowing where I was.
That seems to bring back most of the events that landed me into Emerald lake last night.
I tell the boys what happened and halfway through my recollection, Angie enters my room.
She’s the first one to speak when I finish by telling how I struggled not to fall and we fought until she finally hit me with her beauty queen sceptre.
‘May I?’
Angie lifts the covers on my bed and turns towards the boys before lifting my nighty.
‘Guys, do you mind?’
I almost laugh: it must be the concussion taking away all my normal sense of propriety because it’s only Xander’s slight head shake that prevents me from telling her that it’s fine to lift my nighty in front of them because they all have seen me in a bikini and apart from Joel, all the others have seen me naked.
The boys avert their gazes and busy themselves with getting me more water, extra pillows and opening the curtains just a little to let some sunshine into the room.
When Angie lifts my nighty she holds her breath: there’s a big purple bruise on my upper stomach, consistent with being hit by the sceptre.
Angie sits by the side of the bed and takes my hand in hers.
‘Clary, I know that right now you must be feeling really confused but what Hayley has done to you is criminal. It’s your decision if you want to press charges because based on what they saw last night, the local police ruled it an accident. By the time the cops were called, Hayley was nowhere to be found but I know she’s still here because her car is still in the lot at the entrance and all her stuff is still in her room...’
I inhale deeply but abort mission mid-breath because I am starting to conclude that for the next few days, it’s going to be only small, measured movements if I want to avoid feeling pain.
‘If... If I did press charges, Angie, what would this mean for camp? For your business...’
She smiles but it’s veiled by sadness.
‘You don’t have to worry about camp, Clary. That’s for me to do...’
I shake my head very carefully:
‘No, Angie. I love this place, I love you and...’
She smiles and whispers conspiratorially:
‘And Joel...’
‘Yeah. And I don’t think any good would come from reporting what happened. It’s still my word against hers...’
Angie disagrees saying that my bruise could help prove my version of the story but I have made up my mind.
‘I just want to feel better and spend the last two days here with my friends and be back next summer: it will be the last as a guest and then I hope you will hire me as an instructor or counsellor, I have always wanted to work here for the summer... If I press charges, not only my parents will never allow me to come back but I know my mom: she will sue you...’
Angie hugs me carefully and we are both surprised when the only objection to the decision not to press charges comes from Joel.
‘But you can’t let her get away with this... And you know Rob will hire her back for next year. I don’t want that psycho anywhere near Clary ever again...’
Angie smiles for the first time since last night when she reassures him that she will take care of Hayley.
‘I am taking a photo of that bruise and Hayley doesn’t know that we don’t have a CCTV system here, which by the way is one of the thing I want to put in before next season. I will tell her that there’s video evidence of what she did and that if we see her face again around here, I will personally go to the s
heriff.’
We are all satisfied with the decision we made and Angie goes to look for Hayley but tells me before leaving:
‘I am very good friends with one of the doctors in town, he’ll be coming over to check on you in the afternoon. In the meantime, just rest and I trust that you will be in good company. Mrs Taffar has also got instructions to send you over whatever you want from the kitchen, but I certainly didn’t need to tell her...’
When she leaves, Logan goes to check on breakfast, since Hazel and Brie haven’t returned, Austin has a shift on the beach and Xander sighs that he has the last tennis lesson of the season.
‘If you want, I can cancel, baby...’
He whispers kissing the side of my head but I tell him that Joel is staying with me and Logan and the girls will be back very soon with breakfast.
‘And I know you’ll be back here in one hour?’
He smiles.
‘You should only try to keep me away: I am not going to leave your side until it’s time to go home, my sexy mermaid...’
And then I am alone with Joel.
He settles by my side, wrapping one of his arms around my shoulders and kissing my temple.
‘So, what’s this tale I hear that you saved me?’
He is serious, his eyes dark and shiny as if he was trying to keep from crying.
‘Clary, I thought I was going to lose you. I couldn’t see you, the water was so dark... My heart felt like it was about to explode until Austin spotted you...’
I rest my head on his shoulder, inhaling his sunscreen and soap scent and taking his big hand into mine.
‘But I’m here. You did it. And you gave me CPR...’
He smiles for the first time in ages, looking into my eyes with an impossible intensity.
‘You know, there and then the thought didn’t occur to me because I was so terrified that it was too late and I was willing you to breathe with every fibre of my being, with every rescue breath. But I finally had my lips on yours last night...’
The corner of his mouth lifts up in a little smirk and I giggle feeling warmth spread all over my face and bringing his hand to my lips to kiss his knuckles.
‘So... How was it? I’m mad that I don’t remember a thing about it...’
I try to joke and he rewards me with a full smile even though for just a second.
‘Apart from the terror when I felt how cold your lips were... Xander and Logan are right: you taste of honey and something sweet that is uniquely you...’
I blush, he has this effect on me, he makes me tremble with excitement with one look, one word.
‘So, are you telling me that while you were giving me rescue breaths...’
He now laughs at my implication.
‘No, cupcake. That doesn’t certainly count as our first kiss but when you started recovering and coughing, it happened while I was breathing into you and your tongue might have accidentally slipped in my mouth, so I got a taste...’
‘Hmm... I was about to accuse you of taking advantage of the situation but it sounds like I did...’
I giggle and he laughs again, his lips on the side of my neck while he lifts my hand to his chest where his heart is beating fast.
‘Clary, I know we talked about our relationship so much and how we need to wait to take the next step until I was sure of my feelings... I...’
Our noses are now touching and I don’t care about being sure right now: I am sure about wanting this with Joel and for today, this is enough for me. I don’t think what I see in his eyes is a lie and he did risk his life to save mine last night, jumping in the stormy waters of the lake.
I can feel his warm breath on my lips and I close my eyes: I’ve been dreaming about this moment for two years...
‘Hey, breakfast’s here!’
He moves his face further away from mine when Logan, Brie and Hazel wheel a little cart loaded with food into my room.
I guess in a way it’s funny that after so many occasions in which Joel had interrupted things between me and Logan, now roles are reversed and I don’t get my kiss after all.
The next two days are crowded with the boys refusing to leave my room at all and getting dispensed from the cleaning up that precedes closing down camp for the winter saying that if Rob wants to be in charge of certain aspects of the day to day running of camp, he can try his hand at closing down with reduced staff.
The doctor checks me and says that I will be just fine and after another night, my head feels a lot better and I would like to leave my cabin and the bed but the boys are adamant that I need my rest as per doctor’s orders if I am to be fit to fly back home.
‘But I have to pack all of my things...’
I object and Xander smiles:
‘Well, you have a ton of boyfriends here and two BFFs, I think we can handle packing for you. And you can supervise the operations from your bed...’
That’s easier said then done when Brie disappears to go hookup with Matt and the boys are no match for sweet Hazel when they start commenting on every garment, every pair of shoes they put away.
The funniest moments are when Logan finds that bubblegum pink set I was wearing once when we were alone together and looking at the lace thong he asks:
‘I’ve never understood how you girls can wear this stuff all day: it’s like walking around with a permanent wedgie, this string thingy surely gets right up your a...’
Austin snags the garment away from him while Xander smirks and comments:
‘I think they wear it because they count on us boys taking them off them...’
An that causes me and Hazel yelling at him and objecting that we don’t walk around with the permanent desire to be undressed by boys, even if in my case, with my boys, he’s not that far away from reality, especially considering that I prefer bikini briefs or boy shorts in my day to day life and I only bought the sexier items when I was hoping that he and the others would indeed take my clothes off.
Then we make fun of Joel when again he has problems to tell the difference between purple and lilac: that’s because once we select which outfit to leave out for my flight tomorrow, Austin is adamant that I need a mani-pedi with my nails matching my sundress colour and asks Joel to find the lilac polish in my makeup bag but he returns with a purple one.
He insists to paint Hazel’s nails too and then things get out of hand and all the boys have matching lilac toe nails to go with ours.
Xander and Logan seem particularly fond of their pedicures and then Xander blames it on me.
‘I love your make up since that night... Remember the 7 minutes in Heaven? When you put lip gloss on me so that Lucy and the others would believe that we kissed? I love makeup now...’
Finally the packing is done and the boys leave in turns to go pack their own things, ready for tomorrow.
We are all riding to the airport together: most of us in Xander’s jeep and the rest in Joel’s challenger which are being picked up at the airport to be put on a truck and delivered back to San Francisco.
‘So, you are flying to San Francisco?’
I ask Xander and he confirms that he, Logan and Joel are all on the same flight.
‘Why?’
‘Well, we met at LAX, we were on the same flight...’
He smiles.
‘That’s because I was participating in a windsurfing competition and it was in LA... It made sense to fly out of LAX...’
‘Oh...’
I say, disappointed.
‘Hey, baby...’
‘Yes?’
I ask trying to make sure I don’t cry at the realisation that this is the last night I see my boys for many, many months.
‘This is not the end. Do you trust me that we will see each other? And you better face time with me every morning and every night. Some naughty face time too...’
He smirks kissing me deeply for the first time since my lake incident and my body responds to him as usual by vibrating with need and want, my hands instantly trying to sn
eak under his t-shirt.
‘Baby, I mean it. You will tell me to stop calling and texting and showing up at your house to surprise you...’
He says breaking the kiss and stroking my arm with a feather soft touch.
‘You will be busy with school and there will be other girls, college girls...’
‘Clary. Look at me. I love you. I don’t just like you, I don’t just want you, I love you. You are my first thought in the morning when I open my eyes and my last one at night before I fall asleep. There’s no other girls. There’s you and only you. Please trust me, the winter will be fine, we’ll see each other tons and then we’ll be back here next July...’
‘So, I’ll be by myself on the flight...’
I pout changing the topic because his reassurances don’t do much to soothe my sadness.
I know I’m a whiny mess but I challenge anyone to say goodbye to the boys she loves knowing that they will be 6 hours drive away from you all winter.
‘Hell, no, you won’t fly by yourself!’
Austin comes back from packing and Xander leaves to gather his own belongings.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Look, princess, me and the others talked about it and we weren’t too comfortable letting you fly by yourself after the concussion and everything else. So I decided to change my flight to LAX and I’ll rent a car when we land and drive back home. I’m staying with nana Helen for a bit. I have to decide if and where to do my graduate school and to be honest I am very undecided. But we’ll have three hours together tomorrow. I booked the seat near yours, so I can hold your hand for the whole flight and maybe get a kiss or two, if I’m lucky?’
I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him with all the longing, all the want that I had to repress for days and days after our latest fight.
Our tongues tangle together, our breaths mixing, our hands feeling each other through our clothing.
We are both breathing hard when we part.
‘You owed me a kiss from last night, I know we are flying together tomorrow but no time like the present...’
Lake Emerald Chronicles: The First Summer: A Reverse Harem Romance Page 46