by Dawn Klehr
Why did he find himself hoping that was it? There was that word again…hope.
As far as Rebel was concerned, he had to let it go. It didn’t matter how she made him feel. Girls like Rebel were complicated. And he didn’t need complicated. Girls like Megan, on the other hand, were easy to be around—and it didn’t hurt that she made him out to be some kind of high school player. Why couldn’t he be that for the summer? So what if Megan didn’t give him that zing he always felt with Rebel. Big deal. She also didn’t give him the enormous headache.
Coach said drama-free. He wanted him to relax, improve his attitude, and be ready to come back to work in the fall. Well, he couldn’t think of a better way to do that than to spend time with this group. With Megan.
And hey, maybe she could help him with that other problem, too…
Chapter Six
Survival Tip #10
“When in doubt, duct tape is usually the answer.”
Rebel
Rebel enjoyed catching up with all of the kids at camp. They were a breath of fresh air compared to the shallow world of high school. They were innocent and true, and brave as hell—though that was more the stupidity of not quite understanding just how dangerous the world was, but she admired them for that.
Over the next few days, she was able to catch up with Aubrey as well. It was so nice to have a girlfriend to confide in again. Connor was great, of course. But he didn’t get her like Aubrey did.
She also kept on eye on Justice as much as possible without bringing attention to herself. She needed him to be relaxed, unsuspecting. It seemed to be working—he spent his mornings working out with Elijah and hung out in a big group during their free time. He left her alone for the most part, though she thought he might be keeping an eye on her as well.
After lunch, she and Aubrey decided to spend what was left of the day lying on the beach ogling Dane, the lifeguard. They needed to rest up for tonight. It was finally time to teach Justice his first lesson.
And it would’ve been a perfectly good day, too, if she didn’t have Megan in her ear gushing about Justice… “Ain’t he just the cutest?” Or if she didn’t have to look on as the two of them splashed around in the water playing grab ass.
“Come on in, Hart,” Justice called out to her at one point to rub it in. “The water’s perfect. Even better than the other day.”
“I told you. I don’t swim,” she said before waving him off, and before making her own production of walking to the lifeguard tower to chat with Dane. She could’ve sworn she felt Justice’s eyes on her as she did.
“Hey, Rebel.” Dane looked down from his throne.
“Your Highness,” she replied. He seriously was beach royalty—streaky blond hair and golden skin, muscles for days. And don’t get her started on his Australian accent. Surprisingly, he’d also been very cool and supportive to her over the past few years.
“Oh, not that again.” He chuckled. “I’ve missed that sass. How was your year?”
“Pretty much the worst ever,” she answered honestly.
“Let me guess, guy trouble?” He pulled his sunglasses down, and Rebel knew the other girls on the beach would be going nuts—even Megan—which delighted her to no end.
“Something like that—” she began, before she was showered with lake water.
What in the hell? It was Justice, standing next to her, shaking water off his body like a dog.
“Thought you needed a little cooling off,” he said, before walking away toward his cabin.
“Well, things might be looking up in the guy department,” Dane said, with a smirk.
She shook her head. “Right.”
“Seriously, that was a classic mating ritual. High school guys always act like douches when they’re interested in a girl.” He laughed again as he watched Justice stomp off to his cabin. “Yes, ma’am, that boy is definitely interested.”
Rebel didn’t believe that for a second, but she was thrilled he left. Without the Justice and Megan distraction, she stretched out on her towel and even managed to sneak in a little nap, which was unheard of. Normally, she didn’t get the whole sunbathing thing, but as she relaxed in the warmth of the sun, she understood the appeal. It was just what the doctor ordered after so many sleepless nights.
The remaining hours of the day went by fast. Dinner was uneventful, and she’d managed to stay away from Justice. Until now…payback time.
So here she was at two in the morning, dressed in black and armed with duct tape, standing in front of Justice’s cabin door, ready to get to work.
“Shhh.” Rebel covered Aubrey’s mouth to keep her from blowing their plan before they even started. She was so not the person for this job. Aubrey was much better at gathering intelligence. But Rebel had no choice; she needed help.
It was completely juvenile, but they planned the ol’ warm-water-on-the-hand trick for big, tough Justice. Followed by the tomb of duct tape. Once they had his hand soaking in warm water, Rebel would tape a wall from the top bunk to the bottom bunk on all sides, virtually locking him in bed. He’d be able to tear out of it, but not without causing a lot of attention and waking up his roommates…after he had wet his pants.
Aubrey would be her lookout and give her a signal if anyone was coming.
“Got the water?” Rebel asked, ready to go in.
Aubrey pulled a canteen out of her shirt, where she insisted it’d keep the water warm. “Hurry”—she tapped on a fake watch on her wrist—“tick-tock.”
Rebel took the canteen, slid the roll of tape up her arm, nodded to Aubrey, and slowly opened the cabin door. While it was true this prank was on the more unsophisticated side, it’d do the trick and lower Justice’s expectations of what she was capable of—a win-win. After all, they had so many days to go.
She tiptoed in the room, well, as much as one could tiptoe in flip-flops. A wheezy breath drifted down from Elijah on the top bunk, and Grayson’s snoring echoed from the other side of the room. Not a peep coming from Justice though. Of course not. He was perfect.
It was dim, but the moonlight coming through the window helped her get her bearings. It was a typical boy’s cabin—messy with sports crap, clothes, and leftovers from dinner thrown over every surface. Geez, already a complete sty, and they’d only been at camp for a few days. It smelled like Axe cologne, sweat, and other boy stenches she didn’t want to name.
Rebel really needed to make this quick.
She scooted over to the lower bunk. Aubrey had given her their sleeping locations, so she was prepared. She kneeled by the bed, poured the warm water into a bowl, and set it on the floor. Then carefully, quietly, she slid a gentle hand around Justice’s wrist and draped his arm over the bed. His arm was long enough to reach the bowl easily.
What she didn’t do? Look at his face. Or breathe in the Justice smell that was not at all like the scents that wafted around the room. Instead, he slept in a cloud of summer smells—like suntan lotion and saltwater and sunshine—that she loved. Yet she would not be distracted.
She took out her duct tape and went to work. Earlier that night, she practiced taking the tape off the roll without making noise. It was a slow, tedious process, but it could be done. Starting at his feet, she began building her wall of tape between the two bunks.
It was going perfectly.
Until Aubrey tapped on the door—their signal when someone was coming.
Rebel lowered to the ground and attempted to slide under the bed, but couldn’t fit. Damn boys. The entire area under the bed was jam packed with stuff.
Aubrey tapped again.
Shit, if she didn’t get out of there, she was going to get caught. She couldn’t let that happen. It was bad enough being here for the summer, but having a warden like Harper outside her cabin for the next month? No way.
Rebel prepared for a full breakout. She’d dive out the window. Yeah, they’d know that someone was there, but they’d never catch her. She readied for the getaway and pushed off her left leg to run. It
didn’t work. She was trapped. A hand clamped around her ankle, holding her in place. She was so dead.
Justice.
And he didn’t stop there. He clasped his arm around her waist and hauled her into his bed, under the covers, just before someone banged at the door. This time, it wasn’t Aubrey.
Again, there was a knock. She held her breath.
Nobody answered.
When Rebel peeked up at Justice, he put a finger to his lips. Why wasn’t he turning her in?
The door creaked open, and she buried her head in his chest. His hard, hot, naked, chest. Did she mention he was naked from the waist up? Honestly, she was losing it, and it wasn’t good. This close to being discovered sneaking into the boys’ cabin, which according to camp law was a felony offense, and yet here she was more concerned about Mr. Perfect’s pecs.
The counselor whispered, “Hello?” Again nobody answered. It was one of the guys, but she couldn’t make out the voice because it was almost an entirely new crew this year.
The sounds of light footsteps filled the room, and she sucked in so much air she almost choked. Justice placed a firm hand on her back and turned her as he moved to the side. He flipped his leg across her hips and arm around her shoulders in an awkward spooning position, while he made fake sleeping noises.
Then there were more footsteps. It seemed to last forever—the steps, and the spooning. Until finally, the door creaked. “It was nothing,” the counselor said on his way out.
Nothing. That was easy for him to say. Meanwhile Rebel was pretty sure she didn’t breathe for three full minutes. Once the door was secure, she released all the air in her lungs.
Justice chuckled, and she felt it all the way to her bones.
She turned to face him, to ask why he didn’t turn her in, when she felt an odd push of something into her leg.
“What is that? Oh, ohhhh, my God.” Rebel’s face was on fire.
It appeared that Mr. Perfect was happy to see her—a little too happy. She scurried back toward the wall, away from Justice and whatever he was packing in his boxer briefs.
He looked up in confusion for a beat. Two beats. “What?” he yelled, but in a whisper. It didn’t faze the other guys, who were snoring and wheezing away.
Rebel held up her hands, telling him to back off.
“No, no,” he said, understanding kicking in. He put his hands under the covers and she smacked them. What was he doing? “Ow, stop. Will you just hang on a minute? That was not what you think it was.”
“Really?” she did her own version of the whisper yell and looked away.
“Rebel, look at me.” He cupped her chin, forcing her to be face to face.
“No.” She fought it, squeezing her eyes shut.
“Oh for shit’s sake. That was not me, uh, jabbing you. I’m not that hard up.”
“What a relief.” She peered at him through her left eye. The room was dark and full of shadows, but there was enough moonlight to catch his exasperated expression, as well as his bedhead. For once, he didn’t look so perfect.
“Would you give me a break here? It was this, my mini flashlight.” He flashed it in her eyes.
Thank God!
“You don’t have to put yourself down like that,” she snarked. Yeah, he really brought out the bitchy in her. Plus, she had to lighten the mood. This was beyond awkward.
“My dad packed a bunch of gear,” Justice began to explain, ignoring her crude comment. “I was trying to figure it all out before I fell asleep. Be careful. There’s also a tarp, pocket knife, and fire starters in here, too.”
“Mmm, you are quite a Boy Scout,” she said, patronizing him. It was easier that way, keeping up the act—and breathing through her mouth. She couldn’t risk smelling him again, or she might not want to get out of his bunk.
He patted around the bed again, as if to prove his point about his other supplies. It only made Rebel laugh.
“What? You don’t believe me?”
She shook her head, not saying another word. He was fun to play with, but that was it. She would not let his charm affect her. He was the enemy, and she had to remember that. She crawled out of his bed, careful not to touch him any more than she had to.
Then she blew him a kiss and slipped out the door, feeling better than she had in long time. Even if the night didn’t go as planned, Rebel considered it a success.
But once her head hit the pillow, she didn’t sleep. She wasn’t even close to being tired.
Justice Brody is the enemy, she chanted silently. She said it over and over again in her head. She said it so many times, she lost count…
Chapter Seven
Survival Tip #9
“If at first you don’t succeed, blah, blah, blah. Just get back on the damn horse and try again.”
Rebel
“They’re gone,” Aubrey said as she spied on the guys’ cabin from the porch.
“Okay, we’ve got to hurry before breakfast,” Rebel said, sticking the tube of Icy Hot under her arm. She was just joking about Justice’s rash, but it was about to become a reality, and Megan’s chances of hooking up with him were about to disappear.
Not that she personally cared one way or another what he did or did not do with Megan. This was strictly business. Strictly.
“Are you sure you don’t want the itching powder?” Aubrey asked.
“Nah, I want him to burn.” Okay, maybe it was a just a little personal.
As everyone headed into the cafeteria, they set out on the path behind the cabins so nobody would see them. They reached the boys’ place in record time.
“Mmm,” Aubrey said with her nose in the air when they walked in. “Testosterone.”
“Ewww.” She smacked her friend in the arm and began rummaging through the dressers. They had to work fast if they didn’t want to get caught.
“How will you know which one is his?” Aubrey asked.
“By this,” Rebel said, pulling out an Eastview Football T-shirt. It was the shirt he was wearing that day in her room. She remembered crying all over it.
“Nice work,” Aubrey praised, continuing to peruse the room.
“What are you doing?” she asked, pulling out all of Justice’s underwear and placing them in a neat pile.
“Learning more about the guys.” She opened the top dresser drawer on the other side of the room, and then there was nothing but silence. It was odd.
Rebel looked over. “What is it?”
“Grayson is one sick bastard,” Aubrey said, showing her a magazine. “This is some nasty-ass porn.” She leaned against the wall and flipped through the pages. Slowly.
“And you’re an expert?” she questioned.
“More of a dabbler,” Aubrey admitted. “And this shit is bad.”
“How do you know its Grayson’s?”
“Because Elijah’s too sweet.”
“I didn’t even know they made porn magazines anymore. Doesn’t everyone just go online?”
“Yeah, but what do you use for those times when you don’t have Wi-Fi? Like summer camp, for instance.”
“Read a book?”
“You’re cute.” Aubrey moved over to the other dresser. “That reminds me. Have you noticed Elijah? He’s really filling out.” Aubrey pulled a pair of boxers out of the drawer and sized them up. “You know what they say about skinny guys.”
“I don’t.” Rebel shut her down immediately. That was a conversation she had no interest in continuing.
“Touchy, touchy.” Aubrey brushed her off.
Meanwhile, Rebel went to work. She opened each pair of underwear and squeezed the Icy Hot goo from the tube, making a line down the center. Then she gently rubbed it into Justice’s boxer briefs, ignoring tingling under her skin as she fingered the cotton that would be right up against his—
“It’s true about Elijah,” Aubrey said, picking up the conversation again, pulling Rebel from her disturbing trance. “He was wearing last year’s swim trunks down by the lake yesterday, and they were
much tighter.” She made a popping sound with her mouth, and it had Rebel cracking up. God, that felt good for a change. Laughing and actually enjoying herself. Maybe Dad was right, and this was exactly what she needed.
She finished up her work and checked the clock on the windowsill. Time to go.
“As much as I’d love to talk about Elijah’s growth spurt”—she gently placed the underwear back in the drawer—“we need to hit it.”
“You’re such a downer.” Aubrey stuck out her lower lip.
No, not anymore.
It might not look like it, but Rebel was in the middle of her own transformation. No more playing it safe. This year she was going to have some fun. Aubrey would see.
Soon, everyone would see.
…
Justice
He staggered into the mess tent. Was that right? Mess tent? Or was that just what they called it in war movies? Whatever, it was the place they made and served the food, and it smelled disgusting. So far, he hadn’t been impressed with the food, and was sure he was down a few pounds. Apparently, Cook Betsy was out of town for the week, so they had a replacement.
But Fozzie promised she’d be back in a few days. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to hold out that long.
Dead on his feet, he took a seat next to Eli. All he wanted was caffeine, or his bed. He’d planned to get his bunkmate outside for a workout before the rest of the camp got up, but that hadn’t happened. He had spent the night tossing and turning after Rebel left, and he was completely exhausted. Rebel’s little prank had been a busted play on her part, no doubt. Incomplete. Major fail. So why did he feel like he’d been sacked?
It was something he couldn’t get his head around, especially in the insanely loud cafeteria. They had kids of all ages sitting at the table, his little accomplices from the lake on the first day were down at the end, with a few missing seats next to him. The little kids seemed to know to stay away. He was grateful, because they were all so…loud. Justice groaned, and Eli got up. “Fine, fine, I’ll go get the food for the table”—Eli hauled a couple of the boys with him to help carry the dishes—“and maybe a Coke for Mr. Morning here.”