by Dawn Klehr
Right, he seriously doubted Eli would’ve been able to sleep if Rebel had been in his bed last night. The guy had no idea what it’d been like. It was that thought that perked him right back up. Rebel’s soft body next to him, all rigid from holding her breath. Until she relaxed into him, holding on. How could he possibly turn her in? He wanted to prolong their situation for days, years maybe. He also didn’t need any unwanted attention from the counselors.
Justice was no stranger to pranks. He could see Rebel’s plan a mile away. At his old school, he’d seen it all, or he’d been a victim of it all: pantsing; disgusting messages on his locker; shoelaces tied together during gym; social media trolls. You name it. But there was no way Rebel knew any of that.
“Sunshine.” The joker herself sat next to him. “How’d you sleep?”
“Fine,” he mumbled.
She was gunning to say something else, some kind of insult or threat he was sure, but he was saved by the morning announcements and Eli’s food delivery. God bless the guy, he managed to get him a Coke, which was definitely not allowed during breakfast. The little kids down at the other end of the table all uttered a unified, “Ugh,” when he passed out the milk cartons.
“Thanks, man,” he said as one of the counselors stood at the front of the room and tested the microphone.
“No problem,” Eli said. “The kitchen staff loves me.”
“Morning all, I’m Margaret. For those of you who haven’t seen me around, I’m one of the senior counselors here at C.P.R. How’s everyone doing this morning?”
Wow, she was peppy. And so was the crowd, hooting and hollering in answer to her question. Justice slugged down his Coke and waited for the caffeine to kick in as he watched Margaret bounce around the front of the room. The woman didn’t stand still.
She went over a few rules of the day and gave everyone a brief overview of the schedule. Most of it was okay, with the exception of the activities. He pretended not to hear the word crafts as it fell from her lips.
“But after breakfast, we’re having our annual scavenger hunt, and there will be prizes for the winners. Little kids, I want you to pair up and go with Rosy. Older people, meet me at Fozzie’s office after breakfast. That’s all, campers. Have a great day.”
“A scavenger hunt, really?” he asked Eli.
“Better get used to it, bro,” Eli said. “It’s not so bad. You actually get special privileges if you win.”
“Okay, we’ll do this thing then.” Justice pointed between the two of them.
“Can’t,” Eli said between bites of waffle. “The teams are co-ed.”
Hmmm. That could work, too. Actually, that was a fine idea. If he wanted to lose his V-card before football season, he needed to get moving on that front. And from the looks he was currently getting from Megan and Mallory, it wasn’t going to be a problem. He flashed them each a smile.
“Hey.” Rebel’s voice interrupted him as he decided which girl to take into the woods. He turned to see who she was talking to and found Grayson leaning over her like she was a double-decker burger. He was such a douche.
“We’d make a great team,” Grayson told her.
But before she could answer his proposal, Justice jumped in. He had no choice.
“Rebel’s coming with me,” he said.
“Says who?” Grayson ignored him and continued convincing Rebel. Justice was worried it was actually working.
“I’m serious, dude. Back off. She’s coming with me.”
For some reason, Rebel let it go and agreed to partner up with Justice for the scavenger hunt. Maybe she picked up on his warning vibe, or maybe she was oblivious until he squeezed her leg under the table. Either way, she made the right decision.
By all accounts, he should be pissed off at her. But he didn’t want her anywhere near Grayson. Ever.
“Just what are you up to, Brody?” she asked after breakfast. “Didn’t wanna cop a feel out in the woods with one of your groupies?”
Well, I didn’t say it was going to be easy.
They walked over to Margaret’s table where she was passing out gear and stood in line.
“Where do you come up with this stuff?” he asked.
“I know your type.” Rebel stepped up to the table, signed their names on the form, and took one of the bags from the pile.
“You know fuck-all about my type. And you’re so far off the mark here, it’s not even funny.”
“So why then?” She stopped under the big oak tree, where he first saw her yesterday. “Why did you want to waste your precious time with me this morning?”
“You really want to know?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Because”—he winced—“Grayson Wright wants to get in your pants.”
“Come on.” She laughed, like a deep belly laugh. It was adorable, and incredibly naive.
“I’m serious.” He was smiling now, too, even though the situation wasn’t even remotely funny.
“And that bothers you”—she raised a brow—“that he wants to get in my pants. Why?”
“After what you went through with Ryan, you shouldn’t have to deal with another dink like that.” He so didn’t want to be having this conversation right now. He didn’t want that smile to fade, but she left him with no other option.
“Oh, you remember that conversation?” Her smile turned guarded. He didn’t like it. At all.
“How could I forget it?” he asked, confused about what she was implying this time. She was always talking in code—saying one thing when she meant something else altogether. It was hard keeping up.
“Well, you sure forgot about it and me after.” She looked away.
“No, that’s not true.” He lied. He did act that way, and he’s sure that’s how it looked to her. The real reason he pulled away though, had nothing to do with her jerkwad ex.
It had everything to do with him…and his feelings about her.
“Oh, it is true.”
“About that.” He cleared his throat. “The reason I wasn’t around much after that whole thing wasn’t because of you. Or because of what you said. It was because of me. I—”
“It’s fine,” she interrupted and continued walking.
“It’s not,” he said, ready to tell her the truth—that he was into her, but too freaking scared to do anything about it because of how it would look to everyone else. Their dads were dating for fuck’s sake. The guys had been bad enough about his dad coming out, but if he added Rebel into the mix it would’ve been intolerable. So he said nothing at all. But now he was ready to tell her. He wanted her to know.
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just get the scavenger hunt over with,” Rebel said in her rebel way, changing the subject when things became too personal. She had a habit of doing that, something he watched her dad, Trevor, try to break her of.
“Don’t be afraid of your feelings, Rebby,” he’d always joke, but Justice knew there was truth to his words. Sometimes he was envious of the relationship Rebel had with her dad. It was just so easy. Hell, Trevor made it easy for Justice to open up, too—which was saying something considering their crazy-ass situation. It was so unlike the strained and awkward deal he had going with his own father.
“Hey,” Rebel said, snapping Justice back to the present. “Did you remember to bring your mini flashlight?”
“Ha-ha.” He was not in the least bit amused by her joke, or what she might be implying. He rubbed his temples, feeling the exhaustion kick in again—physically and emotionally. She wasn’t going to listen to what he had to say. That was fine, but he really needed to come up with better comebacks where her smart ass was concerned. She was killing him.
He took the bag from her and checked out their gear. Good. There was rope. Maybe he’d just tie her to a tree until the stupid activity was over.
Chapter Eight
Survival Tip #11
“Don’t go into the woods alone.”
Rebel
Once they picked up their bag
, she wasted no time heading out on the worn path through the woods. She led. Justice followed. The scavenger hunt was a stupid tradition, but one they needed to win. Winning the contest gave them certain privileges. First in line for food, or getting out of clean up, things like that. Things that could make the day bearable. And she was looking for as much of that as she could get. Not to mention the extra time it afforded her to come up with ways to keep Justice in line and to explore her new quest for all things fun. And though she wasn’t exactly thrilled with her partner, it was better than being stuck with Grayson.
Most groups circled around camp and the lake to search for the items on the list. A few groups followed them into the woods, most likely the couples who wanted a little alone time while they had the chance.
Luckily for Rebel, the counselors had been organizing the same activities since she was ten, so she could always be a step ahead. And hopefully, she’d find the stash she buried last year quickly, so they could get back to camp early and nap.
She moved along, dodging the branches and rocks along the trail, trying not to think about what Grayson said. Or, more specifically, why he said it. She’d had enough of assholes for the year, thank you very much. She wasn’t going down that road—beating herself up, second guessing. No more self-hatred. She wasn’t here to think about that. Her goal was simple. Make Justice pay. And have fun, she couldn’t forget about that.
Though it wouldn’t be easy when he was her partner.
“Wait up,” he called from behind.
“Seriously?” she said, not bothering to look back. “How do you expect to win a football scholarship if you can’t catch up with me of all people?” It wasn’t that she was out of shape or anything, but she wasn’t running, climbing, biking, or swimming unless something was chasing her. Not to mention, those activities caused thousands of unexpected deaths each year.
From behind, she could almost feel his loud exhale. Instantly the crunch of rock and sticks and the brush of branches filled her ears. Crap!
Justice caught up to her in what felt like two strides, and then she was off her feet before being dropped, facing the opposite direction. He was making a habit of his Neanderthal ways, and she didn’t appreciate it.
When she turned around, he was now leading the way.
“What’s with you picking me up all the time?” she asked, wishing away the flush she could feel heating her cheeks.
“Maybe I like to throw you off balance.” He turned and smiled. It practically lit up the woods when he did. It was that perfect, cocky sports-hero smile that would get him toothpaste commercials if he ever made it big.
He turned back around, displaying his other winning ass…et. Yeah, it was a lethal one-two punch that left hordes of females in his wake. Not that he seemed too interested. He’d never been known to date anyone at school, not seriously anyway. Rumor was he preferred college women.
“I don’t care what you like to do,” she said firmly. She was, and would remain, unaffected by his charm. “I’m declaring a hands-off policy from here on out.”
“Fine.” He held up his hands. “I mean, I didn’t hear you complaining last night, but that’s fine.”
“For one: Don’t flatter yourself.” She began searching the woods for a few of the items on their list. Anything to get her mind off last night. Though it was nothing, and she promised not to give it second thought, the scene had been on a continual loop in her brain all morning. “Secondly, you will never throw me off balance. No matter how hard you try.”
And there it was. The promise she made after Ryan let her down. He was just the latest in a string of let downs, which is why she didn’t choose to let many people in. Sure, she had her dad and a few close friends, but that was different. They’d proven themselves time and time again.
“You think you have everything figured out.” Justice’s expression pinched as harsh words came out of his mouth. “You’re so mature and perfect, I know. I’ve heard. But don’t you ever fuck up, Hart? Make a poor choice?”
She raised a brow. He knew about Ryan and her poor choice. She’d told him all about it. And then Justice did the same thing as her ex did…pretended she didn’t exist. Was he trying to rub her face in it?
His face softened then, as if he could hear her thoughts. “I didn’t mean it like that. Hell, everyone is an idiot when it comes to love.”
“It wasn’t love.” She cringed. “It was sex. That’s all.”
That shut him up.
They continued walking on the path, farther into the woods, side by side. She wondered if Justice was telling the truth. Had he acted like an idiot for love? Did he even have to? She doubted it. Everything seemed to come so easy for him.
“I’ve never claimed to know it all, by the way,” she finally said to break the silence and end the awkwardness. Justice’s question had been rhetorical, but she wanted to answer it. She didn’t have it all together, not even close. But she had sworn to toughen up. Not be so weak. Then she couldn’t be hurt. That was her number one goal—just get out of high school unharmed. Survive.
After that? She wasn’t sure. She hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“Well, you seem to know more than most,” Justice said without any hostility this time.
“How do you figure? You’re the one with the promising career. Which reminds me, why are you here and not at football practice?”
“I’m learning to manage my temper out in the wilderness.” He plucked a long piece of grass from the ground and put it in his mouth. It wasn’t convincing. He still looked like he should be on a football field instead of roaming through the woods.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She pulled the grass from his mouth and threw it.
“Coach—and my parents—wanted me to take a break until tryouts. Let’s just say, I was wound a little tight last season.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“Nope.”
Looks like she wasn’t the only one who had a shitty year. And she understood why he didn’t want to talk about it, so she let it go for now. The tension between them lightened a little. Maybe it was all the fresh air, or the way Justice liked to point out the obvious—look at the weird tree; that bug is huge; it’s getting hot out here. His silly observations relaxed her.
“So where exactly are we going, anyway?” he asked. “Nobody else is this far out.”
“That’s the idea,” she said.
They were getting close when a flicker of light caught her eye. She traced the bright ray all the way down to the ground. It was a stream. She didn’t remember it from last year, but they had gone through a drought that summer. That’s one thing she did love about this place, and about nature. Things were always changing and reinventing themselves. Something she desperately wanted to do.
Next year? She would not be the emo girl who wore her emotions on her sleeve. It was time to have fun. Relax. Not let people get to her so much.
“Come on,” she told Justice as she moved forward toward the stream. One item that was not on last year’s list was river rock, and they were sure to find it down there.
As they approached the stream, she stepped onto a log and bent down to fish out a rock in the water, but almost fell in the process. Justice quickly reached out his hand, and she took it. For stability only. The warmth and strength of his grip affected her more than she wanted it to. Seriously, her insides went all mushy just from that slight contact. She’d never felt that before. Not even with Ryan before everything. Not even with Ryan during everything.
Dipping her fingers into the stream, she found what she was looking for, and once the rock was in her grasp, she jumped off the log and yanked her hand away.
“Here.” She threw the river rock to Justice, and he snagged it from the air and stuffed it into the bag.
She had to admit, the guy was good with his hands.
Chapter Nine
Justice
Just sex, she’d said, like it was no big deal, and it made him feel so i
ncredibly pathetic about his own lack of experience. It also made him want to nut punch Ryan. Rebel deserved so much better than that. Even if she currently wanted him dead.
He really wanted to tell her the reason why he was all freaked out after that day in her bedroom. He wanted her to know that it wasn’t because he didn’t care; it was because he cared too much. And that he was a little chicken shit. She might not know it, but he worried about her. And those more-than-friendship feelings were back in full force, scaring the hell out of him.
The way it felt to touch her hand, so soft and small in his, made him lose his shit. His mind began to derail, as he wondered what the rest of her felt like. The preview last night as he held her in his bed did nothing to tame his roaming mind.
Not that anything would change. Even if he could convince her that he wasn’t the cause of their dads’ breakup—he really hoped he wasn’t—she’d been burned in the romance department, and that wasn’t easy to get over.
He’d been cast aside before, too. In fact, the only reason why he had so many friends now was because of the team. He knew that. It was also the only reason why girls followed him around like lost puppies.
That lesson came the hard way.
He’d stayed away from girls for the most part since he arrived in Atlanta, because he wasn’t ready. He still felt like the underweight, dorky kid that everyone made fun of. It didn’t matter that he’d grown into his lanky body, got rid of his glasses, and let his sister pick out his wardrobe so he wouldn’t embarrass her—a fact she didn’t try to hide when she dragged him through the mall.
But by sophomore year, he finally felt like he belonged. And he was ready to experience things outside of football. Like girls, for one.
At the beginning of the season, he asked out Tiffany. She seemed like him, a part of the inside group, but not completely an insider. They took it slow. He thought it was what she wanted. It was definitely what he needed.
And then his dad came out of the closet…and people started to find out.
Suddenly, his status with Tiff wasn’t looked at as chivalrous anymore. She actually gave him the side eye the morning after homecoming. After they didn’t sleep together. Shit, they’d only been dating a month, and it didn’t seem like enough time. But what did he know?