Predictably, Alice blushed at her blunt language, and fuck, Rosa adored that pretty, red-cheeked face. “Really?”
“Absolutely delicious.” Rosa slowed her feet to allow the boat to rotate until it pointed directly at the distant docks, then sped up again. “I’d go down on you again in a heartbeat. In fact, I’d drop to my knees right now if we weren’t in such a hurry.”
For a second Alice’s pace faltered, but she recovered quickly. “Stop tempting me to get into even bigger trouble.”
Rosa smiled wistfully. “That’s how I roll.”
They settled into an easy silence as they crawled their way across the lake. As they drew nearer to the opposite shore, Rosa’s heart sank at the sight of an indistinct form standing on the boat docks, watching their approach. It appeared that Alice was right. They were in trouble. A niggle of dread slithered and twisted in Rosa’s stomach like a boathouse snake. It wasn’t that she was worried for herself—she could handle being scolded—but she hated to think of Alice having to endure any amount of discomfort because of something she did.
Rosa swallowed thickly. “I’m so sorry about whatever happens next.”
“No apologies.” Alice’s hand landed on hers, gripping tight. “It was my choice to take the boat. I desperately wanted last night to happen, so I took a risk. Then I overslept, just like you did. If you hadn’t woken us up, I might have slept another hour or more.” Her voice softened. “Last night really wore me out.”
Rosa squinted as the form on the dock began to take shape: a blond counselor whose arms appeared to be folded across her chest. “I shouldn’t have fallen asleep.” She hadn’t intended to, but the peace and sanctuary of Alice’s embrace had lulled her into blissful slumber against her will. “I should have been more careful.”
The fingers covering her knuckles tensed. “Don’t, please.” Alice tried to sound lighthearted, but the quaver in her voice gave away her rising anxiety. “You said everything would be all right.”
Aware that her self-recrimination was only making Alice feel worse, Rosa exhaled at length. “It will. I’ll handle it.” Compared to everything she’d been through over the past eighteen months, the thought of dealing with an angry camp counselor—Marcia, she realized, the exceedingly bubbly one—didn’t even make her break a sweat. What bothered her, and what she simply couldn’t handle, was to see Alice suffer and know she was the cause. “When we reach the dock, get out of the boat and walk away. I’ll take the verbal beat-down and meet you at breakfast.”
“No, I’ll…” Even without looking, Rosa could hear Alice summoning all the bravery she possessed. “I’ll stay with you. I won’t abandon you like that.”
“But I can handle it.” Rosa lowered her voice as they got closer to the dock, not wanting Marcia, who now looked exceedingly impatient, to overhear their argument. “You can’t.”
Alice scoffed and released her hand. “Don’t tell me what I can’t handle.”
Rosa cringed at the hurt beneath Alice’s words, the very emotion she’d never wanted to inflict. “I’m sorry, I just…”
“You want to protect me,” Alice murmured. She smiled at Rosa, eyes sparkling with a mixture of fear and elation. “But I can take care of myself. Honestly.”
The angry lilt of Marcia’s normally sunny voice silenced any reply Rose might have offered. “Good morning, ladies.”
Rosa waited for a reprimand, but when none came, she replied with a simple, “Good morning to you.”
Marcia wore a tight-lipped smile as they pedaled up alongside her, and she dropped to her knees to help moor the boat to the dock. “Funny, but I remember seeing both of you at the opening ceremony on Thursday evening when I went over the rules here at Camp Rewind.”
Rosa snuck a sidelong glance at Alice, who sat in silence, her face bright red and her eyes cast down in shame. It was clear that despite Alice’s determination to remain at her side for this tongue-lashing, Rosa would be speaking for both of them. “I’m so sorry. I never intended to stay out overnight—”
“All the paddleboats were accounted for at sunset yesterday evening before the bonfire.” Marcia tightened the capable knot she’d fashioned, then offered Alice a hand to help her out of the boat. “Which means you must have taken this one after dark. Since you both attended the opening ceremony and therefore heard me read the rules, I can only assume you realized you were breaking more than one of them by doing so.”
“I apologize.” Rosa had no plans to offer a defense, only to take her punishment in whatever form it came. “It was my idea, completely, and I never meant—”
“To get caught,” Marcia said, snippily. “I’m sure that’s true.” She reached into the boat’s storage area and retrieved the rolled-up sleeping bag and the backpack full of supplies. “Well, you girls certainly packed for an overnight excursion.”
Rosa frowned, fed up with both the interrogation and Marcia’s condescending tone. Alice looked ready to jump into the lake to escape the reprimand, making Rosa wish she’d taken the advice to simply run away. Sighing, she climbed out of the boat and onto the dock so she was on more even footing with the counselor. “I wanted to take my friend stargazing away from the drinking and the noise. The sleeping bag was a place to lie on the hard ground while we looked up at the sky. We’d intended to bring the boat back right away, but after an hour or so out there, we fell asleep by accident. That’s all.”
“Uh-huh. Stargazing, really?” Marcia looked them both up and down as though trying to judge their true intentions. “Can you ladies appreciate what it’s like to wake up to the news that not only are two of my campers missing, but one of my boats, as well?”
Alice hung her head so low that her dark hair curtained her face and hid her rosy cheeks. The sight tore into Rosa, bringing her protective instincts to the front. Rather than be intimidated, Rosa threw back her shoulders and, in an even tone, said, “Look, Marcia, we’re all adults here. I took a boat when I shouldn’t have, stayed out longer than I should have, and now I’m trying to take responsibility and apologize so we can all move on. Give me my demerits or hard labor or whatever punishment you think is appropriate, but please, stop berating us. A little shame goes a long way, don’t you think?” Willing Marcia to show some compassion, she gestured subtly at Alice, who trembled, her narrow shoulders bowed. “This was my fault. If you want to kick me out of camp, I’ll leave. Just tell me what you want.”
Marcia seemed taken aback by her directness. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. After a moment, she cleared her throat and her features lost their harsh edge. “It’s a liability issue. Do you understand?”
“Completely.” Rosa made eye contact so that Marcia would both see and hear her sincerity. “I swear that nothing like this will happen again…if I’m allowed to stay.”
She didn’t miss the alarm that flashed across Alice’s partially obscured face in response to the suggestion that Rosa might be expelled from Camp Rewind. Rosa shared her anguish at the thought. Once she left camp, their time together was over. Best-case scenario, Rosa stayed and they had thirty or so hours more to savor their connection before it faded into the realm of bittersweet memory. But if Marcia made her leave now, they would be trading good-byes within the hour—which felt far too soon after all they’d shared the night before.
Sadly, that probably meant their separation was already long overdue.
Guts churning, Rosa refused to break eye contact with Marcia while she awaited the verdict. If she got expelled from camp, at least she wouldn’t have another magical night of falling for Alice Wu to sharpen the agony of the inevitable. Yet she knew that Alice would be disappointed, if not devastated, by the type of swift, decisive break she would most likely have to deliver in the parking lot after she’d packed her car. Rosa didn’t want that, either. Granted, both of them would eventually experience the pain of saying good-bye, one way or the other. It was simply a question of when. None of the options in front of her seemed appealing in any way, except for the
fantasy where she continued to see Alice despite her fucked-up life and nobody suffered any terrible consequences.
“You can stay,” Marcia said, looking back and forth between her and Alice. “Both of you. But no more boating privileges, either of you, for the rest of the weekend.”
“That’s fair,” Alice replied in a whisper Rosa suspected only her ears had detected.
“Very fair,” Rosa echoed. “Thank you.”
“Oh, I’m not done yet.” Marcia gave them a syrupy smile, and Rosa had to force her nose not to wrinkle in response. “As I’m sure you both know, today is field day—‘drunk field day,’ as some of the campers like to call it, for obvious reasons—and we could use some help manning the refreshments booth. Since you two enjoy being away from the drinking and noise, anyway, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind taking the first shift. All you have to do is hand out bottles of water, distribute towels to people participating in the water-balloon toss or the watermelon-eating contest, and take care of any trash you see in the area.”
“All right.” Rosa’s stomach sank at the knowledge that such a socially involved punishment would be sheer torture for Alice, and not terribly fun for herself, either. The task would put her into contact with almost the entire camp population, vastly increasing her risk of being recognized by an Internet-savvy gamer type. The very last thing she wanted was for Alice to be right there next to her if the worst came to pass. “I can do that, but please…taking the boat was all my idea, and Alice is super shy. Maybe she could sit this one out?”
“No, it’s all right.” Alice spoke so softly Rosa had to strain to hear. “I’ll work the booth with Lila.”
“Great!” Marcia clapped her hands together, then shooed them toward the shore. “Breakfast will be over in thirty minutes, so I suggest you trot along and grab something to nibble. You’ll report to Counselor Sandy by the main athletic field at ten forty-five, in the clearing behind the archery range. Do you know where that is?”
“Yes, ma’am.” At this point Rosa was finding it hard to keep her sour mood out of her tone. She continued to try solely for Alice’s sake. “I’ll be there.”
“Excellent. Run along now, my little delinquents.” Marcia winked at Alice, patronizing till the end. “You’ve got a busy day ahead of you.”
Rosa’s empathy urged her not to keep Alice there one second longer. Taking her by the hand, Rosa led them away from Marcia as fast as their feet could carry them. With visible effort, Alice lifted her head and pushed her hair out of her face with her free hand, taking slow, deliberate breaths in a clear effort to calm her nerves. Once they were out of Marcia’s line of sight and alone among the trees, Rosa tugged Alice to a stop. She took Alice by the shoulders and stared into her eyes, trying to determine exactly how badly she’d screwed things up. That had been exactly the sort of interaction Alice normally followed the rules to avoid. If not for Rosa, she wouldn’t have had to withstand Marcia’s pointed remarks or receive a punishment seemingly designed to torment her. Even here at camp, Rosa had managed to inject unnecessary drama and turmoil into Alice’s quiet existence.
Proof that she really was poisonous to those she cared about.
“Are you all right?” Alice asked, stealing the question from Rosa’s lips. “You seem really upset.”
Rosa barked helpless laughter, her mind spinning at the role reversal and her tumultuous emotional state. “I was going to say the same thing to you.”
“I’m fine.” Alice stared at her, naked concern painted across her face. “Getting yelled at wasn’t exactly fun, but I survived.”
Rosa caressed Alice’s cheek tenderly. The lingering heat of the shame Marcia had so effortlessly induced scorched Rosa’s fingers, burning at her conscience with a fury that left her nauseated. “I wish you’d just let me handle it. You should have walked away, like I told you to.”
“First of all, I’m not sure Marcia would have gone for that. She was scolding both of us, and if I’d simply walked away during her lecture, I’m certain it would have turned out much worse. For me and you.”
She was right, of course, but Rosa couldn’t let go of her guilt over having put Alice in the position to be dressed down like that in the first place. Angry at herself, at Marcia, even at Alice, Rosa said, “We should never have taken the boat. It was a stupid idea.” She turned to storm off toward the cafeteria, but Alice caught her wrist before she could leave.
“Rosa, wait.” When Rosa refused to turn around, Alice stepped in front of her, angling her head to force eye contact. “You remember that taking the boat was actually my idea, right? I was the one who made the initial suggestion, at least. I’m not saying it wasn’t stupid, but…seriously, stop beating yourself up.” Alice hesitated and then, after a beat, added, “As far as I’m concerned, it was all worth it. Last night was the greatest experience of my life—by far—and completely worth getting in trouble over. All right?”
Rosa nodded, surprised by how difficult it was not to look away from Alice’s piercing gaze. “I’m glad you feel that way.”
“How do you feel?” Alice asked, and for a second Rosa’s heart dropped at the blunt question, until Alice said, “About having to work the refreshments booth this afternoon. I saw the look on your face when Marcia suggested it. Given your worries about being recognized, I assume you’re concerned about being right in the middle of the action like that.”
“It’s no big deal,” Rosa lied. “Even if someone does think they know me, chances are they’d never bring it up to my face. In case they were wrong, I mean.” She managed a halfhearted chuckle as she envisioned reliving a mortifying scenario she’d actually encountered before. More than once. “That would be kind of awkward, don’t you think? ‘Hey, aren’t you the whore who fingered herself in that viral video?’” She tried to ignore the shock that briefly passed over Alice’s face, not wanting to feel tempted to interpret its meaning. “Anyway, I’m sure everything will be fine. Even if someone does say something, I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”
Alice’s chin wobbled for the briefest moment, long enough for Rosa to see. “Rosa, honestly, why don’t you let me…I can do the punishment myself. I’ll say you got sick and had to go lie down for a while.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Alice blinked, clearly hurt by Rosa’s sharp reply. “I’m serious.”
Rosa closed her eyes, both touched and frustrated by the offer. She’d rather die than allow Alice to take on any of her burden, but it meant everything that she would even consider setting aside her own fears in order to protect Rosa from harm. “No, sweetheart,” she murmured, the endearment falling from her lips without thought. “I could never ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering.”
Rosa was afraid to open her eyes, certain they would spill the tears elicited by Alice’s earnest tone. “I know. I still can’t let you suffer through that alone.” Sniffing, she wiped a hand over her face and looked at Alice with a sober expression. “What upset me most about Marcia’s choice of punishment was knowing how much you would hate being forced to interact with other people all afternoon. That’s why I asked her to let you off the hook. So truly, as much as I appreciate the sweet offer…”
“Understood.” Alice took a tentative step forward and opened her arms. “For the record, I didn’t want to be let off the hook because that would have meant less time to spend with you.”
Rosa’s chest swelled until her heart felt like it might burst. She was heartened by the comment, especially the way it seemed to acknowledge the limited lifespan of their friendship, and felt the wall she’d spent the morning trying to erect crumble a bit. Caught between enjoying their last full day together and preparing her heart for the impending split, she nonetheless found it impossible not to pull Alice into a tight, emotional embrace. Defeated for the time being, she mumbled, “I would have missed you, too.”
Alice relaxed noticeably and rested against Rosa’s chest as she trailed soft kisses up
the line of her jaw to a spot just behind her ear. She paused to breathe, “As long as you’re with me, I’ll be fine.”
Rosa cringed, unwilling to see herself as some kind of savior. Not when she was anything but. “It’s because you’re with me that you’re in trouble at all.”
Alice sighed, then murmured, “You know, we could simply leave camp. No one is forcing us to stay.”
Frightened by the implication of Alice’s suggestion, Rosa shut down her vocal discontent about their afternoon plans. She wasn’t yet ready to have a hard conversation about why they couldn’t leave camp together, particularly because she feared cheating herself out of the rest of the only morning-after—not to mention the only Saturday—they would ever share. Calling up a smile she hoped appeared far calmer than she felt, Rosa pulled back so she could see Alice’s face. “No, we should stay. I’m not ready to go home yet.” When Alice opened her mouth to respond, Rosa grabbed her hand and entangled their fingers, leading her in the direction of the cafeteria. “Come on. I don’t want to miss breakfast. I worked up a crazy appetite last night.”
Alice squeezed Rosa’s hand, matching her pace to stay close by her side. “Funny, when from where I was lying, it looked like you had plenty to eat.”
Rosa groaned, unprepared yet again for Alice’s newly wicked sense of humor. “You’ve turned into quite the saucy little minx, haven’t you?”
“Because of you.” Alice swung their joined hands in a spontaneous burst of jubilance. She seemed to have recovered from their encounter with Marcia already, which was more than a little surprising. Shocking might be the better word. Only two nights ago, Alice could barely utter a full sentence in Rosa’s presence. The morning after that, she’d run away to hide for over an hour before only reluctantly re-engaging in conversation. Now, after one night of admittedly tremendous sex, Alice had somehow transformed into a bouncy, vivacious flirt. Even if this new and improved Alice was on display for Rosa’s eyes only, her playful attitude represented a tremendous breakthrough.
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