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The guys took pity on us this morning and went down to the lake for cleanup duty without us. I was still sleeping when Isla waltzed in with three coffees, letting the cabin door slam closed behind her.
“Good news, sleepyheads! The site is cleared, the volleyball net is being hung, and Brody’s already frying up bacon, so you two need to get up because I’m one of those people who gets really affected by FOMO, and even now, I wonder if everyone’s down there having fun without us.”We walk toward the lake together, and I feel silly for the anxiety building up inside of me. This morning, again, I tried to tell Isla it was a bad idea for me to come along and spend the day with them. She saw the way Ethan treated me last night. There can be no confusion over the fact that he doesn’t want me hanging around. I’m just his employee. To which she replied, “Well, screw that! You’re my invited guest. How’s that?”
Even Camille nodded in agreement. “It’s going to be a pretty day. Don’t you want to swim?”
I think her opinion of me has cooled now that she knows I’m in no way competing for Ethan’s attention. She was at that table. She saw how he spoke to me, saw she has no reason to be jealous.
I’m grateful for that, at least, because I’d prefer to only have one enemy at the lake today. Especially because when we arrive at the spot where the trees give way to a sandy, pebbled beach, my gaze seeks him out right away. A sucker punch would be less painful than the reaction I have seeing him standing there in his swim trunks without his shirt. All the guys are dressed the same. It’s a warm morning and the sun is already high in the sky. They’re standing around a grill, laughing as they make breakfast. There’s sausage and bacon arranged on plates sitting on a cheap card table they must have hauled down from the mess hall.
Behind them, closer to the water, they’ve set up canvas chairs in a semi-circle. I count them quickly and realize there are only eight. Panic fills my veins. Maybe Ethan really didn’t want me here. I stop short, knowing they haven’t seen us yet. I could still turn around and avoid the inevitable embarrassment, but then Isla whistles and catches their attention, thereby announcing our presence to the whole damn forest.
Ethan’s gaze sweeps over to us. He didn’t shave this morning, and his slight stubble only makes his ruggedly chiseled features more seductive. I hold my breath, waiting for him to continue what we started last night and order me to leave, but what he does instead is somehow worse. He doesn’t smile or nod, but he also doesn’t glare angrily. In fact, his brown eyes are so sultry and warm, I could melt. That confused frown he’s wearing probably matches my own. It seems neither one of us knows how to proceed.
My stomach fills with dread, but Isla’s hand clamps down on my arm as if she knows I’m about to bolt.
Then Tanner rushes over like the happy camper he is, gifting each of us a big smile and a hug. He immediately takes the beach bag Isla toted from the cabin then throws a conspiratorial wink my way.
“Glad you didn’t let Mr. Grump keep you from coming today.”
I don’t trust my voice so I offer a tight nod and trail behind the rest of them as we make our way to the group.
It really is a fun setup. They’ve thought of everything we’ll need: coolers filled with drinks, bags of snacks, a portable speaker currently playing Twenty-One Pilots. And though I know they had no control over it, it looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day, unseasonably warm, which will make it perfect for long stretches of sunbathing followed by dips in the lake to cool off.
Isla and Camille peel off to say hi to the guys and I wander over to the chairs, dropping my things on the ground behind one of them. I’m more glad than ever that I thought to bring a paperback. Chances are I’ll be spending most of the day reading and steering clear of Ethan.
I kick off my sandals and then nearly jump out of my skin as a red Solo cup hits my arm.
“Sorry.” Tanner laughs. “Didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
I smile and shake my head. “You’re fine. I was just in my own world.”
Tanner’s honey-brown hair is playfully disheveled this morning, and while he’s not as toned as Ethan, he’s not exactly scrawny either. His blue swim trunks have a wild pattern on them and there’s a tattoo stretched across the left side of his chest, an intricate abstract design. I immediately wonder if he drew it himself.
