“Ouch. Remind me why I stick around you?”
“Because you love me?” she said, licking her lips and leaning in a little too close.
I froze, caught in her gaze. She held her breath.
“Do I?” I teased, and I let the question hang there. I was daring her to flirt back.
She smiled, turning away.
“Yeah, it’s okay. I love you, too.Platonically. Don’t get too cocky.”
“Too late. Head’s already swollen.”
We stared at our intertwined clothes, and a rare calm settled over me. This made sense to me. Always had. Always would.
I was half-asleep,sunk into the bottom bunk, when a tiny alarm crackled through the old PA system. My eyes were gritty, my head foggy. I shifted, and that’s when I felt her.
Mackenzie was sitting at the foot of the bed, a book open on her lap, our legs tangled like they used to when we were kids. Back then, it had been innocent. Now, it wasn’t. Not for me. Not with the heat of her skin brushing mine. Not with my blood running too hot for this to be nothing.
Her eyes flicked down to where we touched, lingered for half a heartbeat too long, then she pulled away. She was too gentle. She knew exactly what she was doing to me.
She shut the book, stood, and something unspoken coiled in the space between us. It was heavier than friendship. We were being pulled towards each other by an invisible string.
She had to feel it, too, right? Iknewshe did. There was a faint flush on her neck, and her eyes dragged up my body more than once. She was choosing to ignore what was building between us.
“Counselors! Report to the dining hall for your assignments!” The megaphone screamed through the static.
I rubbed my face, trying to focus on something else, anything else. Anything other than her.
“You’d think after all the years we’ve been coming to this hellhole, they’d stick us in one of the renovated cabins.” My tone was lazy, but my pulse wasn’t.
“I don’t know… I’m kind of into this little room back here,” she said, smiling as if it were a private joke.
Yeah. Fuck yeah. Me too. I liked it a lot.
My grin broke through before I could stop it, and she caughtme with those green eyes. I could fall into them and not bother coming up for air.
“Come on, let’s go,” she said, looking away. I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. My chest was tight in a way that had nothing to do with the lack of oxygen.
We barely made it ten steps toward the dining hall before some guy slammed into my shoulder hard enough to jolt me.
“Excuse you?” My voice came out low, sharp. I sized him up. He was maybe 5’11”, lean build. But I had both height and weight over him. I found myself straightening my spine to hover.
His badge readJACKSON KENSWICK,written in black Sharpie. I had never seen him before. He was new.
His eyes shifted to Mackenzie, his gaze traveling over her body. He didn’t just look at her; he assessed her as if he’d already had her once and was deciding whether he wanted seconds.
Mackenzie froze. The color drained from her face, eyes going wide—too wide—like she’d stepped into something out of a nightmare.
Her hand drifted to her neck, fingers curling around it, thumb pressing into the side. She thought no one had noticed.
But I did.
I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it one fucking bit.
“You’re excused,” he said, before walking off like I was nothing.
I stared at him, fists tight.
