“Oof. That had to hurt.”
“It hurt enough for me to move to California for a couple of years.”
I looked down at my fingers, twisting them at the idea of anyone hurting him. He’d been cheated on twice?
“It worked out. I needed a change. Plus, that’s where my dad lives, so I spent some time with him. Although that didn’t go great either.”
I’d gathered that Jack and his dad had a tumultuous relationship that he probably didn’t want to rehash, so I decidedto bring some levity to the situation. “Okay, that definitely sucks. But did your doorbell camera catch your best friend and ex kissing during your Halloween party?”
Jack grimaced. “Tell me that didn’t happen to you.”
“Oh, it did. And I have it on good authority that Captain America and Regina George should not be making out.”
Jack ran a hand over his brow, shaking his head in disbelief. “That’s so not fetch.”
“I also found out someone I thought I was dating was only hanging out with me for publicity.”
“Wait, what?”
I cringed. “Yeah. She thought dating would help our numbers go up by twenty-five thousand. She was aiming low, though. Dating me would get her at least fifty.” I leaned forward and rubbed the keychain between my fingers. I didn’t want any disparaging remarks toward my favorite charm. “Maybe Bernice has a bit to learn about love, but that doesn’t make her unlucky.”
“Your exes really are the worst.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, well. There are two sides to every breakup. If I had a dollar for every time I heard I’m too much, I’d be able to pay for a therapy session.”
There was some reason people didn’t love me the way I wanted to be loved, and it had to be me. It was hard to hear something was wrong with you and not take it to heart. So I adjusted, because that was what you did, but sometimes those facets of my personality came out, and inevitably, my relationships went south.
Jack’s jaw tightened at my admission, his face pinched into a scowl, and his energy shifted as if he had the distinct desire to punch something. Hard. I knew that feeling. It was the same one I used to get when I wondered if anything I’d had with any of my exes was really true, or if everyone just existed with ulterior motives I tended not to see until they were right in front of me.
We stopped at a light, and Jack met my eyes, which held a fire I’d seen before. Only this time, it was for me, not against me. I looked away, but his deep voice pulled me back.
“Let me be clear with you, Nat. You may pick the wrong people, but there’s nothing wrong with you.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
Nat
It had beena week since our date under the stars, and the magic still lingered between us. Not enough to impede our competitive spirits, but enough that it was starting to feel… fun.
Jack and I made our way up the trail with childlike squeals as we raced to the archery range. Jack barely beat me there. Stupid longer legs. Not that it meant anything when we were both doubled over trying to catch our breath as we listened to the end of Sawyer’s explanation on how points worked in the counselor-only archery event before they caught us barging in.
“You’re both late.” They looked between us, along with all the rest of the staff, and I felt my face go even hotter. I was never late. Damn this man, upending my sense of time.
“And out of breath,” Emerson unhelpfully pointed out.
“We’re just getting warmed up. We take the Camp Wars very seriously,” Jack wheezed, and I held back my laughter. I tied a bandana on and noticed Jack did the same, securing his to his bicep just as he had in flag football. All that was missing was the eyeblack.
“Oh. We know.” Hazel’s tone was teasing.
I glanced around at all the cocked eyebrows that told me we had not been good at hiding our rivalry. It was weird beingthe center of counselors’ attention like this. Why were they so invested? I guessed there had been undeniable tension between Jack and me.
In a way, the fact that they cared felt good. When I was growing up, my family had barely paid attention to me, and I’d tried hard not to care too much about their lack of attention or the fact that I’d never earn their approval.
Apparently, we didn’t give the group what they wanted. Everyone dispersed and headed to their targets. I was one of the first to go, having a stare-down with the bull’s-eye fifty feet away from me. I nocked the arrow and aimed with precision. It had been years since I’d partaken in this activity, but boarding school meant I’d been exposed to rowing, show jumping, fencing, polo, and, as luck would have it, my favorite, archery.
With a steady breath and determination, I pulled back and let loose. Bull's-eye. Well, that would shut him up. Only, when I turned to Jack, he didn’t have any cutting remarks. Instead, he was laughing and clapping like he was rooting for me. I couldn’t let that thought distract me as I drew back the bow for my second and third targets, getting close to perfect with each of them. My third shot was so close, Autumn went up to confirm if it was in the bull’s-eye. It wasn’t, but for not having shot since last summer, not too shabby.
With my turn done, I glanced back at Jack. He gave me a lopsided smile that stunned the butterflies in my stomach. I grinned back and stood in line to watch the others take their shots.
