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"The two of you should be ashamed." He pointed at me then Rex.
"I can explain." Rex stood and put his hands up.
"You should know better." Frankie glared at Rex.
"Excuse me, I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions." I placed my hand on my hip. I got that he was upset but he didn't get to blame all of this on Rex.
"Oh please. I'm shocked you are up this early. I can't expect you to also feed yourself." Frankie crossed his arms.
"Huh?" Rex and I asked simultaneously.
"Breakfast." Frankie shook his head. "You two can't expect to go on a hike without eating. Rex, you're an athlete, you know better." Frankie turned and walked back into the kitchen.
I let out a sigh of relief, glad that Frankie wasn't upset about anything else. But my stomach churned with guilt. I knew that what had happened between his friends and I wasn't right, but I couldn't help myself. Frankie had no idea that his best friends had been hooking up with his sister, and I wasn't about to tell him.
I walked into the kitchen and saw that Matty, Sammy, and Jake were already there, eating pancakes that Rachel had made.
"Morning, everyone," I said, trying to sound cheerful.
"Good morning, Mal," Rachel said with a smile. "I made pancakes for everyone. Help yourself."
"Thanks, Rach." I grabbed a plate and started piling pancakes on it.
"Are you excited for the hike?" Jake asked me.
"Yeah, it should be fun," I said, trying to act like everything was normal. "As long as I don't fall or break something."
Frankie walked over to me and put his arm around my shoulders. "You're going to do fine."
I smiled up at him, still tense from thinking he had caught us. I made a mental note to talk to the guys later and figure out how to handle the situation.
We finished breakfast quickly and headed out to the trailhead. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and there was a light breeze that kept us cool. We chatted and joked as we walked along the trail, enjoying the fresh air and the beautiful scenery.
Sammy walked beside me, and I could tell that she was still bothered by what she had told me last night. I tried to cheer her up by making silly jokes and telling her funny stories, but she just smiled weakly and seemed lost in thought.
As we hiked higher up the mountain, the terrain became more challenging, and we had to scramble over rocks and steep inclines. My heart pounded in my chest, and my legs were burning. This was not exactly my idea of a fun day, but I got to hang out with my friends. As an added bonus, watching Jake, Matty, and Rex walk ahead of me was a treat all on its own.
"Are you okay?" I tossed my arm around Sammy.
"Yeah, I'm just having a little trouble," Sammy sighed.
"Same." I trudged up the trail.
"Oh, not the hike," Sammy laughed. "No, I mean Frankie and Rachel. It would be so much easier if Rachel wasn't the nicest girl ever. You know she felt so bad about the carrots in the weird egg dish she made, she cried."
"I didn't know that. She is really nice." I took in a deep breath. "How is this hike not killing you?"
"Aside from all the sexual exercise I get, I run every morning." Sammy jogged a little ahead of me then turned and jogged backward.
"Now you are just showing off."
"A little. Come on, do a little jog with me." Sammy continued to run backward.
Everyone else was way ahead of us. I couldn't be hurt that the guys were so far ahead, we couldn't let on that there was anything between us. Frankie would get suspicious if they hung around Sammy and me.
"Come on," Sammy taunted again.
I rolled my eyes, but then I started to run with her, laughing as we raced each other up the trail. We ran together for a few moments, our laughter echoing through the trees.
