Page 15

"No," he says, shaking his head. There's no grimace after, so I have to assume he's right. "I've had a few of those before and I think I'll be all right."

Then the awkwardness descends. Do I run as fast as I can toward the finish line because that will help me get away from him faster? Or do I stay here and let my heart beat a bit more for every time I'm around him after this?

"Thanks for staying with me. You didn't have to."

I let out a small laugh. "All I'd see for the rest of my life was your lifeless body in the water and the headlines reading, 'Hockey star drowns on mud race course.' So yeah, it was kind of a no-brainer."

Trey flinches at first and then laughs. "You're funny. And there's something familiar about you."

I freeze, trying to force my lungs to expand and contract despite my panic. Him knowing I was the girl who followed him like a puppy dog around hockey camp would be humiliating.

"I've got one of those faces, you know?" I say, turning to see how much longer until the finish line. I can see Evie and Millie walking across it right now.

I resign myself to being at the back of our team. Catching a glimpse of Trey, I work to hide a smile. The guy is fun and more laid back than I thought he was. I might as well resign myself to having him around more often. Maybe this will be like exposure therapy. More time spent around him will help me get rid of the butterflies every time I see his handsome face.

"What do you think our punishment will be?" I ask, hoping Trey will have some more information. Time to mentally work through the consequence before I actually have to participate, would be ideal.

"No idea. I'm just hoping we won’t be his servant for a week or anything."

I turn to stare at Trey. "Is he a clean freak or a slob?"

"Slob, all the way."

I shudder. "I will pay him whatever is left in my bank account to not have to do that." Thinking of my bank account has my sadness drooping even further. Nothing like humility by lack of money. And then there’s Trey’s proposition to help him on camera. I’m not even good at cameras. Why am I even entertaining the idea?

"I'd be willing to do that too.” Trey says. He turns toward me and it looks like the bleeding finally stopped.

I raise an eyebrow. "You'd give up the many, many dollars in your bank account to avoid being Jack's butler? I only have double digits in mine, so it's not that big of a draw."

"I love Jack as a friend, but the guy is brutal."

We make it past the finish line and to the group of loud cheers.

"You guys made it," Miles says, smiling.

Dani looks almost clean from the mud, except for a few splotches on her face. The others are soaking wet, so at least there’s a spot to rinse off.

"We are alive," I say, gesturing to Trey.

"What happened?" Evie and Rachelle say together.

Trey gives them a small smile and then says, "I got in a fight with one of the contestants. It wasn't a pretty sight, but Kenzie came to my rescue, thank goodness."

The group is all staring, their heads bobbing back and forth between the two of us.

When Hillary and Dani both look at me with coy expressions, I know exactly where they’re going with this scenario. Hillary knows my long-held crush on Trey, and Dani probably suspects it at this point.

"Nope, not a chance." I take a few steps forward and say, "Where is the wash station? I've got dirt in places I don't want to think about."

"It's over there," Jack says, grinning. "Go wash up and we’ll reveal your punishment."

"You sound like a villain who wrings his hands together at the misery of others,” I say. “Is the punishment for the entire group?"

Jack shakes his head. "No, just the last two across the finish line."

7

TREY