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Ender has never shown any jealousy before. The thing is, the lake is ours. Although it’s never been said, I’ve never invited anyone, and since that first summer, Kamila hasn’t returned.
“You want to come on the boat with us later?” Arya asks Cason that afternoon. “We go wake boarding on my uncle’s boat.”
Cason smiles and I watch the muscles in his arms flex as he runs his hand through his hair. “Only if she’s going,” he says, winking at me.
“Ah, cute.” Arya chuckles, her arm around my shoulder. “Louisiana has a crush.”
I blush and fight off nervous laughter. “Uh, yeah, cute.” I smooth out my dress and adjust Ender’s cowboy hat I’m wearing to look up at the deck of the James house where I know Ender is watching.
He’s standing there against the rail on his parents’ deck, watching Cason’s closeness to me with a glare.
He nods to his friends, and then Roman, Walker, and Ender come closer, down by the water. Ender, he takes one look at Cason, and me, and then glares at the kid. “Who are you?”
“Hey, man.” Roman introduces himself and offers his hand. “I’m Roman Miller. I saw you playing in Atlanta last summer.”
“Oh, yeah, I think I remember seeing you there. I’m Cason Reins,” Cason says with a hint of pride. “You were playing for the Bull Dogs, right?”
Roman nods and stares at him as if he’s face-to-face with a celebrity. “Your dad’s Lucas Reins, huh?”
Cason nods, looking at me with a smile. I’m not sure if he’s trying to impress me or what he’s doing.
“So you play ball?” Ender asks, his brow furrowed, eyes watchful of my proximity to Cason. I don’t know where the conversation goes from there. I know Cason answers him, but I can’t look at anything but Ender and his glare set on me. I’d never seen him look at me like that.
What’d I do wrong?
Cason disappears toward the boat and Ender corners me near the house as I grab my towel draped over the railing.
He bumps into my purposely. “You like that kid?”
“I don’t even know him.” I throw the towel on my shoulder and squint into the sun. “He seems nice. Friendly.”
“He’s not looking to be your friend, Hads.” Ender sighs, shifting from one foot to the next, as if he’s impatient. Or bored. I can’t tell. “He’s looking to fuck you.”
I gape at him, unprepared for his crassness, my heart knocking against my chest wildly. I blink a few times before I process what he’s saying. “What?”
Ender raises an eyebrow, his gaze boring into me intently. “Would you fuck him?” The words sound so vulgar coming from him, and strangely stirs something inside me I don’t understand.
“What? No. Why would you even ask that?”
He doesn’t answer me and walks back toward the Jet Skis and takes off.
What the heck is wrong with him today?
Arya finds me as we’re getting on the boat. “What’s wrong with Ender?”
I groan and find a seat next to her watching Cason and Carter sit on the back of the boat. “He’s acting weird.”
“He’s jealous of Cason I think,” she tells me, opening her bag of Skittles she brought with her only to find they’ve melted in the sun. “Dang it.”
“Why would he be jealous?”
“Because Ender’s like, fucking in love with you.” Her eyes never meet mine, but my heart starts pounding. “Walker said you had a nice ass the other night and Ender punched him in the face.”
Ah, yes. So that explains the mystery black eye Walker has and won’t tell anyone how he got it. But does Ender really love me? I’m young enough I don’t understand the true meaning of love, but I can tell you without a doubt, this feeling inside me has to be love. Nothing touches this and I can’t stop thinking about him.
* * *
A few hours later,we’re at the swimming hole, the sun fading in the sky as sparks of fire from the bonfire send ash floating between us. We’d spent the day on the lake, like any other day, but what’s different? Ender. I can’t place the change or why he’s acting all weird. He’s fidgeting, glaring, and snapping at everyone. Even Myles, who can do no wrong in his eyes.