Page 45 of Puck Your Friend

He stalks off and I let out a sigh.

The boys don’t follow, but they watch him go until he’s too far away to track.

A counselor jogs up a few seconds later. “Everything good here?”

I turn toward him. “We didn’t work well together. I’ll finish the other tent myself.”

He eyes the guys behind me but nods. “Okay. Let me know if you need a new partner.” He hurries off to help two girls who are struggling with the poles.

Logan moves over to the other tent bag. “We’ll help.”

I shake my head. “I got it. These are the easy kind of tents. You’ll leave your teammates high and dry.”

Ford frowns as he looks down at me. “They’ll survive.”

Taking the bag from Logan, I shake my head. “I’ve got it.”

No one argues, but they don’t go back to their tents either.

Jace mutters, “He shouldn’t have touched you.”

I don’t look up. “I had it. He wouldn’t have gotten far before I put my palm through his nose. It would’ve been self-defense if I did it. Plus, it’s broad daylight. The idiot wouldn’t have done anything.”

Ford sighs. “We know you would’ve. We’re not sorry though.”

I unzip the bag. “He didn’t scare me.”

Wes crosses his arms as his amber eyes study me. “Didn’t say he did.”

Warmth returns to my face. “Go help your teammates. Trust me, I’ll be fine.”

Jace comes to crouch next to me and places his hand on my back. “It’s not that we don’t think you can’t take care of yourself. It’s that we want you to know you don’t have to worry about that with us around.”

He leans over and kisses the top of my head before the counselor can notice the PDA.

Butterflies flutter around in my stomach. I won’t lie. It feels nice to know they have my back like that. “Thank you, but seriously, go finish your tents. Faster we get done here, the fasterwe can have a snack picnic and go swimming. It’s too hot today not to be in the water.”

They hesitate for a second longer before three of them walk off back to their tents.

I glance over, and Logan lingers. I arch a brow at him.

He rubs the back of his neck. “I was wondering if you could meet me tonight at the treehouse.”

The treehouse isn’t really a treehouse. It’s a platform built into a tree nearby. Where older campers around here go to stargaze and makeout, since the counselors never check it past lights out.

My voice leaves me as I nod and I have to clear my throat. “Sure.”

He grins. “Great. I just wanted to ask you without the others around. It’ll be fun.”

I smile back. “I look forward to it.”

Present Day…

By the time I hear the gravel crunch under the tires and feelthe shift of the brakes, it’s been a few hours. I’m beyond ready to get off this bus and into a room. It will at least give me a barrier between them and a reprieve long enough to gather myself.

I peer out the window. Massive doesn’t even cover it. The house dominates the landscape. Sleek, modern, and expensive in a way that doesn’t try too hard. Clean white stone, black steel accents, floor-to-ceiling windows that probably cost more than my apartment, for just one of them. Lantern lights track the drive like a movie set. Everything screams luxury dressed up to look casual and perfect for the camera.

Jace is the first to stand behind me, hoodie half-zipped, duffel slung over one shoulder. He stretches as he steps into the aisle. “I call the room with the balcony!”