Page 12 of Surviving Love

“Complaining won’t help.” Jack scowled.

I gave Jack an impatient glance. “It’s a free country. He can say he’s hungry if he wants to. We’reallhungry.”

“Hey, feel free to get the fire going, then, or whine all night if you want. I’m getting some shut-eye.” Jack crawled further into the shelter.

Just keep being a dick, Jack.

Harold hugged his body, shivering. “Jack is probably right. We should rest since there’s nothing else to do.”

The others rumbled in agreement, and we climbed into the shelter, awkwardly seeking a spot to lie down. We’d covered the bamboo slats with leaves, attempting to make it more comfortable, but it was still hard and bumpy.

It was very weird lying down to sleep next to complete strangers. The little hut smelled of sweat, damp clothes, and stale breath. The producers allowed two luxury items, and I’d picked toothpaste tablets and a bar of natural peppermint soap. Judging from the smells inside the hut, not everyone had made the same choices as me. But for the chance to win a million dollars, I’d room with a skunk. It was only thirty days, and I figured I could put up with anything for thirty days.

Somehow, with all the jostling, I ended up between Harold and Jack. Fortunately, my archenemy was on his side, facing away from me. There was a full moon, and fingers of silver light sliced through the gaps in the walls. Jack was still shirtless, and my gaze ran over his exposed back and shoulders. He was sexy, but even if we’d met under better circumstances, I knew we wouldn’t have hit it off. He was a type that never meshed well with mine. Macho guys like him dismissed quieter, less muscle-bound guys like me, as if not being obsessed with our bodies somehow made us less worthy than someone who spent five hours a day in the gym.

Despite being exhausted, I couldn’t seem to fall asleep. There were sharp edges of bamboo cutting into my hip, and the unfamiliar sounds of the forest that surrounded us had me on alert. It seemed as if no one else had trouble sleeping though, and every few seconds, the soft sound of snores cut the silence. I was surprised when Harold stirred behind me.

“Hey, are you awake, Mason?” he whispered.

I squirmed around to face him. “Yes.”

“What would you think about trying to get Jack in an alliance with us?” he asked softly.

I scowled and whispered, “I don’t want that asshole in our alliance.”

“Tell me how you really feel, Mason.” There was a smile in Harold’s voice.

I sighed. “Larry is who we should pull into our little merry band, not Jack.”

“The tall red-haired kid?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s on the other tribe. How would we work with him?”

“When we merge. He seems like a nice guy, and he was open to working with us.”

“That was before you got separated. He might get close to other people on that tribe.”

“True.” I scowled. “But I’d rather take a chance on anyone else rather than work with Jack. I can’t believe you think we could trust Jack to be in our alliance.”

“Still pissed about the boat thing?”

“Damn straight I am,” I hissed.

“I’m just saying Jack’s a strong competitor. You know as well as I do, we can’t let personal feelings guide our game.”

I knew he was right, but there was no way I could see Jack as an ally. “I have to at leastthinkI can trust the people in my alliance. Maybe you’ll all end up stabbing me in the back, but I can’t even pretend to trust Jack.”

“Feeling’s mutual, Mason.” Jack’s gruff voice cut through the silent night, and I froze.

“Oops.” Harold winced, looking past my shoulder.

I hesitated and then rolled over to find Jack’s glittery gaze on me. “Look, Jack, it’s nothing personal.”

“Pfft, right,” he chuffed.

“Don’t go all self-righteous on me. You did this to yourself.”