Dead of Summer

“Fuck,” I hiss, closing my eyes and trying to will myself to get some kind of control. “I’m being ridiculous. This really isn’t a big deal, guys.”

“You’re getting a nasty black eye,” Liza points out dryly, running her fingers over my cheekbone. “I’m going to get you some ice for it.” She walks away quickly, leaving me with Kayde, who still works to dry my hair.

“I’m going to escape while she’s not looking.”

“If you do, I’ll just kidnap you to my cabin and tie you down with blankets and soup. You’re killing me with the teeth chattering, baby girl,” he admits, his voice quiet in the cabin.

Startled, I look his way, brows rising incredulously. “Don’t lie to me. You were absolutely cheering them on. I’m surprised you didn’t just let me drown.”

Kayde takes his time, and shrugs when he finally meets my eyes. “What can I say?” he asks, checking to make sure Liza is still on the other side of the cabin. “I don’t like losing my toys. And more than that? I can’t stand when other people touch what’s mine.” The way he says it, the way he growls the word mine only a few inches from my face, has me frozen in surprise and confusion.

How in the world do I respond to that?

Thankfully, the door crashing open saves me from saying something stupid, or worse, thanking him. I hear a familiar intake of air between clenched teeth, and look up just in time to see Kinsley, her eyes wide as she asks, loudly, “What the fuck happened and why is everyone saying Kayde had to fish Summer out of the damn river?”

All I can do in response is groan, bury my face in my hands, and wish I could sink into the floor where no one can see me.

I’m never going to live this down.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The way Kinsley and Liza have me wrapped in a blanket in front of the campfire will never not be embarrassing.

Though I’d told both of them, over and over, that I’m fine, they hadn’t exactly taken it as gospel. After being forced to hang out in Liza’s cabin in a dry change of clothes, I’d finally been allowed to attend charades night around the campfire with my cabin.

I refuse to mention that I’m grateful for the blanket, as my body still takes random opportunities to break out in gooseflesh and I give little shivers that have nothing to do with the air itself.

If I had to guess, I’d assume the cold is from Darcy’s accusatory looks that she throws me whenever she thinks Kayde isn’t looking. Like I purposefully got dumped into the river so he’d have to carry me across the camp to Liza’s cabin.

I’d love to tell her just how untrue that is. And just how much I’d rather be anywhere but in Kayde’s arms. Though by the look on her face when I slant my gaze in her direction, I doubt she’d believe me.

Melody nudges me and I turn to look at her, unsurprised to see the small bruise on the side of her chin. According to her and the other girls in my cabin, she’d ‘slipped’ and accidentally taken down the boy who hit me with a paddle.

With her fist.

According to Daniel, though he’d been sheepish when he’d said it, the kid had deserved it. He’d thought it was funny that he’d knocked me into the river, and funnier still that Kayde needed to fish me out. The boy was telling everyone at the beach about it, before Melody’s little ‘accident’ knocked him into the lake, off the dock, and into the arms of some very unsympathetic girls who wanted to see how long he could hold his breath.

“You’re a menace,” I tell her fondly, tapping my chin and nodding in her direction. “Your mother is going to kill me when she sees that.”

“She’s not going to kill you,” Melody replies confidently. “She’ll understand. And he deserved it. You didn’t hear what he was telling people, Summer. He said?—”

“I don’t need to hear what he said,” I assure her, before she can get any further. Really, whatever insults the kids fling around aren’t that important to me. Though I’m sure they’re creative as all hell when the kids are mad enough. “I was okay. You didn’t have to try to drown him.”

“If I’d wanted to drown him, he’d be drowned,” Melody mutters, almost too quietly for me to hear. But I choose to pretend I hadn’t heard a peep out of her.

“Who’s our person to act out the card?” I ask, knowing the girls took the time to decide amongst themselves who would guess and who would act.

“Ari,” Melody replies, pointing at the skittish blonde from her kayak. She smiles gently at her new friend, who looks like she’s close to shaking herself apart and blowing away on the wind. To me, it seems like there are better choices. Like Melody herself. But my girls are their own little democracy and I wouldn’t dare interfere in their governing style or decisions.

I value my life too much for that.

Still, I cheer with my campers when it’s our turn and Ari nervously gets to her feet before heading toward the fire and plunging her hand into the bowl of folded up papers that will tell her what she’s acting out.

Judging by her face, she’s been told to play a serial killer. Her face pales and she glances at Melody, wide-eyed, like she’s asking for help. But Melody just smiles and nods confidently, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

“You’ve got this, Ari,” I call, a smile on my face as well. Kinsley sinks down beside me, silent, and I bump my shoulder happily against hers before she returns the gesture.

Even after leaving Liza’s cabin and being strictly informed to let her know if I come down with symptoms of anything like shock or a cold or the plague, Kins walked me back to my cabin and stuffed me into bed under my blankets.