“What’s with you today?” She helps me organize the paddles correctly in the storage closet. “You’re a million miles away. You’re not still mad at me about the whole Dax thing, right? I know I messed up. Now that I’m not blinded by dimples and six-packs, I realize they were, well, douche canoes.”
I laugh when she kicks the canoe next to us. “No. I’m not mad. I’m just…preoccupied.”
“With mom stuff?”
Mom. God, I didn’t consider her. She won’t be happy when she finds out about whatever this is between Shane and me. Not only will she think of him as a distraction from studying, but she considered him another son.
Then there’s Jay. I was joking when I made light about having to tell him. I saw the fear on Shane’s face when we got caught. Whether it was from embarrassment because of our situation or because of me, I still don’t know. So, I made a joke about Jay, which in retrospect wasn’t the best idea seeing as he and Shane aren’t on speaking terms.
“Hey.” Scarlett snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Earth to Lyla. What the heck is going on with you?”
“Sorry.” I blink a few times, trying to clear my thoughts, but there’s no way I’ll be able to shake them until Shane and I sort out…whatever this is. “I’m just hungry.”
Scarlett glances down at the pink watch on her wrist. “Lunch is in a few minutes. If we finish here, we can get first picks.”
“What are we waiting for?”
Together we finish putting away the gear in record time and jog out into the warm afternoon sun. Everything has been calm since Mr. River booted Jason and Dax. Besides the whole Shane weirdness, it’s becoming the summer I always dreamed about.
I will miss the heck out of this place when I head off to college, but hey, maybe I can find time to make this my summer plans. Until I graduate at least.
Scarlett loops her arm through mine as we make our way to the cafeteria. “Only a week and a half left. What do you wanna do when we get home?”
Spend every second with Shane.
Of their own accord, my eyes scan the ground for him and come up empty. “Depends on what Momzilla planned. Her last text mentioned I needed to beef up my volunteer work so no doubt I’ll be spending the rest of vacation doing whatever thing she signed me up for.”
“We can do it together. Anything is fun when I’m around.”
“Even shoveling dog poop at the animal shelter?”
Her pert nose scrunches up. “Well, not that. But I bet I could convince one of the other workers to do it for us.”
“That I don’t doubt.” I bump her with my hip as we walk up the steps to the cafeteria. “Tell me your magic voodoo secrets that make guys trip all over themselves to do whatever you want.”
“Well, I would tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”
I burst out laughing as we walk through the doors, but it’s cut short when I spot Shane standing by the far wall talking to Mr. River. As Shane’s gaze flicks toward us and it connects with mine my heart does a weird shimmy in my chest.
“Seems like you don’t need my voodoo magic after all,” Scarlett says when she notices us staring at each other.
Shaking him off, I step behind a girl with pigtails. “No idea what you’re talking about.”
“Come on. Anyone with eyes knows what I’m talking about. That boy’s got it bad for you. He has since the first day. Why do you think he was all over Jason and Dax?”
He did kiss me and admit his feelings and yet here he is, freezing me out again.
“There’s less than two weeks left here. Why don’t you have the hot summer fling I was hoping for?”
I swivel my head around and catch her making kissy faces and rubbing her hands up and down her sides in a lame attempt to mimic a sloppy make-out session.
“It’s not that easy.”
“It really is.” She grabs a tray and passes me one. “Make out with the hot college guy and move on with the rest of your summer.”
“No. I mean it’s not that easy because…” Oh, she’s going to rip me a new one when I admit Shane and I go way back. “Because Shane and I have known each other since we were kids.”
“What?” Her voice rises high enough to draw the attention of a few campers and the counselor serving food. “Okay, back up and explain. You’ve been friends with that and never made a move?”
I grab the finger pointing to where Shane is standing and shove it down before he sees. God, that would be embarrassing for him to find out I’m over here talking about him when he can’t bring himself to speak to me.
I’m starting to wonder if he does regret kissing me again. Or maybe him saying he’s liked me all these years ago was some twisted way of getting me to let my guard down so he could make out with me and move on.
“Could ya keep it down, please? God, I think people on the East Coast heard you.”
“Calm down.” She brushes me off with a flick of her hand. “He didn’t hear. He’s so far up Mr. River’s butt, I’m surprised he can breathe.” After loading up her tray with food that no longer is appealing, she turns to me. “Now explain everything. And I do mean everything or I’ll go ask him.”
“Shane was my brother’s best friend.”
“Hot.”
“Keyword: was. They had a falling-out senior year of high school and as far as I’m aware haven’t spoken since.”
She cringes as we take a seat at a table far enough away from Shane that he can’t overhear. “So, how’s big bro gonna take it when he finds out you’re tongue wrestling his ex-bestie?”
My eyes widen in shock. “How did you know we made out?”
“I didn’t.” She grins and bites open the tiny packet of mayo. “But I do now. He’s hot in a weird grumpy old man way. How was it?”
Heat races through my cheeks and even behind a hand, I can’t hide my embarrassment. Scarlett and I talk about boys, but this is Shane. It’s just different.
“That good, huh? Older boys have more experience. They know how to drop that bass.”
“Oh my God.” Folding my arms, I thunk my head down on top of them. “We are not discussing this with childrens’ ears all around.”
“Fine, but if it was so amazing then why haven’t I seen you guys together? Wait, unless you’ve been sneaking out at night to meet him in his cabin.” Her hand shoots out, and she latches onto my forearm. “Please tell me you’ve been having sexy midnight meetups with that hot piece of man.”
“No!” I jerk away, sitting up and wishing I’d burst into flames right now. If I can’t get through a conversation with Scarlett about Shane how the heck am I going to tell Jay? “All we did was kiss and Mr. River broke it up.”
“Of course he did. What a buzzkill.”
“Now Shane hasn’t spoken to me. It’s weird. How can one person be so hot and cold?”
“Well, you said him and Jay used to be best friends. Maybe he feels guilty for macking on his little sister.”
“That should have crossed his mind before he kissed me.” I wrap my arms around my stomach and glare Shane’s way as anger simmers inside my veins. He started this. I could have gone all summer never knowing how his lips felt against mine or how one of his rare smiles lights up my insides like fireworks on the Fourth of July.