“I know,” Judson replies tightly. “I wish I could go back, just pummel the fucker before he got to you.”
“I know.” I squeeze his arm gently and lean against his shoulder. “But it’s in the past, and I just want to let it go. How am I supposed to do that when every damn time I turn around, there’s something there to remind me?”
“I don’t know, sis. You’re the psychology major,” he jokes. “History I know, the human brain? It’s a mystery to me.”
The front door opens, and Dean strolls in, a few grocery bags in hand. He looks up at us and offers a small smile to Judson. “Hey, Judson.”
“Hey, how’s it going?”
“Good. Late-night grocery shopping, you know the drill.”
My brother gets off the couch and walks into the kitchen. “Mr. Lawrence stays open an extra hour during the summer for Dean.”
“That’s nice of him,” I say, reaching down to lift my book.
“Not everyone hates me,” Dean says, and Judson chuckles.
“I think I’ll leave you two to it. See you next week, Sis?”
“If you bring more gummy worms,” I tell him and get up to wrap both arms around my brother.
He kisses me lightly on top of the head and steps away, shaking hands with Dean. “Maybe don’t kill Dean, Kleo, I like the guy.”
I glare at my roommate. “If he stops doing dumb shit, I won’t have to.”
Chuckling, Judson steps out into the rainy evening, the door shutting softly behind him. Dean looks away from me and begins unpacking groceries. I could go help him. After all, I gave him cash for half of it.
Instead, I set my book down and walk into the kitchen to make myself a late-night snack. Besides, if I’m going to get a show, I might as well have food to go with it.
11
Dean
Exhausted, yet satisfied with the work I got done today, I step into the cabin with my grocery haul before I grab a beer and head to the beach. Since the camp sits right on the water, we have our own private beach, a place where no one and nothing can annoy me. It’s damned perfect.
This is always my favorite part of the year. Everything is ready, prepped for the next round of campers, and completely silent. Well, nearly completely silent. I, unfortunately, have a house guest who gets immense pleasure out of annoying the shit out of me.
Kleo stands in the kitchen beside me, looking fucking delicious in a pair of short shorts and a black tank top as she preps what—based on the ingredients on the counter—looks like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She shouldn’t be allowed to look so fucking good when she annoys the shit out of me. I put a bag of chips away and fold the paper bags, sticking them in the holder beneath the sink.
Glancing back at me, Kleo smiles. “Hope you had a great day. Thanks for grocery shopping.” She slathers some jelly on her sandwich then tosses the knife in the sink and sticks the jar of grape jelly in the fridge.
I can’t stop looking at her, and I fucking hate it. When she turns to face me, I get an eye full of cleavage spilling out of her tank top.
Kleo takes a bite and glares at me over her sandwich. After chewing and swallowing her piece, she reaches behind her and takes a drink from a glass of water. “So when the camp opens, what’s to keep the campers from sneaking out in the middle of the night?”
“Alarms and cameras.”
“Alarms? You have the cabins rigged?”
“I do.”
“Nice.”
“We done here?” I ask, probably a bit more irritated than I mean to sound, but fuck me, she looks delicious, and if I have to watch her lick jelly off her lip one more time, I’m going to pitch a fucking tent right here in the living room.
She shrugs. “Sounds good to me, see you tomorrow, roomie.”
“Can you just knock that shit off?”
Wide-eyed, she studies me, the complete picture of innocence. “Knock what off? I’m afraid I don’t really understand what it is you are referring to.”
“This whole act you’ve got going on.” I step toward her. “I get it. You hate me. I hate you. You want to make my life miserable.”
“I didn’t realize telling someone goodnight was trying to make their night miserable.”
“You don’t give two shits about me.”
“You’re not wrong there.” She takes another bite of her sandwich and stares me down, almost a challenge to keep going.
“Then when we’re away from everyone, cut the shit. I’d rather not have a conversation with you if I can help it.”
Shrugging, she grabs her sandwich and water and saunters past me with a little extra shake in her hips. Son of a bitch. Then, she lifts the hand with the sandwich in it and flips me off, peanut butter, jelly, and all.
As she plops down on the couch, I turn and head toward my office. At least she didn’t ask me about the fucking binders because I swear, if I hear one more thing about her wanting to see them, I’m going to hurl them all into the ocean.
Not really since I care about the environment, but you get the drift.
After setting down my bag, I walk toward my bedroom so I can plug in my phone before heading down to the beach. The moment I step inside, white-hot rage burns through me. She touched my shit.
Fuming, I take in the floral throw pillows on my bed, the picture of her and Judson on the nightstand. And let’s not even fucking talk about the makeup sitting on top of my dresser. A dresser, which I realize after pulling open a few drawers, is no longer filled with my clothes but rather a bunch of lacy shit.
“Kleo!” I roar, spinning on my heel, ready to go find her. She makes the job easy by standing in the doorway.
“Yes, Dean?”
“What in the fuck did you do?”
She looks around me, cocking her head to the side. “I thought it was obvious. I decorated my room.”
“No, you are fucking with my room. My room!” I add. She was in here, touching my shit. Moving my stuff. Shoving herself further and further into my life.
“I told you. This is my family’s cabin.”
The brazen disrespect. The way she stands there staring at me as if she had any right at all pushes me past the point of pissed, and I know that if I don’t get out of there right now, I’m going to lose my shit and start breaking stuff.
Starting with the dainty fucking makeup on my dresser.
I move toward the door, and to her credit, she steps to the side so I don’t have to shove past her. Which I absolutely would have done if she stayed in my way. I will never, ever put my hands on a woman in anger, but I damn sure won’t be cornered. Even if it means picking her up and moving her out of my way.
Storming outside, I get into my truck and start to flip on the ignition. I could leave. Get the hell out of this cabin and away from this camp.
But it’s what she wants. She wants to drive me away, to force me out of the place that’s been my home for the last two years.
And I’m not about to do any damned thing Kleo Turner wants. So, with a deep, calming breath, I get back out and walk inside. She spins the second I step inside, the smile on her face faltering. Yeah, you didn’t win, sweetheart.
“Forgot my beer,” I say and move past her, opening the fridge and pulling out a cold one. “See you in a bit, roomie.” The night air envelops me, and I hike to the beach with a huge smile on my face.