Chapter 21
Gage
“Hey, man,” I said, walking up to Derek, who was still waiting at the finish line for the last few people
to cross.
Bree and I had already finished, and f**k if I didn’t grin wider than ever when she realized she wasn’t last today. Amazing what a good night’s sleep could do for a person.
Honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever slept that well before. Sure, I’d had girlfriends in the past, and sure, I was a definite cuddler-who didn’t love to cuddle? But Bree… Bree was something else. The softness of her body. The steady rise and fall of her chest against me. The way she kept inching closer in her sleep, like she didn’t even realize she was doing it. It wasn’t just nice-it was addictive.
And waking up with my head between her breasts? That was going in the mental vault for life. They were so soft I swear my brain short-circuited for a solid minute. Her curves were part of what made her impossible to ignore, part of the pull she had over me, whether she realized it or not.
Had I wanted to sleep in my boxers like usual? Hell yes. Had I wanted her to strip down to something barely there? No point lying to myself-yeah, I had. But I also knew she wanted to keep things in the friend zone. And sleeping wrapped up the way we had… it was already treading that
line between friendship and something more.
I had to keep myself in check. Make sure she let me stay close, without crossing a line she wasn’t ready for. Whoever had hurt her enough to make her guard so high? I didn’t know the details, but I knew I’d want to put him in the ground when I did. That anger simmered under the surface, but I shoved it down. If I wanted her to trust me, I had to go slow. I had to make her sure I’d never be
that guy.
“Hey, Simmons,” Derek grinned, clasping my shoulder when I reached him. “What’s up?”
“Do
you
have a second to talk?” I asked, keeping my voice low as my eyes slid over to Gabriella and
her little pack of minions, laughing about something.
Normally, Miguel and Kenneth would be right there in the middle of it-flirting, working their charm.
But after last night, they’d shifted their focus. This morning, they were with Bree, laughing at
something she’d said, their little group growing as more people joined in.
“In private,” I added, making sure he knew this wasn’t casual.
I just hoped Bree wouldn’t be upset with me. Would I love it if she could just stay in my cabin for the rest of camp? Hell yes. But if Rachel or Derek found out, I’d be the one packing my bags. And if I got kicked out, I’d lose everything I had here with her-the morning runs, the late-night walks, the way she was slowly letting me in. And if I wasn’t here, Gabriella would have free rein to go after her again. That wasn’t happening.
Chapter 21
Derek studied my face for a long second, and I could tell he saw it-the seriousness in me. This wasn’t one of our usual half-joking conversations.
“Everyone!” he called, clapping his hands to grab the group’s attention. “Go get in the showers and enjoy the rest of the day! I’ll see some of you later for football and lacrosse. The rest of you-enjoy being brainiacs!”
Soft laughter rippled across the field. I caught Bree smiling at the comment, her blue eyes lifting to find mine. God, they were incredible-bright even behind her glasses, and so full of life it made something in my chest settle.
Yeah. This was why I was doing this. So she could keep smiling. Keep having fun. Keep getting the kind of experience she deserved here.
Miguel leaned in to tell her something, making her laugh again before she started walking back toward our cabin with them.
“What’s on your mind?” Derek asked as we started toward his cabin.
“Well, last night I noticed something pretty disturbing,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “I don’t know if you and Rachel already know about it.”
He opened the door, and I stepped inside.
The counselors’ cabin looked a lot like ours-same kind of wood walls, same creaky floorboards- but it was more private. There was only one bed pushed neatly into the corner, a small couch with a coffee table in front of it, and the tiniest kitchenette I’d ever seen. Enough to brew coffee, maybe scramble an egg or two. Just enough for them to feel like they had some kind of home base, away
from the chaos of camp.
“Well, I’m listening,” Derek said as he dropped down onto the couch. He crossed one leg over the other and rested an arm across the back, casual but clearly curious.
“You know Gabriella in hut six, right?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest, my tone sharp
enough that his head tilted slightly.
“Yes, of course I do,” he said, nodding once.
It wasn’t exactly a secret around here-Gabriella’s father was a big donor, probably one of the biggest reasons this camp could afford its constant upgrades and flashy activities. But money like that came with strings. It had made Gabriella act like she owned the place. Like she was some self-appointed queen, and the rest of us were just lucky to breathe the same air.
“Well, her and her copycats have done something horrible,” I said, jaw tightening. My stomach twisted at having to tell him, wishing Bree were here to speak for herself-but knowing damn well
she’d never do it.
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Chapter
“Is this some kind of reality show, Simmons?” Derek quipped with a grin. “Just spit it out already.”
“They kicked Bree Morgan out of her cabin.”
The grin slid right off his face. Shock replaced it in an instant.
“I don’t know how long it’s been going on,” I continued, “but last night I found out she’s been sleeping on the bench behind the cabin instead.”
“Jesus,” he muttered, leaning forward. One hand scrubbed down his face, and the comfortable posture from before was gone.
“She begged me not to tell anyone,” I said, my voice low but firm, “but I couldn’t let her sleep out there like that. I offered her a spot in my hut for the night, and she said yes. And, Derek, she was so goddamn exhausted.”
I could still see her in my mind-how she’d practically melted into my bed, how heavy her breathing had been before she’d even fully fallen asleep. She’d been running on fumes, and that pissed me
off more than I could put into words.
“I know she can’t keep staying in our hut,” I added, “but I also don’t think you’ll get her back into her own. She needs to be here. She needs to have this experience, not be treated like some unwanted
stray.”
Derek sat back slightly, clasping his hands in front of him. His brows furrowed, and I could see the
wheels turning as he tried to piece together a solution.
“I swear to you, nothing inappropriate happened,” I said, leaning forward so he could see I meant it. “You’ve got the rest of the guys as witnesses if you need them. But I couldn’t leave her out there,
Derek. And she was adamant about me not telling you.”
His eyes stayed on me for a long moment, reading me, weighing my words, before he gave a single, short nod.
“I believe you, Gage. Of course I do,” he said finally. “But if it gets out that a girl is sharing a hut with you guys-one who’s barely legal-it wouldn’t be good. I need to talk to Rachel, see if we can move
someone around or find her another space.”
That was when the panic hit me. Hard.
“You can’t do that,” I said quickly, taking a step forward. “Gabriella has something on her. I don’t
know what it is, but Bree was crystal clear-she doesn’t want Gabriella to know someone told on
her.”
Derek let out a slow breath and dragged both hands over his face this time. I knew I’d just handed him a problem with no easy fix, but I wasn’t backing down. I’d promised Bree I’d be her friend. That I’d have her back. And Gabriella? She wasn’t going to hurt her again. Not if I had anything to say
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about it.
“I’ll talk to Rachel and see what we can do,” he said at last, looking up at me again. “I can’t promise anything, Gage. But I can promise that you won’t be sharing a hut with her anymore. We simply
cannot take that risk.”
“I understand,” I said, even though every part of me hated it.
The thought of her not being with us-of her back out there, alone-put a weight in my chest I couldn’t shake. With us, she was safe. With us, she could relax, let herself breathe for a while. And
with me… she could know what it felt like to have someone on her side.
But once Bree realized I wasn’t going anywhere-once she understood I meant it-she’d let me
closer. She’d let me be more. I was sure of it.
