Chapter 23
TWENTY-THREE
SUMMER
My sketch book falls to the floor, and my eyes pop open.
I wasn’t asleep, but almost. Which really fucking sucks, because the sun’s going to come up any minute, which means I’m going on another night of no sleep and it’s starting to show.
After hauling my ass out of the bed, and having the world’s shortest shower, I scrunch mousse into my hair and leave it to dry. I don’t have much in the tank to care about it right now.
We’re supposed to be introducing the kids to the horses today, so I pull on my boots instead of my converse, and grab my stuff. Picking my sketch book up off the ground, I throw it onto the desk in the corner of the room with little care, sending a bunch of papers cascading to the ground.
I was just about to say fuck it and leave the mess for later, when one of the pages catches my eye. Walking over and bending down, I find it’s a drawing I did of Indy, one I’m actually pretty proud of. But now it’s marred with words scribbled into the corner.
I’m getting real tired of this.
Two in the fucking morning? I guess they know I haven’t been sleeping…
In a few hours, I’ll know who’s been threatening me, and now the camp.
If I go.
I’m fully aware that meeting a random person, who thinks they know what happened with my ex–and also may or may not have kidnapped a grown man–is not a smart move.
What choice do I have though, really? I either go meet this person, at the risk of my own safety, or I tell Indy everything and risk her hating me, just for a little…
Backup? Support?
I shouldn’t care if Indy hates me or not.
I should pack up and move on. Whoever has Finn will either let him go, or the police will find a body. Part of me has a strong feeling he’s alive, possibly injured, but alive. The notes haven’t been threatening, until recently.
If I just left–
A knock on my cabin door startles me, and Kiri’s voice carries through the door. “Breakfast!”
Shoving the paper back into my sketch book, I head to the door and throw it open.
“Bout time!” She hollers, “All the good shit’ll be gone, lazy bones.”
With a laugh, we head over to the mess hall. The kids are all still asleep, since it’s still early for them. The counselors enjoy breakfast before the kids wake up, and I can’t complain. Trying to eat with twenty or so kids asking you a million questions isn’t easy.
Santi waves us over to an empty table once we have our plates and coffees.
“So apparently…” He starts, eyes darting around before he drops his voice. “Molly and Zaye got into it last night, and the hunky guy that lives in the horse barn had to come out and squash their arguin’.”
Kiri leans into the conversation demanding more information, but I don’t doubt Santi for a second. Molly gave me a weird feeling yesterday, something I haven’t felt since–
“What do you think it was about?” Santi asks, interrupting my thoughts.
I shrug, “I don’t make it a habit to get into people’s business.”
“Oh come on,” Kiri says, “there’s not a little bit of you that wants to know what it was about?”
“Nope,” I shovel another bite into my mouth and ignore them for the rest of the morning. When I finish I don’t wait on the two gossips, and head to the campers bunks to get them up and ready for the day.
It’s gonna be a hot one, and I have no doubt the kids will ask to go to the lake. I’m not opposed, the lake’s nice especially after a day spent with the horses.
Looking up, I spot Indy on horseback slowly trotting my way. Lifting my hand in a wave, she smiles and lifts hers in return.
Something new sparks inside my chest at that casual interaction, and it feels an awful lot like…
Hope.