Chapter 7
SEVEN
MALIK
Things were strained between Grey and me.
We’d gone the entire week barely talking to one another, and he’d kept to his room a lot.
We’d only hung out at the gym with Tex, plus at team practice.
He’d wanted to start my routine to bulk up, and I’d helped him with it.
This was not how I’d pictured our senior year together.
I packed my duffel, resting at the foot of my bed, with my toiletries.
We needed to be on the bus for Tontozona in an hour.
“Hey.” Tex entered my bedroom, his bulky frame wrapped in a team t-shirt and shorts. “Got a minute?”
“Sure.” Huffing a sigh, I zipped my duffel and faced him.
After surveying the hallway, he closed the door and planted his hand on his hips. “What the hell is up with you and Grey? You’re both avoiding each other.”
“He’s avoiding me. Notice I don’t lock myself up in my room all day.” As my gut wrenched, I scowled. Tex had requested for me to be honest with Grey, but I couldn’t, and every day it became more difficult. Hurt like a motherfucker.
“Talk to him.” He stepped closer to me, his gaze locked on mine. “It’s sad watching you two avoid each other after how close you both were.”
“Believe me, I know that.” I rubbed the ache in my chest with the heel of my hand. “It’s no picnic for me either. I feel…like he fucking died or something.” As the ache grew, my eyes stung. Fuck, don’t cry about it in front of Tex.
“Come here.” Grabbing my hand, Tex pushed my duffel aside and sat at the foot of my bed, pulling me in beside him.
“He’s got to be confused and scared. But we’re going into camp with no cell phone service, no internet, nothing to distract us from team bonding.
And you two…” He poked at my chest. “You’ll room together, since you’re both seniors and play the same position.
Coach will expect you to be attached at the hip. ”
“You think I don’t know that?” At least in the gym, things had felt normal between Grey and me. I fisted my hands over my thighs. Where was he going with this?
“Take him aside and talk to him the first chance you get.” He wrinkled his brows. “Hell, take him on a hike in the woods and make him talk to you.” He covered my fist with his warm hand. “The sooner you resolve this, the sooner you can put it behind you and focus on camp.”
“Yeah.” I choked on a laugh. Would he even go on a hike with me, or would he find an excuse not to? “I’ll do my best, Tex.”
“Good, and if you need my help to push it along, let me know.” He gave me a smirk. “Hell, we can invite him for a hike and then I’ll bail out at the last minute. Maybe that would work?”
With a slow nod, I said, “Yes, that might work.” Grey was more inclined to hang out with me when Tex was around.
“Okay then, inform me when you want to corner him and I’ll be there.” He patted my thigh, rose from the bed and left my room.
“Fuck.” I swiped my hands down my face. After we settled, I would invite Grey to go hiking.
The bus rolled into the camp across a long potholed road, inside tall pine trees and scrubby oaks. I peered out my window at the fluffy clouds dotting the sky. Monsoons occurred almost daily here, unlike their irregular appearance in Tempe.
A few buildings spread around the landscape, with the mess hall being the biggest, followed by the lowerclassmen dorms. As seniors, we’d have smaller cabins that fitted maybe four of us and had their own bathrooms. The rumor was when this place first opened, it had been so rustic, there wasn’t any hot water and the guys barely bathed. That would suck.
I glanced ahead of me, a few rows up. Grey was sitting next to Justin James, our new quarterback. They’d clicked during practice this week. But then, if Grey would get some time on the field, they had to. Tightness wove through my chest. Grey didn’t even want to sit by me.
Tex, napping in the seat next to me with his arms crossed on his chest, cracked an eye open. “Are we there yet?” He snickered.
“Looks like it.” I sighed and watched the guys rise and filter to the aisle between the seats. “Get your ass up.” As my pulse kicked, my attention drew to Grey, peeking back at me and wincing.
They gave us cabin number four, and I strolled along a dirt path with Grey and our two wide receivers, Tommy Bailey, who was first string with me, and Dirk Coley, second string. We all carried our duffel bags from the bus.
“This week will be lit.” Bailey high-fived Coley as they strolled behind Grey and me. “Don’t you think so, Thompson? You seem quiet today.”
I snuck a peek at Grey, chewing his lower lip.
“Yeah, can’t wait for the usual pranks.” Some had been legendary, like when Jake Plummer, who ended up as the quarterback for the Cardinals, had found a dead bat and tossed it in the lowerclassmen’s dorm.
According to the story, the guys had screamed like little girls.
I smirked. “If you find a dead bat, throw it in Moore’s bed. ” That should snap him out of it.
“What?” He stared at me, slack jawed and then threw his attention on Bailey and Coley. “Don’t you dare.” He shook his arms with a mock shudder. “I’d get you all back. Believe me.”
“Oh, sounds like a dare.” With a snicker, Coley slapped Bailey’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you get them back.” I bumped my shoulder on Grey’s. It felt good to be with him, even with the awkward wall between us. Maybe we could work things out. This place was magical, after all.
He shifted further away from me and clenched his jaw. “Is there a place I can get cell service so I can text Ella?”
As my heart pitched, I stopped on the small, covered porch at our cabin.
He texted and called her nonstop now. And I hated it.
Hated her and hadn’t even met her. “Not that I know of. I’ve never found any.
” After shoving the door open, I stepped inside.
The scent of burning wood with a hint of mold hit me.
This place always smelled the same. I rushed to the bottom bunk on the left and threw my duffel on it.
“This one’s mine.” I loathed the top bunk.
The springs sagged more under them, and they squeaked like mad.
Bailey and Coley burst past Grey and claimed the lower and top bunks on the right.
“Guess I’m above you.” With a frown, Grey threw his duffel up to the bunk.
The guys unpacked a few things, hanging team sweatshirts on hooks on the wall and bringing their dock kits into the bathroom.
When could I talk to Grey? I didn’t want this festering any more than it already had.
We wouldn’t have our first team meeting until after dinner, and the intensive training would start tomorrow.
“A bunch of us are heading to the creek. Want to come?” Coley stood at the door, glancing behind him at me.
I pursed my lips, my gaze finding Grey’s. “Tex wanted us to take a quick hike. You up for it?” Shit, he wasn’t available to assist me with this yet, but it was worth a shot.
Grey shifted his focus from Coley and then to me. With a quick shrug, he said, “Yeah, sure. Then after we can meet them at the creek.”
“Okay, see you guys later.” Coley and Bailey rushed from the room, slamming the door behind them.
I stuffed my duffel under my bed. “You want to put yours next to mine?” I waited, staring at the brown blanket covering the white sheets tucked under my mattress.
“Sure.” After sliding his duffle off the top bunk, he crouched beside me and slid it next to mine. “Shall we go find Tex?”
“Yep.” Following him out the door, I ambled beside him along the path, watching for the signs leading to cabin ten, which was where the linemen stayed. My heart pattered into my throat. What the hell would I say? I’d tried to prepare for this, but nothing sounded right.
As we approached cabin ten, I stepped to the door and knocked.
“Who is it?” A singsong male voice said.
Ramsey, a second-string offensive lineman, popped the door open. “Oh, it’s you. Can’t stay away from Tex?” He lifted the edge of his lips. “Don’t you get enough of each other at home?” He swung the door open fully and stepped aside. “Tex, you have visitors.”
With a tut, I peeked at Grey, who hung his head and wrung his hands at his waist. He looked nervous. Maybe almost as nervous as I was. Had he intended to talk to me too?
Strutting to the door, Tex said, “You on board for that hike we discussed on the bus?” He lifted a brow at Grey.
“Yep.” I worried my lower lip. At what point would Tex bail out?
“Okay, let’s hit it. I know the perfect trail. Has magnificent views.” With a sly grin, he passed us by and strode toward the mess hall. “This way.”
We followed him to a path behind the building and between an opening in a post and rail fence and then toward an open field with scraggly grass. About twenty feet ahead, the path entered the tall trees.
Tex pointed ahead of us. “You keep going up here, and when you reach the summit, you can see the entire camp. When we get to the top, we’ll just turn around. I don’t know what comes after that.” He stopped and rubbed his forehead. “Shit.”
“Shit, what?” Grey halted behind him.
“I forgot I was supposed to check in with Coach after I got the guys settled in my cabin.” He faced Grey. “You two go ahead, and I’ll run the trail and catch up to you.” He gave me a knowing look.
My pulse kicked as I crept my gaze to Grey. Would he buy it?
“Uh…” Rolling his lips, he glanced toward the mess hall, placing his hands on his hips. “Um...”
Shit, was it so terrible to spend time alone with me on a trail? As my chest pinched, I studied him. Could we recover the friendship we’d had, or was it permanently ruined by one mistake? “Come on, Grey.” I grabbed his elbow and hauled him along. I wouldn’t let him escape this.
“See ya soon.” Hopping on his toes, Tex waved and jogged toward the mess hall.