10. Casey
ten
Casey
T he door of the arts and crafts hut slammed shut behind me, the sound echoing across the quiet camp like a gunshot. I went to shove my hands into the pockets of my shirt—before realizing that I was still wearing Matt’s flannel. I wanted to pull it more tightly around me and bury myself in his scent. I wanted to rip it off and throw it into the lake.
But it was too cold for that, and I was only wearing a tank top underneath. I started toward the cabin Oliver and I shared, but the thought of facing him—of explaining why I looked like I’d just been hit by a truck—made my stomach twist.
I pivoted sharply, my boots skidding on the loose gravel, and veered onto one of the trails that looped around the camp. Matt would laugh if he knew I was voluntarily hiking. After so many weeks of teasing him for his outdoorsy crap—suddenly the idea of being alone in the woods felt like a solution to my problems.
Hell, maybe a predator would come along and turn me into a snack.
My mind was racing, a chaotic mess of thoughts I couldn’t untangle. That stupid fucking kiss replayed in my mind, becoming more and more embarrassing each time. I’d thrown myself at him, thinking—what? That Matt wanted it too? That those blue eyes lingering on my lips meant something? He hadn’t moved. Hadn’t kissed me back. Just stood there, frozen, like I’d slapped him instead of kissed him. My brain played the scene over and over like some kind of cruel highlight reel.
Like I’d crossed some uncrossable line.
“Idiot,” I muttered under my breath, kicking a stray pinecone off the trail. Of course he didn’t want me. Matt was straight. A hyper-masculine mountain man who dreamed of chopping wood and marrying a girl who wore flannel and brewed her own beer. Not some pink-haired city boy who couldn’t even start a fire in a fireplace.
But then why had he been standing so close? I lifted my hand to my throat, remembering the way he’d held me against that wall like he had very dirty plans for me. Why had his eyes dropped to my lips like he was going to—
I stopped walking, squeezing my eyes shut for a moment. My heart was pounding, and my palms sweaty, even in the cold. This was bad. So bad. What if he fired me?
The trail curved, leading me deeper into the woods. The air was cooler here, the sunlight filtering through the trees in narrow beams. I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my cargo pants, the soft fabric of Matt’s flannel brushing against my wrists. It still smelled like him, and I hated how much that made my stomach flutter.
“Ugh,” I groaned aloud, kicking another pinecone. This one ricocheted off a tree trunk, disappearing into the underbrush. I needed to stop thinking about this. Needed to stop thinking about him. But my brain wouldn’t let it go.
I rounded the corner too fast, not looking where I was going, and slammed right into someone. Hard. A yelp—not mine—and then a sharp bark echoed through the quiet campground. I bounced off of him and stumbled back, arms flailing, and blinked up at the guy I’d just body-checked.
“Shit! Sorry! I’m so sorry!” The words tumbled out of me in a rush, my face burning.
The guy was holding a leash, and at the end of it was the cutest puppy I’d ever seen. Fluffy, with big brown eyes, giant feet, and ears that flopped when it tilted its head. My heart melted a little, even as I looked up at the man and realized I knew who he was. Ben. Matt’s stepbrother. Sutton’s fiancé.
“It’s fine,” Ben said, his voice calm, steady. He had a quiet intensity about him, like he didn’t need to raise his voice to make you listen. “You’re Casey, right? I’m Ben… I don’t think we’ve ever officially met, but it feels like we have. Sutton and Matt talk about you all the time.”
“Uh, yeah,” I said, crouching down to pet the puppy before I could overthink it. “Sorry again. I wasn’t paying attention. I didn’t know you guys had a dog.”
Ben tilted his head, his expression softening as he watched the puppy sniff at my boots like they were the most fascinating thing in the world. “This is Junji. Sutton got him for me. Said I needed to get out of the cabin more. Now that I’m working from home, I’ve developed a tendency to lose myself in my illustrations and never walk around.”
I held out a hand, letting Junji lick my fingers, his little tail wagging furiously. “I didn’t know you were an illustrator,” I said. “But Matt showed me the mural you started in the art hut.”
He chuckled. “Oh yeah, that has taken a life of its own, hasn’t it? There are so many fun details if you look closely. I love seeing what kids add.” The warmth in his voice made me wonder if maybe Matt was right to have a fondness for the little art hut.
Suddenly I was back in that hut, slammed against the wall, Matt’s hands on my hips, his breath warm on my neck. My stomach twisted. I shoved the memory down, focusing on the puppy’s soft fur under my fingers. “Pretty cool, what your art can start.”
“Yeah, art and books have always been my escape. And I was lucky to get a job that has to do with both! But sadly, it’s so fun that sometimes I forget to take breaks.”
I chuckled. “Enter the puppy?”
“Yep, Junji is here to bark at me and remind me to get a little fresh air.” Junji barked and pounced on my foot, like he had decided my shoelaces were a chew toy.
“What does the name Junji come from?” I asked. “It sounds familiar.”
“He’s named after one of my favorite manga artists. Junji Ito.” Ben shrugged, his calm demeanor never wavering.
“Oh! The horror guy?” I asked, perking up.
“Yep! There’s something about the way he captures fear, you know? It’s raw. Gets under your skin.”
“Exactly what you think of when you see a puppy,” I added.
Ben burst out laughing. “Hey, the art may be creepy, but the artist himself is a really cool guy.”
Something about that made my mind turn back to thoughts of Matt again, and I felt my cheeks grow hot. I certainly didn’t want his stepbrother to know about it. I gave the puppy one last pat, and stood, brushing off my hands, trying to decide how to escape the conversation.
Ben’s gaze lingered on me for a moment, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly. “You sure you’re okay, Casey?”
“Yeah, totally,” I lied. “Just... you know. Camp stuff. Keeping busy. Not long until the campers arrive.”
His eyes flicked down to the flannel I was wearing, and something in his expression shifted. “Is that Matt’s shirt?”
Shit. I froze, my fingers instinctively clutching the fabric tighter around me. “Uh, yeah. I mean, it’s cold, and he ripped my sweater, so he was...” I trailed off, my voice cracking as I wondered what the shirt meant. You didn’t loan your shirt to just anyone, not on a chilly day like this.
Ben raised an eyebrow, a small smirk playing on his lips. “Ripped your sweater, huh? I hope he wasn’t responsible for that.”
“Oh! No, not really.”
“We keep teasing him about his crush on you, but I didn’t expect him to take action. Matt is a masterful procrastinator when it comes to things like that.”
My heart stopped. “His… what?”
Ben's eyes widened. “Oh shit, pretend I didn’t let that slip. Sorry! He’s going to kill me.”
“But Matt doesn’t have a crush on me. I just kissed him and he—”
Ben held up a hand, cutting me off. “Whoa, slow down. You kissed Matt?”
I nodded, my face burning. “Yeah. Bad move. Very impulsive.”
Ben blinked, then let out a low whistle, a slow grin spreading across his face. “Damn. I like you already.”
“Why?” I ran a shaky hand through my hair. “I shouldn’t have kissed him. He’s so grumpy all the time. And he finds me annoying, and he’s always yelling at me.”
Ben frowned, his brow furrowing. “Grumpy? Matt?”
“Yeah. You know, the whole brooding mountain man thing he’s got going on.”
Ben shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “Casey, Matt’s not grumpy. He’s… how do I describe Matt? Wise beyond his years. Chill and sweet and always says the perfect thing. Except, I’ve noticed, when you’re involved.”
I stared at him, my brain short-circuiting. “What? No. He doesn't like me. He’s always scowling and always arguing with me—”
“He hired you,” Ben interrupted, his tone matter of fact. “Trust me, if Matt didn’t like you, he wouldn’t have kept you around.”
My face was red hot, and my stomach was doing a little twisty-turny thing. “It doesn’t matter anyway, since he’s straight. I need to stop crushing on straight guys.”
Ben snorted. “Matt is not straight.”
“He’s gay?”
Ben shook his head. “Nah, he dates women, too. And he had a thing with a nonbinary architect last year. He has a type, though… cute, short, and feisty.”
“I’m not short!” I protested, which was ridiculous, because Ben was a full head taller than me, probably, and Matt was even taller.
Ben shrugged again, his expression softening. “Anyway, maybe you’re overthinking this. Even if he wasn’t into the kiss, Matt’s not the type to hold a grudge.”
My mind was racing faster than it had any right to. “But what if I ruined everything? What if he fires me—”
“Casey,” Ben said firmly, cutting me off. “Take a breath.” Junji tugged on the leash and he sighed. “Come on, why don’t you walk with me? Matt would kill me if I left you alone on these trails with the sun going down.”
I squinted up at the sky and frowned. “These trails are dangerous? Everyone keeps assuring me that hiking is safe and fun — is that all lies?”
“It’s not lies, but the trails can be confusing with all the intersections. If you turn left, you end up at camp. If you turn right, the trail climbs the ridge to the Homestead — my parents’ house. So walk with me and tell me more about this kiss.”
“Oh god,” I groaned. “I really don’t want to think about it. I mean, I kissed him. Like, full-on, no-takebacks kissed him. And he just... stood there. Didn’t kiss me back. Didn’t push me away. Just froze.”
Ben didn’t say anything right away. He just kept walking, his hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie, his expression unreadable. I could feel the heat creeping up my neck, my cheeks burning like I’d stuck my face in a campfire.
“He’s probably freaking out just as much as you are. Knowing Matt, he’s worried about the ethics of kissing his much younger employee,” Ben said finally, his voice calm but firm, like he was stating a fact and not just trying to make me feel better. “Matt’s not the type to get pissed over something like that. If anything, he’s beating himself up about it right now.”
I froze, my hand stilling on Junji’s soft fur. “Why would he be mad at himself?”
Ben shrugged, leaning against a tree trunk with that infuriatingly casual air of his. “Because that’s what Matt does. He overthinks everything. Trust me, if he’s upset, it’s not about you. It’s about whatever’s going on in that big, messy head of his.”
I stood up, brushing dirt off my knees, and stared at Ben like he’d just told me the sky was green. “But... I kissed him. Out of nowhere. That’s kind of a big deal.”
“Yeah, and?” Ben raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a half-smile. “You think Matt didn’t want you to? Please. Sutton said the guy’s been staring at you like you’re some kind of snack since you walked into that job fair and started yelling at him about the art program here.”
My face burned, and I looked away, pretending to be fascinated by a squirrel darting up a tree. “He has not.”
“Uh-huh.” Ben’s tone was dry, but there was a hint of amusement in it now. “Look, Casey, I don’t know what’s going on in Matt’s head, but I do know he’s not going to be mad at you. He's the most reasonable, empathetic person I know. So stop freaking out and just... talk to him.”
I opened my mouth to argue, then snapped it shut. Ben made it sound so simple, like all I had to do was walk up to Matt and apologize. But it wasn’t that easy. Nothing with Matt was ever easy. Somehow, everything turned into an argument, even when I meant to work well with him. Still, as I walked, the weight of Ben’s words settled over me, and for the first time since the kiss, I felt a flicker of hope. Maybe Matt wasn’t mad. Maybe he had wanted it, too. Maybe, just maybe, I hadn’t completely screwed everything up.
Junji barked, pulling me out of my thoughts, and I glanced down to see him pawing at the dirt. I scooped him up, carrying him for a little while as we walked in silence, letting the cute little ball of fur nuzzle against my chest, soothing my anxiety. I took a deep breath. Okay. I could do this.
“Thanks, Ben,” I said, my voice quieter than I meant it to be. “For... you know. Not thinking I’m a complete idiot.”
He snorted. “Oh, you’re still an idiot. But maybe you’re the right kind of idiot for my big brother."
I stuck my tongue out at him as we approached the familiar camp buildings. He and Junji had led me home.
Ben stopped, crossing his arms over his chest as he glanced towards the camp lodge, where Matt's office was. "Go talk to him, Casey. Before he drives himself crazy.”
I nodded, setting Junji back down and handing the leash to Ben, then waiting until he turned and walked back down the path before going to my cabin to sort out the mess in my own brain before talking to Matt.