Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
LITTLE SIS
JULIANA
Caramel dripped down the side of the bowl, and I caught it with my thumb, then tasted it.
“Oh, that’s good,” I said to myself.
A noise in the doorway made me look, and it was Camden.
I sighed. He wasn’t so bad when he was alone, but around my brother was another story. I looked up again, and it was just him. I was glad I’d worn this outfit and not my Strawberry Shortcake pajamas that I’d almost kept on. Not that I cared what he thought, but at least I knew I looked cute.
“What are you making?” he asked softly.
“Stroopwafels.”
He stepped closer. “I’ve never had one.”
“Try it. They have caramel inside.”
“I like how they look.” He came over to the island and towered over me.
My dad asked him how tall he was the last time he came over, and when he said he was six four, I couldn’t believe it. Jackson wished he were as tall as Camden, but he was still tall too.
He picked up a stroopwafel and took a bite. He chewed slowly, nodding slightly, like he was taking in all the flavors. As much as he frustrated me, I enjoyed the way he appreciated food.
“Delicious,” he said.
I glanced at him to see if he was joking at all. I could never tell anymore.
“Thank you,” I said when he seemed genuine.
“Hey, shorty.” Jackson walked in and put his arm around my shoulder. He grabbed a stroopwafel without asking. “I like these!” he said. “Two thumbs up.” He frowned when he looked down at me.
“What?” I asked.
“What are you wearing?” he asked.
I made a face. “Leggings?”
“Has Dad seen you in those?”
“No, and I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“At least they’re not as thin as Devyn’s.” He looked at Camden and laughed. “I saw her ass crack the other day, man.” He looked at me again and narrowed his eyes. “It’s a good thing you don’t have boobs. Dad would never let you leave the house if you did.”
“Jackson!” I elbowed him, and he doubled over, laughing.
“Ow! It’s true,” he yelled. “Right, Camden?”
Camden’s head tilted, and he didn’t look at me when he lifted his shoulder. “If you say so. How would I know? It’s not like I’m checking out your little sister.”
My cheeks flamed even hotter. He always acted like I was still five instead of fifteen.
Jackson held his fist out, and they did a fist-bump.
“Right. Because we agreed a long time ago to never date each other’s sister. Goldie’s hot, but she is off-limits. And so are you.” Jackson looked at me and rubbed some caramel on the tip of my nose.
I was already close to boiling.
“Ugh.” I rolled my eyes and wiped it off.
“You are so annoying.” I moved to the sink and washed my hands, then turned around and glared at both of them.
“And Goldie would never date you, so it wouldn’t matter if she’s off-limits or not,” I told Jackson.
And then I pointed at Camden. “And I wouldn’t date you, even if you were the last boy standing on a deserted island and we had to forage for our food and I needed someone tall to reach things. ”
He stared at me for a minute, and the room was silent before Jackson burst out laughing, and Camden eventually did too.
“Good thing we’ll never be the last people on the planet, and we won’t be on a deserted island together either.” Camden leaned down so he was at eye level. “Because I wouldn’t touch your flat chest with a ten-foot pole.”
I swallowed hard. Do not cry. DO NOT CRY.
I crossed my arms over my flat chest and narrowed my eyes at him. “I know that’s right. Because there is no way I’d ever let you come near them.”
He looked like he was ready to keep arguing and then realized there was nowhere to go with that.
Jackson pounded his hand on the island. “Well, now that that’s settled, we’ve gotta go if we wanna make the party.”
Camden nodded, and they walked out.
Later that night, I couldn’t stop replaying the whole thing in the kitchen.
Finally, I got out of bed and threw a sweatshirt on over my tank.
I was glad we were at the lake house—I always had more freedom there.
Goldie and I could hang out with Erin, a local whose family owned Cox Trading Post, and she was so much fun.
It had been the perfect summer…as long as I was nowhere near Camden.
Which seemed impossible, since he was always around.
I sighed, feeling restless. My parents were watching a movie, and I’d already told them good night.
I walked down to the Whitmans’ yard with my book and climbed up the stairs to the tree house.
It took a few minutes for me to get comfortable, but once I had the light right and the pillows piled under my head, I leaned back and started reading. Or tried to anyway.
But I kept hearing Camden’s words. I wouldn’t touch your flat chest with a ten-foot pole.
I started crying, and at first I tried to ignore the tears, but then I gave in and turned to my side and let it all out.
Once the tears had dried up, I was mad that I’d wasted my time on that.
It didn’t make me feel any better. I sat up and looked for the stash of makeup I kept tucked away in a box out here.
The boys still came here sometimes, but not as much anymore, and I knew they wouldn’t be here tonight.
I did my makeup with the light from my phone and the twinkle lights around the tree house.
Jackson and Camden’s friend Mitch had told me about the party. I hadn’t wanted to go because Goldie had plans with her dad, but maybe I could talk Erin into going with me. Mitch had always been nice to me.
My parents were in bed when I left, and since I’d never snuck out before—or done anything else they wouldn’t approve of, for that matter—I knew they’d never suspect that I’d go to a party. I’d feel bad about it later. Or maybe not, if I didn’t get caught.
The bonfire was huge, the music blasting, and the beachfront was filled with people. I could hear the noise of laughing and shouting over the music and waves.
“It’s a banger,” Erin said. “And I am here for it.” She linked her arm through mine. “What got into you, Ms. Juliana? You’re usually in bed by eight thirty.”
I nudged her, laughing. “My rags will still appear at midnight, just like Cinderella.”
“If you last until midnight, I won’t know what has happened to my best friend.”
“You make me sound ancient.”
She tilted her head back and forth like she wasn’t going to argue that.
Mitch spotted me before we’d made it all the way to the food. He swaggered over with an easy grin, his sun-bleached hair looking blonder in the evening light and tiki torches.
“I didn’t know I’d convinced you to come,” he said. He turned, looking over the crowd. “And I’m shocked your brother was okay with this.”
“My brother doesn’t get to tell me what to do.”
His grin expanded, all sparkly-white teeth, and he handed me a plastic red cup.
“Thank you.” I took the cup and sipped from it, wrinkling my nose when I tasted it.
He laughed. “Not a fan of beer?”
“I guess not.”
Erin grabbed a cup too and winked at me, pointing out where she was going. “You okay?” she asked.
I nodded.
Mitch moved closer. “You look so hot,” he said.
His arm brushed mine, which felt nice. He kept saying things to make me laugh, and it was working. The more sips of beer I took, the warmer and lighter I felt. Mitch looked cuter and said funnier things, and when he kissed me, it felt nicer than I remembered a kiss feeling.
It wasn’t like when Brady Lawrence kissed me at summer camp two years ago. That had been clumsy, a peck and then a hide-and-seek of tongues. Neither one of us knew what we were doing. I had since talked to Goldie and Erin and knew how to do it better, and Mitch definitely knew what he was doing.
His hand slid around my waist, tugging me closer. My heart hammered with excitement and the rush of being at this party with beer and older boys and my streak of rebellion at doing something I knew my parents and brother…and Camden…wouldn’t approve of.
When one of his hands moved down to my backside and the other moved over my breast, I squeaked and tried to push him back, but he only pressed harder.
Until suddenly, he was gone.
I blinked in shock as Mitch staggered back when someone punched him in the nose. Blood ran down his face immediately. And, standing in front of me, his fists clenched and his eyes burning with fury, was Camden.
For a second, all I could do was stare.
He looked like an avenging angel with his fist still propped up as he breathed hard, his eyes locked on Mitch as if daring him to move.
My first thought was relief, sharp and undeniable. Why, I wasn’t sure. That Camden had seen me. That he’d stopped Mitch from going any further. But then the relief twisted to fury.
How dare he?
“Are you kidding me?” I snapped.
I stepped between Camden and Mitch before Camden could swing again.
Camden’s head whipped toward me. His jaw clenched. “He was all over you. You didn’t want that.”
The worst part was, he was right. I hadn’t wanted things to go that far. But that didn’t mean he got to swoop in like some kind of self-righteous bodyguard.
Behind me, Mitch cursed.
“So what?” I shot back, heat making my cheeks hot. “You think you get to just punch whoever you want? You don’t even care about me, remember?”
“I do care,” he growled, low enough that only I could hear it.
I clenched my fists to keep from shaking.
“Ten-foot pole, remember?” I muttered as I shoved past him.
My stomach tightened with every step. I wanted to scream at him and…something else entirely. I could feel his stare burning into my back all the way across the sand.
I stormed away from the fire, my feet sinking into the cool sand as I went. Erin got in step next to me.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah. This is the reason I go to bed at eight thirty.”
We both laughed.
“Juju,” Camden called, his voice rough.
I turned before he could catch up, my hair flying into my face. “Don’t bother, Camden.”
He slowed, but he didn’t stop. His expression was angry and worried, and for some reason, that only made me madder.
“Come on, Juju. You didn’t want that.”
Erin squeezed my arm and stepped back. I shook my head at Camden, forcing the lump in my throat down.
“You don’t get to decide what I want,” I whispered.
He stared at me, and for one breathless moment, neither of us moved. The distant firelight flickered against his face, and it felt like we were on a tightrope, barely hanging on.
“You…” My voice cracked, but I pushed through it. “I’m not a child, Camden. I can make my own mistakes, with or without your interference.”
“I don’t think you’re a child, Juju.”
His eyes locked on mine.
He stepped closer, his jaw tight, and added, “That’s the whole fucking problem. You’re not a child anymore. You’re not my friend anymore. I don’t even know you. And you’re…making me lose my mind.”
The world tilted. I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. Hearing him say that…I didn’t even know how to feel about it. I had so many questions.
We just stood there, staring at each other. His chest rose and fell like he’d just run a mile, and my heart threatened to pound out of my chest.
His jaw flexed, his mouth opening to speak.
“Juju? Camden? What’s going on? I just saw Mitch, and someone said you hit him?” Jackson barreled toward us.
Camden’s mouth shut, fists clenched at his sides.
“Yeah,” he said finally. “He deserved it.”
Jackson glared at me then. “What are you even doing here?”
I rolled my eyes. “Both of you need to get out of my way. I don’t have the patience for either one of you tonight.”
I turned and motioned to Erin that I was ready to go, and we left.
When Camden came to the house the next time, we ignored each other. I preferred to pretend he didn’t exist, even though that was impossible, because he was all I could ever think about.