Chapter Fourteen
Fourteen
Priya sat at the edge of the pier, her boots grazing the lake’s surface. The storm had passed, and raindrops shimmered on the trees along the shoreline. The setting sun cast a muted glow over the water, but the soft hum of laughter from the camp’s common area only made her chest ache even more.
For years, she had begged her parents to let her come on this week-long school trip.
Brooke went every year, and all Priya wanted was to be part of it.
She’d imagined them huddled around the campfire, giggling over silly jokes, and whispering late into the night.
She’d even managed to convince the camp coordinator to let them share a room, along with a girl named Rachel from another school.
But the trip hadn’t turned out the way Priya had thought.
Turning fifteen had changed the entire dynamic.
Brooke and Rachel seemed more interested in boys than anything else—who had kissed whom, what it felt like, and which guys at camp were the cutest. Brooke had found her own distraction, a boy who played the guitar and had all the girls swooning with his laid-back charm.
One evening, she flopped down on Priya’s bunk with a dramatic sigh. “You know,” she said, “this is kinda the perfect time for you.”
“Perfect time for what?” Priya glanced up from her book.
“Your first kiss!” Brooke declared. “I mean, think about it. You’re away from home, no parents watching your every move, and no one’s gonna rat you out. You can actually have a little fun for once!”
“I’m not just going to kiss someone because I’m away from home.” Priya let out a small laugh.
Brooke’s smile turned mischievous. “Ryan’s been asking about you.”
“Who’s Ryan?” Priya ventured cautiously.
“Caleb’s friend. He’s super cute and totally into you. I may have suggested that you’re interested in him too.”
“Brooke!” Priya exclaimed, swatting her with a pillow.
“Relax! It’s no big deal.” She paused, her grin widening. “Actually…I kinda invited Caleb, Ryan, and one of their friends to hang out with us tomorrow. Rachel’s in. She thinks it’ll be fun.”
Priya stared at her. “Seriously?”
“It’s not like a date or anything, Pri. If you’re not into him, just make up an excuse and bail. Easy peasy.”
But it wasn’t easy for Priya. Not at all. The only guy she was into was Ethan. Every time she closed her eyes and imagined kissing someone, it was his face that appeared—his messy hair, his lopsided grin, his eyes crinkling when he teased her.
The secret felt heavy in her chest, like a stone she couldn’t shake.
Brooke was her best friend. They told each other everything.
Keeping it from her felt wrong, but what was she supposed to say?
Hey, by the way, I’ve been quietly crushing on your brother this whole time.
What if Brooke laughed and didn’t take her seriously? Worse—what if she did and told Ethan?
The weight of it all pressed down on Priya, and she felt trapped—too scared to tell Brooke but hating herself for keeping it in.
The next day, the rain drove everyone indoors, so Brooke claimed the covered porch outside the arts and crafts cabin—a cozy little space with wooden benches and a couple of small tables tucked beneath the overhang.
Priya sat stiffly on the edge of her bench, her fingers twisting in her hoodie’s drawstring when the boys arrived.
“Hey!” Caleb gave Brooke a mock salute before plopping down beside her. “We bring gifts.” He dropped two crushed bags of Skittles and a handful of granola bars on the table.
“Wow,” Brooke replied. “Such gentlemen.”
“It’s the best we could do,” Caleb said with a grin, his gaze flicking to Priya and Rachel. “You guys met my friends, Ryan and Tyler?”
Priya watched as Tyler tossed his hoodie over Rachel’s bench like he was claiming the spot. “Hope you don’t mind some company,” he said.
Ryan grinned at Priya before settling down beside her. He cleared his throat and shuffled closer, his sleeve brushing her arm. “So…Brooke said you, uh…might be interested in hanging out some time,” he said.
Priya’s smile faltered. “Oh!” she said, scrambling to her feet. “I totally forgot. I told Mrs. Harper I’d tidy up the boathouse.”
“Seriously?” Rachel threw her an incredulous glance. “You’re ditching us to go untangle fishing lines?”
“I promised,” Priya replied, her gaze moving apologetically around the group.
“I’ll go with you,” Ryan offered, already starting to stand.
“Oh, no!” Priya said quickly, raising a hand. “It’s honestly just going to be me mopping up puddles and hanging life vests up to dry. Pretty boring stuff.” She forced a smile. “But hey, if I’m done soon, I’ll swing back after.”
“Sure you will.” Brooke shot her a knowing grin.
Priya waved a vague goodbye and bolted toward the boathouse, her face hot. This was what happened when you kept secrets from your best friend. And the longer she stayed silent, the harder it would be to tell the truth.
As she walked briskly past the main lodge, ignoring the warm glow of the fire crackling inside, a light mist settled on her glasses.
When she reached the boathouse, she headed to the pier, far enough so the others couldn’t see her.
The planks creaked under her feet, and she sat at the edge, her legs dangling over the side.
The world was covered with a shimmering translucence, and everything was quiet.
The lake stretched before her, raindrops falling from the leaves with a hushed pitter-patter.
Priya drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She stared at the ripples in the lake, willing her mind to go blank, but her thoughts kept circling back to one thing: I just want to go home.
She could be having fun like Brooke and Rachel, but here she was instead—cold, miserable, and stuck in an endless loop—always comparing every guy to Ethan. She couldn’t be with anyone else, not when her heart was already so full of him, even if he never realized it or returned her feelings.
The sound of heavy footsteps broke through her thoughts, the vibrations carrying through the wood.
Priya turned and froze, her heart leaping when she saw Ethan walking toward her.
He looked like he’d ridden straight through the storm, rain streaking his leather jacket, his dark hair plastered to his forehead.
Yet somehow, he still looked impossibly handsome.
As their eyes locked, a slow smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
A tingling sensation stirred in the pit of Priya’s stomach.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Brooke forgot her phone charger, so I offered to drop it off. I was headed to the office when I saw you sitting here, all by your lonesome. Everything okay?” He dropped down beside her, his legs swinging over the edge.
“Yeah.” Priya put on a casual smile even as her heart thudded painfully. How was she supposed to tell him that she was sad because she was hung up on him? “I guess I’m just not vibing with this place. It’s tough when you want to do one thing, but your squad is into something totally different.”
Ethan let out a dry laugh. “I hated this place when I was here. I’m not exactly the team spirit type.”
“And yet, somehow, it just makes you more popular.”
“Apparently girls like the whole loner-rebel vibe.”
His words were playful, but Priya wasn’t blind to how everyone practically melted when he passed by in the school hallway.
Ethan had always been a head-turner, but now, closing in on eighteen, he’d become undeniably hotter.
The scruff along his jaw gave him a rugged edge.
His build had filled out—shoulders wider, chest defined—making it hard not to notice every move he made.
His moody, smoldering energy only intensified how impossible he was to ignore.
It was no wonder everyone was drawn to him. Including her.
As Ethan leaned back and propped himself up on his wrist, Priya averted her gaze and peered at her own reflection in the water.
There was something about being around Ethan that mended the frayed edges of her heart.
Her emotions settled like the lake’s surface after a storm.
Around them, everything felt vividly alive—the quiet drip of water from the trees, the heavy scent of rain, the shimmer of the sun’s reflection as it slipped beneath the water.
Priya glanced back at Ethan with a smile. “Your jeans are completely soaked, you know.”
“It probably wasn’t the best time to come out, but hey, here I am.” He gave her a lopsided grin.
“Let’s go inside so you can dry off.” Priya motioned toward the glow spilling out of the lodge.
“Good call.” Ethan rose to his feet and extended his hand toward Priya. “It’ll save me from riding back with a soggy ass.”
Priya laughed as they strolled off the pier. Their boots sank into the ground, squelching with each step. At the lodge’s entrance, Ethan spotted a tap and turned it on, washing the mud off Priya’s boots.
“Go on in,” he said, cleaning his own. “I won’t be long.”
Priya stepped inside, greeted by the cozy scent of pine and hot chocolate.
The common area was buzzing with kids—laughing, chatting, and playing board games.
Some stretched out on sofas, scrolling through their phones.
Priya spotted an empty couch near the hearth and began making her way toward it.
She was halfway there when a familiar voice stopped her.
“Priya! Over here!” Rachel’s voice carried through the noise of the crowd.
“Rachel?” Priya blinked. “What are you doing here?”
Rachel’s grin turned sheepish. “Well, Ryan bailed right after you left and Tyler turned out to be super annoying, so I took off too.”
Priya scanned the room. “Brooke’s still with Caleb?”
Rachel leaned closer, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Actually, they snuck off together. Pretty sure they headed back to our cabin.”