Chapter 2
Six Months Later
July
Maddie Grace
My knee bounces wildly as the car creeps down the endless, tree-lined drive toward Camp Horizon.
Mason and I landed in New York earlier today, and we’d been driving for hours mostly in silence. But now, as we near, my nerves are creeping up at lightning speed.
It was too expensive for my parents to take us, so Mason and I flew together. When we landed, a car from the camp was waiting to pick us up.
I’ve never been to New York or anywhere north of Georgia, for that matter.
The farthest we’ve traveled has been to a neighboring state, like South Carolina or Florida, and only when we could scrape together enough for a weekend away.
Yet, now that I’m finally in New York, all I can think of is how much I want to visit Manhattan. Only we’re driving in the entirely opposite direction.
Far from the place I’ve always known I would live since I was a young girl, sneaking episodes of Friends.
“You’re going to be all right. I promise. Don’t be nervous,” Mason whispers.
“I’m fine,” I lie, my eyes glued to the trees flying past.
He reaches over, stilling my knee with his hand. “Yeah. Okay. I believe you.”
I ignore him, watching the dense forest thicken as the roads narrow just as we come up to a large wrought-iron gate out of nowhere.
The words “Camp Horizon” are scripted elegantly in the center.
The car pulls forward, the gates automatically open, and then we turn into a lot filled with cars worth more than people’s homes.
Last year, the car show came to Augusta, and Mason dragged me there. That’s the only reason I know some of the cars and their prices.
Aston Martin, Porsche, Range Rover, you name it, they’re here.
Mason steps out first, rounding the car to open my door, but I hesitate before climbing out. A sinking feeling washes over me as I take in the other campers. Especially the girls.
Immediately, I regret my entire existence.
Why the heck did I wear this dress?
Mason notices my shift. “What’s wrong?”
I scan the parking lot again. “What was I thinking?” I whisper, mortified. “I look like I’m part of the cast of Little House on the Prairie.”
Before he can respond, a stunning girl struts past us, swaying her hips like she’s on the runway. Her hair is pin-straight down to her barely covered bottom and her booty shorts don’t help cover any of her.
I can only hope they’re still in style when I buy a pair in college, far, far away from home.
I would be disowned for life if I dared to wear them now.
A second later, she lowers her designer sunglasses, lets out a high-pitched squeal, and throws herself into the arms of three other girls, all just as trendy, all dressed like they walked straight out of Vogue.
“You look beautiful,” Mason says.
I shoot him an annoyed glare. “I look like an Easter basket, Mase.”
Not that it’s his fault that I listened to Mama, who convinced me that florals were neutral and I’d fit right in.
Clearly, I had a brain fart because I not only wore it, but also the matching headband.
With a huff, I snatch that off the top of my head and throw it in the duffel bag. “Do you have a hoodie or something?” I frantically dig through my bag, but nothing I see would fit over the poofy sleeves.
“Maddie—”
“Mason,” I cut him off. “Hoodie. Stat.”
He sighs, pulls out his senior year sweatshirt, and hands it over. “Here. Don’t ruin it. And good luck not getting heatstroke.”
“Thanks. I’ll risk it.” The only good thing going for me right now is that I switched out my glasses for contacts once we landed.
“You’re acting crazy. You know that, right?”
I swing my arm toward the girls. “Have you seen them? I look like Humpty Dumpty next to them.”
He gives me a blank stare as if I’m speaking gibberish.
“Oh, don’t play dumb. I saw you checking them out the second the girl’s butt walked by.”
He ignores that comment entirely. “I’m giving you that look because you’re prettier than most of the girls here, and since when do you care about that?”
“I don’t,” I lie.
But he’s right. Why do I care? I never have before, but suddenly, I feel completely out of my depth here.
Mason slings his backpack over his shoulder. “Let’s go check in. Someone will bring our other bags to our cabins. You made sure your name was on all your bags, right?”
I let out a loud, exasperated breath and follow him. “For the hundredth time today, Mason, yes.”
Mason walks up to the table labeled A-F.
“Hi, Mason and Madeline Cunningham,” he tells the counselor, who is staring at my brother like he’s God’s gift to the world.
“I know who you are, Mase.” She smirks, flirting so blatantly out in the open. If only Mama could see this, she’d be beside herself.
Me? I’m used to this by now, but lordy, does it get old.
Naturally, Mason flirts back, and it takes everything in me not to crack a joke.
Don’t want to piss off the counselors on day one.
We’re each handed a turquoise folder with “Camp Horizon” arched across the top. Cunningham is scripted in a gilded gold font below. Mason’s reads Cabin Ten and mine Cabin Thirty-three.
“Who was that?” I tease.
He shakes his head, ignoring me. “Come on. I want you to meet my friends.”
He links our arms, and I follow closely, spying on all the other campers and their families. Weirdly, I’m not missing mine.
Mason is all I need.
“Your New York friends?” He’s mentioned them a bunch, and I know he keeps in regular contact with a couple of them.
“Yeah. They’re good people. I’ve bunked with Leo since the first summer.” He holds me tighter as we step over a thick tree branch. “Be careful. Let’s not have you get injured on day one.”
“Thanks. So are they here for athletics, too?”
“This way.” He turns a corner and enters an area with large, modernized log cabins.
“This is the boy’s wing. I’ll bring you to where the girls stay next, and not Leo.
He’s registered for the signature camp program, same as you.
He’s only here because his brother Nate is into sailing, and they have a prestigious program on Lake Horizon.
Leo sometimes leaves halfway through to go home if he’s had enough. ”
His words trail off as I am mesmerized by the family in front of us, who are bringing their son’s bags into his cabin.
The mom is dressed in a perfectly tailored white linen summer dress, with wedge espadrilles and makeup so flawless it looks like she got it professionally done for someone’s wedding.
“Are those real designer bags?” I whisper wide-eyed, in awe and disbelief.
“That’s nothing, Maddie, I told you. This place is so far from what we’re used to. It will take a while for you to wrap your head around it. But most people are pretty down to earth.”
“Down to earth?” I mock., “That boy’s bags are more than what Daddy probably makes in a year.”
He stops us mid-step and turns to face me, his green eyes that match mine penetrate as he speaks, “One day, that will be the both of us, Madeline. I’ll be winning Super Bowls, and you’ll be designing some of New York’s tallest buildings.
We’ll have all we damn well need in this life and beyond because of it.
” He pauses, and I see the truth in his eyes.
We’re dreaming big, and I hope it all comes true.
“Don’t judge people based on the money their parents make.
That’s something Mama would do. You don’t know their story.
I will admit there are some pretentious assholes here.
But you’re a good judge of character, and I know you’ll stay clear of them. Or put them in their place.”
“You’re right, Mase.” I shrug, embarrassed. “A part of it is jealousy.”
“I get it.” He retakes my arm and leads us further down the row, stopping in front of Cabin Number Ten. “This is mine.”
“It’s only you and Leo?”
While we passed the other cabins, I noticed most were significantly larger than Mason’s.
“Yup. Somehow, we got lucky our first year, and now we request it every summer.”
I barely hear him, too distracted by my surroundings again. Who cares about the insides? The outside is unbelievably beautiful, overlooking the extensive mountain range.
“How far is my cabin—”
“Cunningcunt.” I’m cut off by a very cute boy with dark, shaggy hair and beautiful, tanned, exotic-looking skin, walking out of the cabin with his arms wide, ready to tackle my brother.
Which is comical since Mason, at eighteen, is already six-four and huge.
“Did he just say…?”
“Yes.” He punches the guy in the arm. “This is my sister, you asshole. Can you keep the names to a minimum?”
“My bad.” He smiles, popping two dimples that I’d be swooning over if I didn’t have a matching pair myself.
He extends his hand, and I attempt to shake it, but instead, he brings my hand up to his lips, winking as he kisses the back of it.
“I’m Leo Morales, and you must be the infamous Maddie Grace.
Your brother did not tell us how fucking beautiful you are. ”
“Kiss my sister again, and I’ll put your skull through the cabin wall, Morales.” Mason stands between us, attempting to intimidate Leo, but Leo’s smile widens and he laughs in Mason’s face.
“I like you already.” I beam, enjoying the playful dynamic between him and my brother. “Anyone willing to go toe-to-toe with Mase is all right in my book.”
Mason huffs something unintelligible, while Leo can’t control his laughter. He grabs the rest of Mason’s bags, and we follow him into the cabin, where two adults sit on a small sofa.
Even before introductions, I can tell instantly they’re Leo’s parents by looks alone.
“Mom and Dad, you already know Cunningham”—he nods at my brother—“and this is his little sister, Maddie Grace.”
The stunning woman rises gracefully, her smile warm and nurturing as she pats my brother’s face fondly before turning to me.
Without hesitation, she surprises me with a hug. “So nice to meet you, Maddie Grace,” she says, leaning back enough to study me. “You are absolutely beautiful.”