Chapter 2 #2
I blush at her compliment. “Thank you, ma’am. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Morales.”
“Oh, please, call me Rosa.” She holds her arm to the stately man beside her. “And this is my husband, Javier.”
Her entire face softens as he wraps an arm around her midsection and pulls her into his body. He leans in and kisses the top of her head, his lips lingering with a tenderness that feels almost too private.
He doesn’t rush them or attempt to pull away…he just lets the beautiful moment settle between them.
Leo is not fazed. He’s probably seen them like this a million times, but Mason’s eyes flick to mine as I turn to him, my own wide with shock.
He smiles softly, reading my thoughts easily.
Our parents. Would. Never.
I’m not sure they like each other half the time, but showing affection, especially kissing in public, wouldn’t happen. Even if they were in love once.
“Where’s your brother?” Rosa asks Leo as he sets up his side of the room. “We’re heading to the hotel in a few minutes, and I want to see him once more before I leave.”
“He should be back soon. He went to Maddie Grace’s cabin to drop off her supplies.”
“Supplies?” I look between my brother and Leo, unaware of what they’re discussing.
Mason’s eyes twinkle, and he puts his arm around me. “It’s a surprise. Come on, let’s go.”
We say our goodbyes and begin walking toward the girls’ cabins.
“This is the dining hall.” Mase points to a large glass building. “When it’s not too hot, they set it up outside so we have a better view of Lake Horizon when we eat.”
“Oh, that sounds so nice. Maybe this place isn’t so bad after all.”
“Hey, Mase.” A deep, baritone voice calls out my brother’s name from the distance.
The voice is deeper than any boy I know, which intrigues me. Stretching my neck, I scan the area as a tall, ridiculous hottie jogs toward us.
What in the world…
Two for two, these guys are freaking hot.
“Nate. What’s up, brother?” Mase pulls the guy into a quick hug, clapping his back.
When he pulls away and turns his head, gazing toward me, I’m momentarily paralyzed, staring like a fool in awe. But my lord, something about him has me standing here, shaken to my core.
Maybe it’s his crystal-blue eyes locked on mine or his perfectly mussed-up brown hair that looks effortlessly styled.
Or maybe it’s the undeniable beating in my chest centering solely on him.
I’m not sure, but something about him has my insides fluttering and goose bumps rising along my skin.
Mason clears his throat, snapping us both out of whatever trance we were just in.
“Hi.” His voice cracks, swallowing hard before continuing. “I’m Nate Davenport.”
“Hey,” I manage to get out, dipping my head, embarrassed when I feel the warmth spread across my cheeks. “I’m Maddie Grace. Mason’s sister.”
I glance at him through my lashes. His lip curls into a smile as he bites his bottom lip, not so subtly looking me over from head to toe.
“I-I, ugh,.” he stumbles, darting a glance between my brother and me before shaking his head. “Nice to meet you, Maddie Grace. I better get going.”
Before either of us can say anything, he turns, brushing past me. My breath hitches on contact, and my hand quickly grabs my upper arm, where he leaves a wake of fire from the soft graze of his touch.
It’s a sensation that lingers long after he’s gone.
I turn, mesmerized by the feeling he’s elicited, but I don’t expect to be met with his eyes penetrating mine.
He freezes, our eyes caught in a playful game, one I know I’ll never lose. I could look at him for hours, days even.
Nate’s apple-red, plump lips, which I’ve already seared into my brain from when he had them caught between his teeth, lift slightly while my heart pounds in an offbeat succession against my chest.
“What the hell was that?” Mason snaps.
I take a steadying breath, shoving down the giddiness, and play dumb. “What was what?”
“You were staring at Nate like a lovesick puppy.”
I cross my arms, annoyed. “I was not. Don’t even start your crazy antics. Just bring me to my cabin.”
He eyes me suspiciously for a moment, then leads us the rest of the way to Cabin Thirty-three, where my bags are already waiting.
Mason walks up with the first load, unlocking the cabin for me.
Just before stepping inside, I have an inkling to turn around again.
Sure enough, Nate is still there, leaning against a tree with one ankle crossed lazily over the other, studying every move I make.
I try to fight the smile pulling at my lips, but it’s completely involuntary.
I can’t hold back.
Nate looks like every teenage heartthrob I’ve ever drooled over.
The guy who makes you sigh dramatically into your pillow at night over his good looks.
Of course, to add to the image, he now has a lollipop hanging out the side of his mouth.
He pushes off the tree, never breaking eye contact, as he reaches up and drags the candy between his lips. He smirks…winks…and then turns, walking back toward the boys’ cabins.
Did he just wink at me?
Holy hell.
I bite my lip and lift my shoulders, shrugging excitedly.
“Madeline!” Mason’s sharp tone jolts me back to reality.
“Ugh! I’m coming.”
I blow out a quick breath to try and rein in my overactive hormones before Mason, the master detector, figures out I may have an itty-bitty crush on his friend.
That’s the last thing I need.
I take one step inside the cabin and freeze.
First, I realize I somehow lucked out like Mason and only have one roommate. But even better, I have way more space than him.
My cabin is meant for four beds but is only set with two. And then I notice my incredible setup. “What is all of this?”
The whole side of my bunk is decorated in my favorite color, blurple—the name I made up when I was six for the perfect shade between blue and purple. The bedspread, my pillows, and even purple and blue lights are strung around my bed.
But what’s sprawled across my desk is what steals my breath.
Two things I love most: bead-making materials and top-of-the-line sketchbooks, graph paper, and drafting pencils.
The kind I know, for one alone, costs a fortune.
A lump lodges in my throat, and my vision blurs when I turn into Mason, throwing my arms around his midsection and hugging him tightly.
“Hey.” He gently tilts my head. “What’s up with the tears?”
“How did you do this? How did you pay for this? Do you even know how much this one pencil is?”
He shrugs. “A lot, I guess, by your reaction.”
“Thirty dollars. For one!”
Mase grabs it from my hand. “That’s crazy. It’s a pencil.”
I gasp in horror. “It’s not just a pencil. It is the perfect pencil.”
“If you say so.” He shakes his head, not understanding.
“If you didn’t have gorilla hands, I’d let you try it for yourself and see, but you’d probably snap it in half. It glides like perfection.” I pick up the compasses and protractors next to see a familiar brand that my art teacher has mentioned. “Seriously, how did you afford this?”
“I didn’t. Nate bought them.”
I freeze at his name, and my curiosity piques. “Nate?”
Without using the ladder, he jumps up on my bed and lies down, his legs hanging off the end.
“Yeah. I knew how upset you were about coming here, so I asked him to pick up supplies. Now, you can use your downtime to work. I had no clue what you would need, so I asked for his help. He and Leo are going to USC in the fall to study architecture.”
I stand there, my mouth gaped open wide in shock.
“USC?” I repeat.
“Yup. You should talk to them while you’re here. They have a lot of connections and can help you with letters of recommendation.”
I slap his arm hard. “Why have you never mentioned this before? USC, Mason. U-S-C.”
“Yeah, yeah, that’s all I’ve heard for years.”
My poor heart is getting a workout today.
For as long as I can remember, the University of Southern California has been my top school. Cornell, UC Berkeley, and Boston College are backups.
But USC? That’s the dream.
If I get scholarships, that is.
My parents have no clue I’m applying. It’s the only way I’ll be able to go.
They assume I’ll go somewhere in Georgia, like Emory or UGA, but I want out…as far away as possible, and I’m banking on my near-perfect GPA, extracurriculars, and portfolio to help.
Financial aid alone will never be enough.
I examine my drafting materials again, and I’m completely amazed that I have the opportunity to use the best of the best.
I’m beyond grateful, but…
“How will we pay Nate back for this?”
“We won’t,” Mason replies absentmindedly.
“Mason.” I raise my voice and flick his giant foot when he pays me no attention. “That’s rude. We need to figure something out. I can give you some of my—”
“Chill,” he cuts me off. “Maddie Grace, Nate is a billionaire. He wouldn’t take my money even if I tried. Leo’s family might be one too. They own a bunch of famous hotels.”
My head jerks up, and my mouth opens in shock for the second time in minutes. “Billionaire, with a B?”
“With a B,” he confirms. “Well, Nate is seventeen, so he won’t start inheriting his money until he turns eighteen sometime in August, but yeah. His family are the Davenports. Look them up when you get time in the computer lab.”
Nate.
The gorgeous, flirty Nate, who looked at me like he wanted to devour me, is a billionaire.
Jeez, I don’t even know a millionaire.
Not that any of that matters to me.
Only one thing has made him ten times more attractive, and it’s not his money. It’s the fact that he’s planning on being an architect, too.
For the first time, maybe ever, I’ve met someone interested in the same things as me.
So, pretty much, he’s perfection.
“Wait…I thought you said Nate and Leo were brothers. Didn’t Rosa call him her son? I’m confused.”
Mason props himself up on his side. “How many more questions am I going to have to answer today?”
“Maseeee,” I drag out.
I know he’s kidding, but I also want to know everything there is to know about Nate.
“Nate and Leo are not blood-related,” Mason explains.
“Nate’s parents are…pretty much evil. Not great people at all.
Rosa and Javier “adopted” Nate and his older brother into their family when they were kids, giving them a real family.
But they very much consider themselves blood. The whole family does.”
“Wow,” I say, shocked, taken aback. “That’s incredible and so kind of them.”
“For sure. And just so you know, they will take deep offense if you even mention that they aren’t related.”
I look at him, confused. “Why would I ever mention something like that?”
He shrugs, jumping back off my bed. “Just saying.” He leaves my cabin and grabs the rest of my bags. “Come on. It’s time for you to get settled.”
I walk the opposite way and take up the spot on my bed. I want nothing to do with unpacking.
He knows me well enough that he doesn’t even question it. Mase unpacks all my bags and then lines up my luggage under my bed.
At times, he could be the most annoying older brother in the world, but one thing is for sure: he’ll always take care of me.
“Hi.” One of the girls I saw in the parking lot walks in with three other girls trailing behind her.
I sit up and smile. “Hi. I’m Maddie Grace. Are y’all—”
“Oh, Mase.” I’m cut off by Tweedle Dee, bouncing in excitement. “I’m so glad you’re back this summer. Come by my bunk later. It’s the same as last year. Number One.”
He doesn’t answer, only smirks. He knows how uncomfortable this is for me.
“I’ll leave now,” he whispers and kisses my cheek. “Come find me if you need me. I’ll see you at dinner. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
The second he’s gone…
“I can’t believe Mason Cunningham is your brother.”
And here we go.