Chapter Five

THREE YEARS AGO

“Kayla West as a Diva?” Nick smiled at me early that afternoon when I finished telling him my news.

I’d left my bags with my old counselor since I wasn’t ready to commit to any cabin yet. Then I ran up to the lacrosse fields where they were having some games and a picnic for parents who wanted to stick around while their kids settled into camp. It was a super-easy day to slip away and meet Nick at our spot at Crystal Falls. Things didn’t really get organized around here until after dinner and all the parents left.

“I know. I can’t picture it either.” I shook my head, embarrassed, and stared down at a frog sunning himself on a moss-covered rock near my toe.

“I can,” he said right away, reaching over to squeeze my hand as we sat on the same log we’d visited plenty of times last summer.

My heartbeat sort of hiccupped. No, jolted. I turned to look at him, but he released my hand in a hurry. His dark hair slid over one hazel eye.

“I’m not like them,” I protested, hating what Brittany had said about Nick. That I could get in their cabin if I “lose the geekster accessory.” She’d seemed nice up until then.

“They want all the prettiest girls in their cabin,” Nick explained, suddenly more interested in picking at a bit of dead bark on the log in between us than looking at me.

I stayed silent for a long moment, trying to figure out what he meant while our legs swung side by side over the waterfall below.

“Right. So why ask me?”

He stopped picking at the bark.

“Oh, God.” I got a sick feeling in my stomach when he didn’t say anything right away. “It’s some kind of prank, isn’t it?”

Maybe they would do worse than throw popcorn at me…

“Kay.” Nick sighed and waved away a mosquito that was buzzing around my nose. “Have you looked in the mirror lately?”

Hadn’t I gotten rid of the love handles? My hands went to that spot just above my hips to check.

“I don’t know. I—”

“Newsflash, Kayla. You turned…” His eyes travelled along my face and down.

But just for a second. He seemed to catch himself, and his face turned red.

“Crap.” He scooted away from me a little. “You’ve always been, like…really pretty to me. But now you’re pretty in a way that other people see, too.”

My cheeks burned like I’d been in the sun too long. I should feel happy, right? But Nick didn’t look happy. And I couldn’t shake the sense of worry that nothing was going to be the same this year.

“That’s crazy.” I leaned down to dip my hand in water rushing over the falls. When my fingers were nice and cool, I brought them up to my neck to chase away the heat in my face.

“No, it isn’t.” He stared off into the woods, and neither of us spoke again for a minute until he said, “I could have joined a cool group this year, too.”

“Really?” I tried to forget about what he’d said about me being pretty, but I still had the urge to fan my face. Well, also, I wished he’d say it again so I could pay attention more.

“Yeah. Remember how I told you I worked out with my brother?” Gently, he nudged the back of my tennis shoe with the toe of his flip-flop.

“Sure.” I wound my leg behind his so I could return the favor. His calf was hairier than I remembered. And stronger, like the rest of him.

“Part of the reason I was doing it was to help my snowboarding.”

“Snowboarding?” I remembered vaguely he liked to do that in the winter. His parents lived in Colorado near the big mountains, and there was even a bus that went to one of the major ski resorts on the weekends.

“I got a lot better at it this year. And this kid who showed me some moves on the half-pipe—”

“The what?” I’d moved closer to him to play footsie, and now, when I looked up at him, it seemed weird to be so close our knees touched.

“It’s like a curved ramp that helps you do tricks.” He outlined it with his hands so I could picture it.

He smelled good.

“Oh.” I liked listening to Nick, and I’d missed him. Missed this. I wished we could stay up here all day.

“Anyway, this guy who worked with me on the half-pipe invited me to the tryouts for this national team— like a rookie team—in New Zealand this summer.”

I blinked my way past the happy fog of sitting kneeto-knee with my BFF who I was sort of crushing on. I tried to focus on what he’d said. New Zealand?

“What do you mean? A rookie team?” It was like he was talking some other language.

“It’s crazy, but I guess this guy—the coach my friend works with—he wanted me to be on this rookie team for the U.S. Snowboarding Team. Sort of like training for the Olympics.”

“And they train in New Zealand.” I was putting pieces together, and while it sounded really exciting for Nick, I couldn’t understand why he hadn’t joined this team thing.

“In the summers, yeah. They have a lot of snow in July and August.”

“So why aren’t you there?” I knew what his family was like and how little attention they paid to Nick. “If your parents send your brother all over the country for baseball as a teenager, it’s only fair for them to let you—”

“My parents would have let me go.” He shook his head and frowned. “They would have been just as glad to pawn me off on that snowboarding coach for the whole year.”

“So why—”

“Because of you, Kayla.” Nick took my hand. His leg wound around mine where we’d been swinging our feet over the water. “I said I’d be here for you and I am.”

My heart squeezed tight. My thoughts jumbled up.

His thumb stroked over the back of my hand. Once. Twice.

Then, his other hand lifted to my cheek and held it. I closed my eyes and leaned into that touch. All my dreams were coming true with Nick, except that suddenly I knew they couldn’t last. As much as I wanted to kiss him, I knew that I had to do what was right and let him go.

Nick.

I liked him so much. Loved him, even, which was why I knew I couldn’t let him stay at camp this summer. He couldn’t give up the chance to join an Olympic-bound sports team—to possibly win medals and achieve the success and attention only his brother got—for me. He might think he wanted to be with me, but someday he’d regret not taking this opportunity. Maybe he’d even be mad that he’d missed out and blame me.

He deserved every good thing coming his way. Only it wouldn’t be me. But if I let him know the truth, that I was sacrificing for him to go, he’d only argue and insist. I knew this stubborn friend of mine. No. I had to tell him something so convincing he’d not only believe it, but would hate me enough to go.

I pulled back and pushed against his chest until his eyes flew open, his expression confused.

“Nick, we can’t do this.”

He rubbed my arms, and I shivered, inching back farther. “What do you mean? As in, you’re not ready to, uh, kiss? Because we can wait. I mean I’ll wait. As long as it takes because—”

I held up a hand, stopping a rush of words I knew he’d regret later.

“I can’t kiss you. Ever.” I swallowed and forced myself to go on. To speak the lie that would set him free. “I’m a Diva now. We don’t date guys like you.”

He flinched as if I’d punched him. “What kind of guy is that?”

I flicked my hair back the way I’d seen Hannah do it and made myself look as though I didn’t care. He’d never know that the burning in my chest was turning my insides to ash.

“You know. Not in the cool guys’ cabin. A Warrior. I can’t date anyone else.”

Nick flushed, and his nose flared. “This is a joke right?”

I shook my head, letting my hair fall in my face so that I could hide the tear I wiped away. “No. In fact, it’s actually not cool if we hang out anymore. Even as friends. I was going to tell you before, when we first got here, but you had all that news about your sports team.”

“Like that matters?” Nick’s voice broke, starting low and ending high.

“Of course it does. It’ll be more fun spending the summer in New Zealand than here.”

Nick rubbed a hand across his reddened eyes. “But I love spending summers here. With you.”

I struggled to speak over the lump in my throat, to keep my voice steady and convincing. Cruel enough to make him walk toward the future he deserved. And away from me. “That’s just it, Nick. We can’t be together anymore. From now on, you’re on your own.”

And with that, I got to my feet and left him at the falls. He’d need time to think, process, and ultimately come to the only conclusion I’d left him with. He had to leave camp and become a competitive athlete. As for me, I’d have to stay, missing him every minute. Even if it meant breaking my own heart.

Even if it meant being a Diva.

TODAY

“The plan’s off,” I called the next morning when I saw Alex and Emily waiting for me on the beach boulder. Since I’d tossed and turned for hours last night, reliving the embarrassing refrigerator moment with Nick—as well as his heart-stopping kiss—I’d fallen asleep only a couple hours ago and had nearly overslept our morning meet-up.

Alex finished wrestling Emily’s unruly hair into a ponytail and looked up with a frown. “What do you mean? We’ve got it all set.”

Huh? No-no-no-no. Last night had changed everything. Nick was taking his revenge seriously.

“Nick kissed me last night and—”

“Hold up.” Alex put her hand out like a traffic cop. “Nick kissed you?” She leaned in, eyes dancing. “How was it? He’s not Javier, but he is hot. I want details.”

I closed my eyes and savored the memory of his mouth on mine, the perfect fit of our bodies, his electric touch. Even knowing he’d been doing it to make me regret what I’d thrown away three years ago—it still made my knees weak.

“That good, huh?” Alex giggled, and my hands flew to my hot cheeks.

“Ohhhhhh, she has it bad.” Emily wagged a finger at me. “Though you should never kiss and tattle.”

“It’s kiss and tell, Em. And of course she should tell us. We’re Switzerland.”

“Sweden.”

“Enough!” My head pounded. “Look. We were playing Seven Minutes in Heaven in the mess hall walk-in fridge and—”

Emily sighed. “I used to love that game. There’s something about kissing a boy in the dark that’s so, um, ah—”

“Mysterious?” Alex put in drily.

“I was going for sloppy. But that works, too. Since you don’t know who you’re kissing, you can pretend to be someone else. One time, I decided to be Cat Woman and the kid left the closet looking like he made out with Wolverine.” She held up her nails and giggled. “But that’s what he got for slipping me the tongue. See? Sloppy.”

“Ewwwwww,” Alex and I chorused, and despite the sting of last night’s letdown, I laughed. The Divas really should hang out more with the Munchies.

“So are you guys back together?”

Reality clouded my lightening mood. “Hardly. When they opened the door, he acted like I’d been trying to kiss him when he was the one who kissed me.”

“What an asshole,” breathed Alex, and the smell of her grape bubble gum washed over me.

“Language,” warned Emily.

Alex’s fist thudded against her thigh. “Bastard.”

“That’s better.” Emily leapt from the rock and paced, Lake Juniper rippling behind her. “If only that bastard wasn’t now your CIT partner.”

“What?” My pulse sped. No way. The Counselorin-Training program was an intensive course we did in our last year at camp. If we did a good job, we could get hired back next summer as full counselors. I’d wanted to try it, but not if it meant spending all my time with Nick. On the flipside, camp was the only stable place in my world right now. I needed to come back next year as a counselor.

Alex looked at me, her eyes pleading. “We thought if we threw you two together, you’d talk and make up.”

“Or make out.” Emily snorted. “Guess you already beat us to that, though.”

“You have to pair me up with someone else!” My words escaped in a panicked rush.

“Can’t.” Alex wrapped a thin arm around me, her warmth doing little to settle my jumping nerves. “Gollum already approved the pairs and is posting the list in the cafeteria before breakfast.”

“Then I’m dropping out!”

“Don’t you want to come back next year and work with me?” Emily stepped closer, her curls escaping her ponytail and springing around her head like a court jester’s hat.

My mouth opened and closed. Yes. I did want to work here next summer. But I wouldn’t deal with Nick to do it.

“Look. I’ll offer to switch with Nick,” Alex put in, “and let you know what he says later today. That might work, right, Emily?”

“Gollum would have to approve, but it’s the only shot we’ve got.”

The camp’s wake-up bell sounded, and we all jumped. Conspirators in a doomed plot.

I inhaled long and deep and followed them back to the cabins. It was a good solution since Nick would definitely agree to the switch.

So why then did I still feel let down?

Later that evening, a piercing whistle momentarily quieted the excited chatter echoing in the rec room.

“Thank you.” Gollum stepped forward and held out a video camera bigger than his head and probably twice his age. “As the assistant director in Miss White’s YouTube video shoot, I run a tight ship. At least until the real shoot begins next week. This is a practice, but that doesn’t mean any shenanigans will be tolerated.”

Brittany leaned close, the vampire contacts she’d worn since her Twilight obsession began making her eyes glow a bright topaz. “What’s a shenanigan?”

“This.” Hannah made a sweeping gesture that included the assembled Warriors and Divas. “A totally pointless activity designed to irritate others. Why I’m even here, I can’t imagine.”

“Me neither. It’s not like anyone asked you.” Brooke poked her head out from behind a makeup mirror, one eye shadowed in shades of purple, lavender, and turquoise.

“Duh. I did.” Emily marched inside, followed by a group of uncomfortable-looking Munchies. I met Alex’s eyes, hoping she’d give me a thumbs-up about Nick and the CIT pair switch, but she shook her head instead, mouthing “later.” My gaze flew to Nick, who tossed a Ping-Pong ball in the air, then smashed it over the net, his paddle a green blur.

“Game!” He pointed at Cameron, his wide grin and lean jaw doing something funny to my traitorous heart. “Anyone else?”

Brittany shoved me forward. “Kayla’s the champ.”

Nick’s eyes sparkled in challenge, and suddenly I wanted to strangle him. He wouldn’t humiliate me again. He might be a pro on the slopes, but Ping-Pong was my turf. I’d played it a lot since he’d left camp.

Wallpaper girl, my ass.

“Five minutes until we shoot!” Gollum ran around the large room and used the camera to frame different angles of the piano, the TV/sofa area, and the games section.

I sauntered to the table and picked up the paddle and ball. “Ready?” I asked. Then, before Nick could answer, I sent my serve skimming over the net. It nicked the left corner and bounced to the ground. “Guess not.” I smiled right into Nick’s surprised eyes.

Nick crouched and tossed his paddle between his hands, a distracting maneuver we’d used as kids. I ignored it and focused on the right corner, leaned in that direction, and marked the spot visually. I bounced the ball once, twice, raised my paddle for a smash, then changed it up last minute and gently tapped the Ping-Pong ball. It dribbled over the net, a lunging Nick a second too late.

I grinned along with the laughing group now crowded around us. Nick’s dark skin flushed, and his smile disappeared. He shifted back and forth on the balls of his feet, looking ready for the apocalypse. God this felt good. Finally. Nick on the defensive side for a change.

“Kill him, babe.” Cameron urged in my ear just as I released the ball. It barely touched the other side of the table before Nick returned it with enough force to send it bouncing into Cameron’s face.

“Whoa.” Cameron backed away. “Take it easy, man. It’s just a game.”

“My serve,” was all Nick answered, his knuckles white against the black-wrapped handle.

I tossed him the ball, which he snatched, one-handed, in mid-air. He slapped it down on the table, then flipped it back at me. My reflexes sent me swerving to the far corner a millisecond too late, and his serve grazed the line and flew at Cameron once more.

“Hey,” Cameron rubbed his arm, his good-natured grin slipping, “Quit acting like it’s personal.”

Nick leveled serious, considering eyes on me. “Maybe it is.”

Our gazes locked, his face expressing exactly how personal this was to him. Yet I was the target, not Cam. Or maybe he planned to torment me and my ex. One thing was clear. He definitely hadn’t forgiven me, and he was using this new, competitive side of him to show it.

Eli shoulder-bumped a tense Cameron and laughed. “He got you, Cam. That was a joke.”

Cameron’s laugh sounded forced as his head swiveled between Nick and me. “Right. We’ve got nothing to fight about.”

“Exactly.” I forced my eyes from Nick’s. “One serving two.”

I tossed the ball over the net, and Nick stopped it with his paddle before scooping it up. “One serving two,” he repeated, then dropped the ball to the table, swiping a sideways shot that bulleted over the net and bounced too low for me to touch with more than a paddle tip. It pinged into the crowd and hit the back of Brooke’s carefully mussed waves.

“Hey!” she shrieked and strode to the table. Her fiery glare engulfed us. “This is my video shoot, not a tournament. You two take your places. Kayla, you’re in the back by the wall, and Nick, you’re next to the piano with me. Got it?”

Surprise. Pushed to the background with the Munchies, the Wanderers, Hannah and me. Not that I minded. It was my preferred place to be.

Everyone else jostled near the front, some at the Ping-Pong table, some on a couch by the TV, others, like Brittany, near the piano. She taught a small group the dance moves she’d tried out on the beach last week. They all wore shredded, tie-dyed T-shirts, faded jean shorts, and matching friendship bracelets and hairbands, many of them ones I’d made.

“NIA!” Brooke screeched and her fan club scurried over, makeup bag in hand. “I need more blush. And where is my bowl of pink M&Ms?”

“Still working on that, Miss White.” Nia dabbed at Brooke’s cheeks while Nick looked on. He leaned against the piano, his lanky form drawing every female eye, including mine. He shook back his dark bangs, the move giving everyone a view of the angular, handsome face that papered billboards in Times Square.

Gollum shoved his video camera at Julian, whispered something, then hustled to the door. “I’ll get them, Miss White,” he called. “Emily, you’re in charge.”

Brooke ignored our camp director and knocked Nia’s hand away. “How am I supposed to work in these conditions?” she stormed. “You’re all useless!”

“Could you say that again for the benefit of our ‘making-of’ video,” drawled Julian, aiming Gollum’s camera in her direction. “I’m sure your fans will want to know the real Brooke White.”

Hannah’s laugh rang out, happy and sharp. “Exactly. Why should we be the only ones with that privilege?” I covered my mouth and held in a giggle. She really was funny. If only I dared friend this new Hannah.

Brooke blocked the camera with her hand and hissed, “Turn it off now, Julian.”

“Mr. Woodrow said to keep it rolling while he was gone.”

“Fine,” huffed Brooke. “Then record this. Nia, hit it.” Nia hooked an iPod to a small speaker and Brooke’s latest song, “Seven Minutes in Heaven” filled the room, the thumping beat drowning out the barely there lyrics. Brooke sat down at the piano and pantomimed hitting the keys, her mouth perfectly lip syncing the words. At one point she stood, took Nick’s hand, and pulled him close, kissing him long and deep.

I tried not to squirm as they did take after take of that shot, jealousy surging through me. I hated seeing Nick kiss another girl. And it didn’t help that every time they stopped, Brooke sent me a victorious smirk, followed by an almost apologetic stare from Nick. At one point, our eyes clung so long that Brooke grabbed Nick by the jaw and forced his face her way. “Hey. We could be here all night if you don’t put some real effort into this.”

I turned away when he raised an eyebrow at me. If he wanted my opinion or approval, I had no clue why. From the look of it, he wasn’t kissing her the way he’d kissed me. His hands stayed at his sides and his lips left hers the moment Julian yelled, “Cut.”

I wondered if the camera made him nervous, which seemed unlikely since he posed for it all the time, or self-conscious in front of everyone else. He used to be shy like me. Maybe some things about Nick had stayed the same.

“Last take.” Nick dipped Brooke low while the dancers whirled and grooved around them. I looked away, unable to bear seeing him with her anymore. Gollum caught me before I slipped outside.

“Now where are you going young lady? Miss White needs everyone’s help. Here at Juniper Point, we all pitch in. Although I still couldn’t find those pink M&Ms.”

I sighed. Yeah. I’m sure my contribution to the video was as important as the candy.

Nick straightened. “That’s a wrap.” He stalked away, leaving Brooke clutching the piano, her eyes unfocused.

“Wait, Nick,” she called when he reached the door, and me. “I still need you for the rest of the ‘Seven Minutes in Heaven’ part of the shoot. And we didn’t get a real kiss.”

Nick just stared at her.

Brooke cleared her throat. “But we can take a break and let another couple kiss.” Her eyes darted from me to Nick. “How about Cameron and Kayla?”

“I’m in!” Cameron fist-pumped the air, then raced around Nick to my side. “When do we start?”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Cameron’s lips mashed against mine, sucking the air out of me. I clutched his shoulders, lightheaded. “Can’t breathe,” I wanted to say, but his mouth blocked the way. Hoots, hollers, and stamping feet shook the building, and finally Cameron pulled back with a triumphant grin he aimed Nick’s way. As for me, one look at Nick’s thunderous expression had me heading out the door. Whatever he wanted to say, I didn’t want to hear.

“We need more takes,” protested Gollum. He cleared his throat and hoisted the camera to his shoulder. “Not that I approve of all this kissing, but because it’s for the video, then I suppose this one time.”

“Can’t Brittany and Eli do it?” I asked Brooke, who now snuggled against Nick and stroked the side of his tense face.

“They’re after you and Cam, duh. And get some makeup on.” Brooke gestured to Nia, who scurried over, lipstick in hand.

“What’s the matter, babe?” Cameron laced his fingers in mine and led me to the hair and makeup station. Nia trailed behind us. “You’re my girlfriend, so it’s cool.”

A slammed door made me glance up. Nick was gone.

“What’s his deal?” Rachel brushed my hair smooth, her tugs nearly snapping my neck and causing Nia to smear lipstick on my teeth. “He looked really jealous of you and Cameron.”

Before I could process what she’d said, Brooke joined us, gloating. “He’s so totally into me that he went back to my cabin to find my pink M&Ms.” Her nose wrinkled as she looked me up and down. “Don’t you have anything cuter than a blue tank and khaki shorts?”

I checked out my outfit. I was not a flashy girl, but my clothes were fine.

“Kayla looks super cute in anything.” Brittany bounced up, pulling her ponytail tighter. “We all know she’s the prettiest in the cabin. Sorry, Brooke.”

What? Brittany was ten times prettier than me, but that wasn’t what surprised me so much as her taking Brooke down a notch. Had she done that on purpose? Sometimes Britt hid behind that ditzy girl reputation.

Brooke’s face flushed beneath her makeup. “That’s your opinion. Plus I have talent. What’s Kayla got?”

My stomach clenched even as Brittany bragged about my talents at Ping-Pong.

But then, Hannah and Julian leaned into the conversation.

“Check this out.” Julian showed us the small video screen on the back of the camera and hit the play button. Cameron and I appeared, making out like it was the last kiss before the apocalypse. I peered at the image, my gaze drawn to a scowling Nick pacing in the background.

“Kayla is very photogenic,” proclaimed Hannah, her voice firm and full of authority. “She should be a model.”

I laughed at the crazy idea, but no one joined me. Instead the group crowded closer to the camera as Julian hit replay. Their heads swiveled from the screen to me and then back again. I clasped my damp palms and wished I could conjure a hole in the floor.

“Whoa. She could be in movies.”

“Hot.” This from Cameron.

“Supa-star.” Emily fluttered her fingers over my head like a jazz-hands version of voodoo.

“You have to have talent for that,” Brooke huffed and punched off the video. “More than just looking good.”

Seeing myself on film felt strange; what I saw did not match up with my image of myself. In my mind, I was always battling those last few pounds that had plagued me in junior high. But I didn’t see chipmunk cheeks and curvy thighs on the video camera. Still, I wasn’t comfortable in the spotlight, even if I didn’t look like a train wreck.

“Folks, we’re wasting time here. Can we get a real shot of Cameron and Kayla kissing?” Gollum pointed from the couch to us. “Over there.”

“Actually,” Brooke cut in. “I’ve decided that shot doesn’t work for me creatively. I’m putting Eli and Brittany there instead and Rafe and Siobhan by the ficus tree.”

The couple emerged from behind the tall plant, red-faced, Siobhan pulling a penguin hat over her mussed hair.

Relief washed over me as the spotlight moved away from me. I didn’t want to kiss Cameron or be in a Brooke White video, and now I was off the hook. I joined Alex by the back window and hip-bumped with her along to Brooke’s new tune. Maybe hearing it for the thousandth time today had us brainwashed.

“Did you ask Nick to switch partners for the CIT program?” I asked, twirling a little as we changed places. Dancing was fun, especially when no one was watching. But then I looked up and caught sight of Nick. His broad shoulders filled the doorway, a bag of pink candy in hand, his eyes searching, then stopping on me. I used to know what he thought before he said it. Now his face gave nothing away.

Alex whipped her hair back and forth, arms overhead. “He won’t change partners. Weird, considering he supposedly hates you.”

I turned my back on Nick and faced Alex. “So I’m stuck with him?”

“Do you really think he doesn’t like you?” Alex stopped dancing and brushed her damp hair off her forehead. “Because he’s, like, always looking at you.”

“He’s trying to intimidate me.”

Alex shrugged and started dancing again. “There’s only one way to find out.”

“How?”

“Spend the rest of summer as his CIT partner.”

I groaned, imagining him as my partner in every way but the one that counted. “I’ll drop out.”

Alex put her arms around me and slow danced me into a corner, then stopped. “Tell me the truth. You don’t want to try at all? See if you guys could get back together? He may not like you now, but that doesn’t mean he won’t change his mind when he spends more time with you.”

“How about a Cam sandwich?” Cameron wriggled his way between us.

Alex pushed him away. “Sorry. This dance is mine.”

“Not trying to make me jealous are you?” he joked, but I wasn’t laughing.

I glared. “First of all, I’m not your girlfriend, so stop acting like I am. And secondly, don’t kiss me again unless I ask you to.”

Cameron threw up his hands and backed away. “Didn’t know this was PMS central.”

Alex and I stared at him, open-mouthed.

“Oh, no, he didn’t,” spoke up Emily beside us. “I’m over men using that as an excuse for our assertive behavior…and binge-eating.” She held out a bag of popcorn. “Want some?”

“No thanks, Em. I’m done with the boy-drama for today. Thanks for trying to help me, but I think I’m going to pass on the program.”

Alex and Emily frowned, their expressions perfect mirrors of one another. I had to give them props, though—they didn’t try to change my mind.

I waved at them over my shoulder and pushed my way past Cameron, through the throng, and out the door.

My flashlight blinked on and startled Nick who’d been standing on the lower step, his head tipped back, eyes on the stars.

“Leaving already? It looked like you were having a good time in there.”

“What do you care?” I spit my words out. They tasted as bitter as I felt. What was it about Nick that made it impossible to bury my emotions where they belonged?

“Oh, I care. Though I wish to hell I didn’t.”

I stepped back and gripped the wooden rail. “I think you should get over yourself, Nick. You’ve got Brooke, so stop making my life miserable with your games.”

Nick looked like I’d slapped him. “Is that what I’m doing? Making your life miserable?”

I almost laughed at his innocent act. No way was I going to give him the satisfaction he wanted. “You don’t even have to do anything. Just you being here is making my life hell.”

“Guess some things haven’t changed in three years,” he muttered, having the nerve to look as though I hurt him.

I sprinted down the steps and made it to my cabin a couple minutes later, my mind replaying the look on Nick’s face. He had no right to act wounded. If he could dish it out, then he should be able to take it.

I jogged up my porch steps, then froze when a moon ray caught the flutter of a piece of paper tacked to our lower railing.

Nick.

The note tore as I snatched it loose. My flashlight illuminated the single line of text.

Seven minutes in heaven wasn’t enough.—Nick

I crumbled the paper and stopped myself before throwing it into the dark. Someone might find it. I shoved it in my shorts pocket, then flung myself inside and onto my bunk.

Was he rubbing my nose in the fact he’d spent most of tonight making out during Brooke’s “Seven Minutes in Heaven” video? Heaven. Hah.

I grabbed a note sheet, scrawled a reply, then sprinted to his deserted cabin. They must still be at the shoot. I could just imagine Nick kissing Brooke again, and the thought made me ram the thumbtack hard enough that it slipped and stabbed my finger instead of the paper. I sucked the blood beading on my pinky, then secured the note that said:

It’s not heaven to me. – Kayla

Like I’d told him, he’d turned my summer into hell.

But that kiss in the refrigerator, a voice whispered, remember how happy you were? I pushed the unwelcome thought aside and trudged home. Should I let him dictate the rest of my summer? Keep me from doing my CIT training and returning as a counselor? It didn’t seem fair. I might be miserable working with him, but I’d ignore him. Do it for myself. That’s what counted, no matter how unhappy I felt.

Inside my cabin, I changed, got under the covers, and turned over, thumping my pillow.

Happiness had an expiration date. Especially with Nick.