Page 22 of It Starts With Summer

“Fine."He bit out the word, sounding disappointed, and maybe a little hurt.“I told you I’d leave you alone after you gave it a pause.I won’t stop you from going back to Sutton now.”

I turned away from him, feeling guilty, then reminded myself that I’d meant to hurt him.“I need some time to myself in the cabin.”

“Understood.”

My feet carried me on autopilot as I stalked off, leaving Ravi behind to deal with the hurt I’d inflicted.He’d ruined it, the tenuous friendship that was building between us, all with one tempting offer.

Because, more than anything, I wanted to know what Ravi tasted like.As I got closer to the cabin, the crisp breeze off the lake cooled my heated skin, offering little relief from the turmoil raging inside me.

I scraped my fingers through my hair, dislodging the hair tie that held it in place.Our cabin came into view, and I picked up my pace, desperate for the sanctuary it promised.

Once inside, I slammed the door shut; the sound echoing through the small space.Alone at last, I paced back and forth, trying to make sense of everything that had happened.My thoughts felt chaotic as I cursed, stopping in front of the small mirror hanging above the dresser that held all of Ravi’s neatly folded socks.

Feeling a little vindictive, I opened a drawer and moved them around a bit, just to see if he’d notice.And below the socks, I found something intriguing: a bottle of lube.

Had he bought it recently?Had he gone into town on his night off, thinking he might want to fuck me, and decided to prepare?

Fuck, no, that was insane.It was for jerking off.For a minute, I considered stealing it, but then decided that was taking things a little too far, even for me.And I crawled into bed and hid under the blankets, ignoring Ravi, Ben, and Sutton as they came in a while later.

eleven

Ravi

“Hey,Ravi,canyouhelp me with this tablecloth?”Parker asked, breaking the silence between us.We’d gone all morning without speaking to each other, mostly because I wasn’t sure how to bring back the easy friendship we’d been forming.

I couldn't believe I'd fucked it all up and offered to let him suck my cock.Let him, like I was some prize.Like he even wanted me.I was just the dorky guy he accepted as a friend because he had to.Because we were assigned to work together.

Cheeks hot with embarrassment over last night’s fiasco, I glanced over and smiled when I saw him wrestling with a flimsy disposable plastic tablecloth.It was rainbow-colored and covered in balloons, and it was determined to static cling to everything as Parker attempted to spread it out.

While our campers were at breakfast, we’d spent all morning setting up for the big end-of-session party.And Parker hadn’t talked to me at all.

“They should use reusable tablecloths.”His voice was soft, almost apologetic, and it made my heart ache even more.

“Agreed,” I said, helping him stretch out the plastic.I was hoping this was a sign that he was reaching out, trying to rebuild the friendship I’d blown up with my ridiculous jealousy and even more ridiculous suggestions.Obviously, Parker wanted Sutton more than he wanted me.They fit.They were handsome, outgoing, cheerful.The popular kids.

And I was the dork.

Our hands brushed against each other as we reached for another of the cheap tablecloths, and even that little touch made goosebumps rise on my forearms.Wishing I wasn’t so aware of him, I pulled away, pretending not to notice the effect he had on me.

“Thanks.”Parker turned away from me to arrange folding chairs, as two other counselors came in with platters laden with cupcakes.I helped them set out the treats, casting cautious looks at Parker, who worked methodically to place the chairs in rows.

He remained quiet, which was unusual for him.His mischievous energy was gone.And he hadn’t once suggested a prank.I was starting to worry that I’d broken him.

And sure, he’d been an asshole, too.But I couldn’t seem to summon any anger over his harsh words, and I wasn’t sure why.I hadn’t realized I’d been developing a crush on him until I’d watched him flirt with Sutton across the campfire.Even then, it’d taken Ben’s coaching to unravel the meaning behind the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I thought about Parker and Sutton together.

“Hey, are you okay?”I couldn't bear the silence any longer, couldn't read the emotions on his face.I needed to know.

“Fine."He still wouldn't meet my gaze.“Just tired, I guess.”

“Right.”I nodded, unconvinced.I didn’t want to push further.We continued working in silence, preparing for the goodbye party, blowing up balloons, and hanging streamers.As I looked around the room, I felt a pang of sadness.Not because the session was over and the campers were packing their things to leave, but because I wanted our friendship back.

I sighed again, shaking off the intrusive thoughts and focusing on the task at hand.I told myself that it was time to move on, to accept Parker’s rejection, and to continue being friends and co-counselors.It wasn’t as if I hadn’t been rejected before.

“Ravi,” Parker spoke up suddenly.“I… I’m sorry.”

“About what?”I was, genuinely confused.Shouldn't I be apologizing to him?Propositioning him was completely inappropriate.

“About last night.”He swallowed hard and looked at me.“I didn’t mean to say such harsh things or to hurt you.You were right about Sutton.”

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