Page 22 of The Summer Intern

I held out a hand, letting Junji lick my fingers, his little tail wagging furiously.“I didn’t know you were an illustrator,” I said.“But Matt showed me the mural you started in the art hut.”

He chuckled.“Oh yeah, that has taken a life of its own, hasn’t it?There are so many fun details if you look closely.I love seeing what kids add.”The warmth in his voice made me wonder if maybe Matt was right to have a fondness for the little art hut.

Suddenly I was back in that hut, slammed against the wall, Matt’s hands on my hips, his breath warm on my neck.My stomach twisted.I shoved the memory down, focusing on the puppy’s soft fur under my fingers.“Pretty cool, what your art can start.”

“Yeah, art and books have always been my escape.And I was lucky to get a job that has to do with both!But sadly, it’s so fun that sometimes I forget to take breaks.”

I chuckled.“Enter the puppy?”

“Yep, Junji is here to bark at me and remind me to get a little fresh air.”Junji barked and pounced on my foot, like he had decided my shoelaces were a chew toy.

“What does the name Junji come from?”I asked.“It sounds familiar.”

“He’s named after one of my favorite manga artists.Junji Ito.”Ben shrugged, his calm demeanor never wavering.

“Oh!The horror guy?”I asked, perking up.

“Yep!There’s something about the way he captures fear, you know?It’s raw.Gets under your skin.”

“Exactly what you think of when you see a puppy,” I added.

Ben burst out laughing.“Hey, the art may be creepy, but the artist himself is a really cool guy.”

Something about that made my mind turn back to thoughts of Matt again, and I felt my cheeks grow hot.I certainly didn’t want his stepbrother to know about it.I gave the puppy one last pat, and stood, brushing off my hands, trying to decide how to escape the conversation.

Ben’s gaze lingered on me for a moment, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly.“You sure you’re okay, Casey?”

“Yeah, totally,” I lied.“Just...you know.Camp stuff.Keeping busy.Not long until the campers arrive.”

His eyes flicked down to the flannel I was wearing, and something in his expression shifted.“Is that Matt’s shirt?”

Shit.I froze, my fingers instinctively clutching the fabric tighter around me.“Uh, yeah.I mean, it’s cold, and he ripped my sweater, so he was...”I trailed off, my voice cracking as I wondered what the shirt meant.You didn’t loan your shirt to just anyone, not on a chilly day like this.

Ben raised an eyebrow, a small smirk playing on his lips.“Ripped your sweater, huh?I hope he wasn’t responsible for that.”

“Oh!No, not really.”

“We keep teasing him about his crush on you, but I didn’t expect him to take action.Matt is a masterful procrastinator when it comes to things like that.”

My heart stopped.“His… what?”

Ben's eyes widened.“Oh shit, pretend I didn’t let that slip.Sorry!He’s going to kill me.”

“But Matt doesn’t have a crush on me.I just kissed him and he—”

Ben held up a hand, cutting me off.“Whoa, slow down.You kissed Matt?”

I nodded, my face burning.“Yeah.Bad move.Very impulsive.”

Ben blinked, then let out a low whistle, a slow grin spreading across his face.“Damn.I like you already.”

“Why?”I ran a shaky hand through my hair.“I shouldn’t have kissed him.He’s so grumpy all the time.And he finds me annoying, and he’s always yelling at me.”

Ben frowned, his brow furrowing.“Grumpy?Matt?”

“Yeah.You know, the whole brooding mountain man thing he’s got going on.”

Ben shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips.“Casey, Matt’s not grumpy.He’s… how do I describe Matt?Wise beyond his years.Chill and sweet and always says the perfect thing.Except, I’ve noticed, when you’re involved.”

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