Camp Jameson (22 page)

“Point for Aria.”
This stuff
was getting into every crevice on my body.
“Go again,” Colt added.

I clenched my hands to my sides,
staggered to my feet, and swung around to face her. My adrenaline was finally
clearing the alcohol-induced fog from my head. I took a step back from her but
she lashed out and dragged me down with her. I choked on the Jello and brutally
struggled to breathe. My heart was drowning out the music and the cheering
around me.

I climbed on top of her so she
would stop splashing Jello in my face and finally took a deep breath in. She
grunted and wiggled out from under me like an eel.

We both stood facing each other.
Lucy looked more determined than ever. As she leaped forward, Lucy slipped and
fell on her face. She slid forward into me and I fell over on top of her,
sprawled out like I was a baby calf learning to walk. Lucy tried hard to get
her hands under me to push me off her but they kept slipping. I was about to
roll off her to let her get up when Colt blew the whistle.

“Pin. Aria wins!” Colt shouts.
People nearby cheered and I frowned up at Colt.
What? The match was over?

I helped a scowling Lucy up and
stepped out from the pool. Colt handed me a towel. I wiped off my face and
looked to see Sara smiling. Kennedy stepped into the pool in front of me with
her eyes set on Avery. These women were vicious. They wanted to win this so bad.
I was nervous that I might.

Colt called the match to a start
and I tried for the same moves as last time but Kennedy was ready for me. I
dodged the clothesline move that she stole from Lucy. She turned quickly and I
could see the surprise on her face as her feet went out from under her. Her
body was submerged in Jello. She tried to stand but she couldn’t get her
footing. Before I knew it, my feet were knocked out from under me and I lay
stunned, looking up at the rafters. Kennedy lay beside me. I crawled to my
knees but Kennedy was already to her feet with her arms out in front trying to
balance herself. She took a step forward and fell again. I tried to get out of
the way of her misstep but I landed face first on top of her and I ended up
half straddling her. The move pinned her beneath me and I couldn’t get any grip
to move myself off her. My hands kept sliding out from under me.

After three seconds, Colt called
out, “Pin. Point for Aria.”

Kennedy stood, looking nervous
and frustrated. Losing a Jello-wrestling match was harder than I thought. I
tried not to make any sudden moves. I waited for Kennedy to make the first move
but she had the same idea I did.

“You have to wrestle, Kittens,”
Colt urged. Kennedy and I were comparable in build but she was a few inches
taller than me. I saw her hesitate then she tackled my waist. She raked her
nails down my arm as we fell into the Jello.
Kennedy wasn’t fighting fair
and she just pissed me off.

I leaned all my weight onto her
using her nails in my skin to fuel my rage. Her legs kicked under me as she
rolled me over. I squirmed underneath her and we both could hear Colt counting.

“Pin. Point for Kennedy,” Colt
said
.

She rose to her feet and paced
around as I scrambled to my feet. We were too close of a match in strength. I
had to think of another way.

Colt resumed the match, urging
us on. I could hear the mixture of cheering for her and me throughout the
crowd.

“Tackle her, Kennedy,” Nate’s
voice called out and that was all she needed. Her lip curled in determination
and she dove after me in a blind rage. I quickly stepped out of her way. She
skidded across the pool and up over the side onto the dance floor.
Fuck you,
bitch!



“Point. Aria, wins,” Colt said.

Kennedy pounded her hand on the
ground below her and stormed away. Colt handed me my towel and I quickly
scraped the Jello away from my face. I groaned inwardly. I had just won again.

Sara walked over with a long
hose and sprayed me down as most of the guys stood nearby watching. I rolled my
eyes inwardly as she toweled me off. I followed Sara toward the bar. We downed
our shots and I looked to the stage to see Avery bringing the room to his attention.

“Aria, please come to the stage,
Kitten,” his decadent voice said.

Sara quickly swiped a napkin
under my eyes, wiping away the excess mascara and sent me on my way. I stepped
to the stage in my soggy Jello infested underwear and bare feet.

Avery took hold of my hand and I
couldn’t hide the shiver that ran through me. His eyes locked on mine and his
lips spread into an arrogant smile.

“Kittens and Cubs, the winner of
tonight’s Jello wrestling match… Miss Arabella Mason.”

Colt whistled through his teeth
and the crowd erupted in applause. I cringed.
I hated being center of
attention.

Avery kept his eyes on me and
lifted the back of my hand to his lips in a gentlemanly manner. 
“There
is hope for you yet,” I said, failing to hide the tantalizing quivers that ran
up my body as his lips made contact. His mischievous eyes took in my reaction
to him. I narrowed my eyes at him. He did that on purpose.
Bastard.

He was smiling like he held all
the secrets to the world. My eyes flashed to the bright pink and brilliant
white wild orchid blossom he just slipped in my hand. I sucked in a breath as he
leaned in towards my ear.

“Tomorrow, 7 o’clock. I’ll pick
you up at your cabin.” I nodded. “Oh, and Aria, wear jeans.”

When I came to my senses, I
closed my hand around the soft velvet petals. I tried to reign in my
excitement, but I was caught up in Avery, again. I couldn’t help it. A fire
took hold of my heart and I knew in that moment that I would do just about
anything to be with him.
I was so screwed.

Week Three:

DAY FOURTEEN:

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

BUNGEE JUMPING

I
had stared at the clock for the last twenty minutes. I had been ready and
nervously filing my fingernails so that I would have something to do. It was
ten minutes until he arrived and my stomach had that funny feeling you get when
you drink too much caffeine; only I hadn’t had any caffeine today. It was
nerves. I don’t know why I was looking forward to this so badly. It was not a
date. Just the prize from last night’s Jello wrestling.

I pulled my hair into a ponytail
and grabbed my sweatshirt off the kitchen chair then sighed deeply. This was
the most clothes I had on since my arrival at camp and the most comfortable I
could be besides my running clothes.

I paced the floor feeling very
uncertain about this whole thing. I didn’t know if I wanted to be in the same
room with him after he pushed me away the night of the Ball. I reminded myself
that he had been hurt before. And I realized it was my softer side that kept
giving him second chances. My only hope was that I wouldn’t regret this. My
compassion for him could not be allowed to rule me. I needed to be smart about
this. Keep my head on straight. The only problem was, when I got around Avery,
my wit escaped me. My heart wanted to lead my body.
How do I fight someone
that makes me feel so good and yet is so bad for me?

I was setting my self up for
heartbreak and I knew it, but I kept hoping there was a chance. Even a million
to one shot is still a chance.
But I might have a better chance at being
struck by lightning,
my subconscious sneered.

I was pulled from my
contemplation when the quad pulled up outside. It was Sunday, laundry day, and
my bra-and-panty-sets were hanging all over the cabin to air dry, so I scurried
to the front door before he turned off the engine.

I slowed my steps trying, to
read his mood. He wore a smile that said he had a secret that he wasn’t
sharing. He switched off the four-wheeler and handed me a helmet. He was still
straddling the quad but I took in his tight black AC/DC t-shirt and dark denim
jeans. My mouth wanted to fall open. I wanted to crawl across his lap and let
him bury himself in me.

“Hi,” my voice cracked. He
winked and I stepped to take the helmet.

“Sorry about the helmet,” he
said pulling his helmet over his head. “You’ll need it for where we are going.”

I nodded, too afraid that my
voice would betray me again. I weaved the braided strap through the silver ring
and tightened it with my shaky hands. He waited patiently until my hands were
through, and then checked the strap to make sure it was tight. I looked at his
hands and longed for him to touch me.

He slid forward and I straddled
behind him. He started the engine and I let the vibrations pulse through me. I
felt liberated. I didn’t know if it was because Avery was in control, or if I
was just getting swept up in his world, but I smiled and felt myself relax
against him. He revved the engine and I could see that we had several
onlookers.

I waved to Sienna as she stepped
out of her cabin in the distance and she gave me a ‘go get em’ look. I busted
out laughing.
Oh, if she only knew how I really wanted to.

I tightened my sweatshirt around
my waist then wrapped my hands around his tight abs. He followed my gaze to
Sienna. I couldn’t help but notice the bewildered look she gave him as we
pulled away.

When we got clear of all the
people, Avery’s body relaxed, then he shot through the woods past all the
cabins.

Along the way, I could see his
place in the distance through the trees and my heart raced. I had already
forgiven him. He had shown me so much of himself and I knew that scared him.
That was his true game. I told myself he wanted to get close to me but he held
onto his fear. I realized Avery thought too much, just like me.

We started to climb the ridge up
the mountain and I leaned into him more. The non-sensible side of me wanted to
find the hem of his shirt and slide my hands over his warm skin. I pushed the
thought from my mind and scolded myself.
That was not why we were here. This
was not a date. I won a contest. He’d just hurt me again.

We rode up the mountain for
about thirty minutes over old dusty trails past half buried cabins from a
bygone era. The thick canopy of forest thinned as we rode higher and the tires
of the quad dug deep into the rutted trail.

Finally, we arrived at the top
of a lightly wooded lot. He turned to the left and headed toward a cliff. We
reached a large wooden bridge with planks missing every few feet as it swayed
in the stern breeze that flowed up from the valley.

He pulled off to the side and
turned the motor off. I climbed off, wishing I didn’t have to let go and tried
to loosen the strap on my helmet. He had already taken his off and stepped to
help me with mine. He loosened the strap for me and I tugged the helmet from my
head. I smoothed down my bangs and untied my sweatshirt then draped it over my
arm.

“Are you ready for this?” he
said.
Did you really have to ask?
I said to myself. Instead, I took it
upon myself to be a smartass and yawned in fake boredom. Avery chuckled.

“Bold and beautiful,” he
breathed. His eyes danced with excitement. He stepped to the back of the quad,
pulled out a backpack, secured the strap over his shoulder, and we walked
toward the bridge. He led me past the bench next to the bridge and onto the
rickety, swaying structure. I stopped to wonder where he was headed, and then I
shrugged when I realized I would probably follow him anywhere.

Bits of wood flaked off under my
running shoes as we made our way to the center of the bridge. He stopped mid-center,
finding several secure planks that hadn’t as yet fallen to the river below,
lowered his backpack to the deck, and then knelt to the ground. You could feel
the wind swaying us to and fro.
This was insane to sit out here.

He spread the throw blanket open
wide and lowered it to the creaking planks. I took in a deep breath, steadied
my nerves, and realized there was no place I would rather be. I swallowed
nervously as I watched him bring out plastic cups, cheese, crackers, and
grapes.
This bridge could snap at any second.

I pushed my hands into my front
pockets and waited for him to arrange everything as a strong gust picked up,
causing me to lose my balance temporarily. He glanced up in concern then
gestured for me to sit. I dropped my sweatshirt beside me and wearily sat
cross-legged on the blanket. I couldn’t believe I was here, alone with Avery, drifting
side to side, over a valley at least fifteen hundred feet below. I tried to
reign in my thoughts as he sat next to me.

He opened the wine with grace
and poured a glass then handed it to me. I sipped on it, grateful I had
something to do with my hands, and watched as he poured himself a glass. I saw
him study my KSU t-shirt.

“Do you like your nursing
classes?”

“I guess. Nursing is all I’ve
ever wanted to do since my best friend broke her arm when I was ten years old
and I didn’t know how to help her.”

“You didn’t want to become a
doctor?”

“Nah. The nurse at the Emergency
Room was so caring and gentle to my friend during a really scary moment of her
life. The doctor just barked out orders. It was the nurse who really helped
her.”

He blinked then studied me. “You
have a soft spot for the less fortunate don’t you?”

“I guess I always have,” I
nervously played with the silver chain around my neck and let my hand fall
around the rectangular metal. It was a habit of mine that I seemed to resort to
when I was lost in thought – which was pretty often; except that this was
the first time I’d had a chance to wear it since I got here.

“Are those Military tags?” he
asked. I unclasped my hand around them and held them out for Avery to read.
“Lieutenant Terry Joseph Mason, Air Force.”

“They were my father’s. He was a
pilot. He used to take me flying every time he came home on leave. I loved how
it was just him and me surrounded by nothing but blue sky. I always felt safe
with him. He was killed in Iraq. It’s just me and my mom now.”

“I’m sorry.” He paused for a moment.
“What does your mom do?”

“She’s an executive for a large
business firm in Cleveland. I don’t see her much. She works long hours. I
usually only see her on holidays when the business world is closed.”

I downed the remaining wine in
my cup and Avery quickly filled it. We sat in silence looking out at the forest
below, just taking in the scenery, munching on cheese and grapes.

“I started running because of my
dad.” Avery looked at me curiously. “He told me if you ever wanted to work
something out in your head there was no better way to do it then by running
outdoors. He was right. Nature seemed to consume me and make all my problems
feel small.”

I looked to see Avery staring at
me. His emerald eyes seemed to shine amongst the sky in the distance. We were
so high you could barely hear the waterfall in the distance but the mist
layered itself above the river below us.

“My father gave me two other
pieces of advice, want to know what they were?” I rambled nervously. Avery
nodded and popped a piece of cheese in his mouth.

“Always read a newspaper and
stay current in what is going on in the world today. Second, listen more and
talk less. I’ve done all the talking. Now it’s your turn.”

“Your arms are very solid. Tell me
about being a gymnast back in high school?” 
I narrowed my eyes at him.
He
was not opening up to me.

“My best friend in middle school
talked me into joining with her. I found it was a great way to let out
frustration. I liked the independent part of the sport. You are only as good as
you want to be. I suppose tumbling made me feel closer to flying. It was a way
that I could feel closer to my dad when he was always gone.” Avery’s face
softened. “Why all the questions? When do I get some answers from you, Mr.
Jameson?”

Avery chuckled. “Alright, you
can ask me all the questions you want until the sun touches those trees. Then
we’ll have some real fun.”

I looked to see the sun just
above the tree line. I playfully glared at him.
He thought he was so clever.

I chewed on a red grape while I
filed through my long list of questions in my head and tried to ask the most
important one. I knew he wasn’t going to talk about the woman that crushed him so
I went to my second choice.

“The only one that is pressing
is why did you start Camp Jameson? Don’t you worry about what people might
think?”

Avery looked toward the setting
sun and shifted nervously, bringing his arms out behind him, and leaned
backwards.

“That’s two questions,” he
smirked gloriously to me. I wanted to melt right there.

“You can’t stall waiting for the
sun to go down. It doesn’t work that way,” I said.

“I’m afraid we don’t have enough
time for me to tell the story properly. But I will start by saying this,” he
said leaning into me. “If I never opened this camp, I never would have met
you.”

I chuckled. “That has got to be
the worst pickup line I ever heard.”

“Maybe so,” he grinned. I blushed
as he gave me a heated look.

“I will tell you this, it all
started right here in this very spot. My brother and I hiked this ridge with
the intent of rock climbing but we found this old bridge. On our way back down
the mountain to our truck and hitch-trailer we missed our trail to the parking
lot and veered off course. It took us around the far ridge across from the parking
lot. At the edge of a clearing beneath an overgrown bush was a ‘for-sale by
owner’ sign. Before I knew it, I had the owner on the phone asking for a price
and how many acres they had to sell. Because I had graduated a year early from
high school and I only had one more year left of architecture school, I decided
to use some of my trust fund from my grandfather to buy the land.”

The base of the sun touched the
trees, bathing the horizon in a shimmering orange glow. Avery stood, wiping his
hands down the front of his jeans, as he steadied his feet on the ever-swaying
bridge.

“Time to have some real fun.”

I turned to see a Club Car
utility 4x4 pull up across the bridge. Pierce jumped out and rounded to the
back of the cart. He pulled out a bag of gear and strode casually but carefully
toward us. He’d obviously been on this bridge before. Neither one of them had
any fear of it. I glanced toward Avery and I could see his excited smile on his
face and then I studied Pierce. This was week three of camp and I still hadn’t
really talked to him. His shoulders were wide and he wore a deep tan like
Avery.

“Aria, you know my brother,
Pierce.” Pierce whistled loudly through his teeth. I could feel my face heat up
under his stare.

“Hi,” was all that I could say.

“Yummy.” He looked me over from
head to toe. I took a step behind Avery as the breeze stiffened a bit, causing
me to reach my hand out to Avery’s shirt to steady myself. Pierce studied me.
“Shy one, aren’t you?”

“Let’s get the gear ready. We’re
losing daylight,” Avery interceded. I was thankful he did. Avery leaned over and
lowered his mouth to my ear.

“Look who else doesn’t trust
easily,” he breathed. He was smirking at me when he pulled away and I blinked
at him, not sure how to reply. I realized then that he was quoting my words
from the morning I had breakfast with him.

I watched as Avery and Pierce
went to work with unpacking the gear. They both took out several lengths of
rope, clamps, and harnesses, and I watched, intrigued by their knowledge. They
had the same build. Pierce was younger and his eyes were blue. I still had no
idea what I was in store for. It seemed very dangerous to try and bungee off
this rickety old thing. I waited patiently until I saw Pierce begin to mount
the support device to the side of the bridge. Avery laughed at my nervous
stance.