Alla Kar - Stroke Of Fear

   Eric shoves half of his in his face and laughs through the food. “I saw you checking her out, even when she was half-unconscious yesterday. Do you not have any shame?”

   “Says the guy inhaling his food.”

   He barks out a laugh. “Well, looks like it’s your lucky day.”

   Frowning, I glance over my shoulder. Aubrey, her friend and Asshat are walking over toward our table. Aubrey barely puts any weight on her left side. It must really be hurting. Her gaze flickers up toward mine, and she stops. She takes her bottom lip between her teeth and pulls. Fuck, she has no idea how sexy that is. But her friend is dragging her along. She hasn’t stopped talking since they left the line.

   “What’s up?” Eric says, tossing his head toward the three of them. Our table squeaks underneath their weight.

   Her friend helps Aubrey down on the other side of her. She waves. “I’m Cassie.”

   Eric offers her his hand. “Eric. Who’s your friends?”

   “This is Aubrey and this is—”

   “I can talk for myself, Cassie,” Asshat snaps. “I’m Jake.” He doesn’t offer a nod, or even a fucking glance. Pretty boy is gonna have to be taken down a fuckin’ notch.

   “Well, obviously you guys know Tanner.”

   Jake snorts and starts to shovel food into his mouth. He’s your stereotypical football player. Big. Muscular. And his personality hits the nail on the damn head.

   Aubrey hasn’t looked up from her food, and I can tell she’s pissed. “Your side okay?”

   Biting her lip—again, fuck—she gives me a little nod. My back molars grind hard against one another. I can’t understand why, but I want her to talk to me.

“She’s fine,” Asshat says.

   I grunt. “She can talk for herself.”

   “She obviously doesn’t want to, Country,” Asshat says, slamming his clenched fists down on the table.

   “Shut up.” Aubrey snaps her jaw tight. “I don’t want to talk to either one of you. So shut the hell up.” She keeps her eyes on the table, but I see the pink underneath her cheeks. Her dirty blonde hair is covering most of it, but I see it.

   Damn. Keeping my composure, I let out an exasperated sigh. “That’s the thank you I get for saving your life?”

   “Maybe I didn’t want to be saved. Ever think of that?” she blurts out.

   The table is quiet. Eerily quiet. Jake reaches across and tries to grab her hand, but she retracts it underneath the table. “You don’t mean that.”

   She shrugs. “Eat your food.”

   I pick up my cheeseburger and eat the rest quickly. Eric picks up conversation with Cassie, dominating the silence. I’m glad, because, I have nothing to say. I can’t think of anything that wouldn’t piss her off. After a few long minutes Aubrey stands up.

   “Don’t get up,” she says as Jake moves from his seat. “I need to be alone.”

   Jake wants to follow. I see that puppy dog look in his eye. Instead, he sits back down and taps his fingers against the wood of our table.

   “Give her time, Jake. She obviously has problems with the water,” Cassie says, tossing back her brown hair.

   “Well, I’ve been dating her for four years—”

   “On and off,” Cassie interrupts.

   He flips her off and continues. “Four years and she’s never said anything about the water. I wish I would have known. I wouldn’t have pushed her off.”

   You shouldn’t have pushed her off, anyway, asshole.

   I pick up my plate after finishing and toss it in the trash. I don’t wait on Eric. I don’t want to. I need silence, and that guy is not silent. I push open the double doors and the humid air blows against my skin. It isn’t a relief of cool air, but the breeze still feels nice. Tugging at my shirt, I unbutton the top few buttons. These damn things are hot as hell. A few campers have arrived early; they’re not supposed to be here until tonight. We’ll be introduced to them tomorrow. Some of the girls are giggling, covering their mouths and pointing at me. I roll my eyes. Both of them are jailbait. I wouldn’t touch ‘em with a damn ten foot pole.

   I’m jogging up the steps to my cabin when I hear a soft cry. It’s gentle, barely there. I stop and listen just to make sure I heard it. Sniffle. Yep, definitely tears. I have an older sister, too. I know what a girl crying sounds like.

   I jump off the porch and ease around the side of the cabin. No one is there. Then I check behind the girls’ building. There she is, sitting down against the wood, her head shoved into her knees.

   Fuck. I hate when girls cry. It makes me…uneasy. I take a few steps toward her and slips down beside her. “Hi.”

   “What the…? Jesus…” she trails off. Realizing she’s been crying, she wipes away her tears. “What do you want? I said I needed some time to myself.”

   I grab a fist full of dirt and let it slip through my fist.  “No one wants to be alone,” I say.

   Her hazel eyes widen. “Well, I do.”

   I shrug and continue to let dirt filter through my fist.

   She groans. “Thank you for saving me yesterday. Is that why you’re here right now? You want a thank you?”

   I have no fucking idea why I’m here right now. “No. Just offering a shoulder.”

   She retracts at the word. Now she thinks I’m a creep. “Well, thanks but I’m good.”

   Her chest starts rising and falling at a quicker pace. My eyes drop to her chest and the hideous blue polo. I want to see her out of it so bad. God, stay focused, Tanner. I scratch my chin and avert my eyes. “Sure. I’m sure you’re grand. You really look put together.”

   “Fucking bastard,” she says beneath her breath. With the building’s help, she scrambles upright. “How dare you come over here and make fun of me.”

   I get to my feet and look down at her. The wind picks up her scent and blows the lavender against me. She smells so good. “I’m not the one lying about being able to swim. I know you can. I see the fear in your eyes. Not to mention, not telling your boyfriend of four years you can’t swim. Or about the accident.”

   She balls her hands into fists and crinkles her nose. It’s ridiculously hot, but I keep my mind focused on what we’re talking about. “I didn’t have an acc—”

   “Bullshit. You did, and that’s the reason why you can’t swim. You’re afraid. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, just admit—” She slaps me. Right across my fucking face.

   Mt eyes widen. I don’t move, I stare down at her. Tears stream down her face. She reaches back to do it again, but I grab her wrist. Her eyes widen and she tries to jerk away from me.

   “Don’t you ever hit me again,” I say, letting her wrist fall to her side.

   “I…” she trails off, more tears building in her eyes. She turns and runs. I don’t stop her.

Aubrey

“Get up. You have to get a shower.”

   I groan and pull my comforter over my head. It can’t be seven already. It feels like I just shut my eyes. “Ten more minutes.”

   Cassie mumbles something and pulls the covers off of me. “Hey!” I screech, grabbing for my sheets. I curl into a ball and bury my head in my knees.

   “Get up, or I’m going to get Jake.”

   I sit up in the bed and glance around. Cassie is already dressed, her hair nicely straightened. I told her there was no need in doing that, the humid California sun is going to frizz it out. “I’m getting up.”

   She gives me a triumphant smile walks over to the mirror hanging on her closet door. Gathering my clothes, I sit on my bed and rub my eyes. “I’m beginning to think this was a bad idea.”

   Cassie snorts and brushes through her chestnut hair. “Puh-lease. All the hours. The money. The hot co-counselors.” She wiggles her eyebrows in the mirror.

   Hot co-counselors. I bite my tongue to keep from drooling. Clearing my throat, I glance over at her. “Well, speaking of hot co-counselors…I slapped one in the face yesterday.”

   She turns on her heel, her mascara dropping and rolling under her bed. “You’re shitting me? Who? Wait”—a grin crawls up her face—“Tanner?”

   “Bingo.”

   “What. The. Hell? You slapped him? Why? Was it a sexy slap? Did he push you against something and kiss the heck out of you?”

   I frown. “Uh, no. He didn’t really do anything. I just got so mad. He followed me behind the building—”

   She gasps and drops down on her knees, fumbling for her mascara. “You mean when he left he went looking for you? Hot damn. Tell me everything. What did he say?”

   I stand and stretch. “I was getting to that part. He was so…contradicting. He said I was lying about being able to swim. It pissed me off. So, I slapped him. Then I tried to do it again but he grabbed my wrist and told me not to ever do it again.”

   “Jesus. This is going to be the best summer yet. What happened after that?”

   I shrug. “I left.”

   Cassie frowns and tosses her makeup bag on her bed. “Well, there’s still two months to go. We have plenty of time. What are you going to do about Jake?”

   I reach for my caddy underneath my bed. “What about him?”

   “Are you two an item? I mean he did push you off a cliff. Not that he was trying to kill you or anything…but still.”

   Sighing, I run my fingers through my hair. Christ, I need a shower. “We’re not anything right now. At least, not that I know of. I’m not sure I want to be…I mean, we’re just not compatible anymore. I feel like I grew up and he didn’t.”