“He’savoidingme. Notice I don’t lock myself up in my room all day.” As my gut wrenched, I scowled. Tex had requested for me to be honest with Grey, but I couldn’t, and every day it became more difficult. Hurt like a motherfucker.
“Talk to him.” He stepped closer to me, his gaze locked on mine. “It’s sad watching you two avoid each other after how close you both were.”
“Believe me, I know that.” I rubbed the ache in my chest with the heel of my hand. “It’s no picnic for me either. I feel…like he fucking died or something.” As the ache grew, my eyes stung.Fuck, don’t cry about it in front of Tex.
“Come here.” Grabbing my hand, Tex pushed my duffel aside and sat at the foot of my bed, pulling me in beside him. “He’s got to be confused and scared. But we’re going into camp with no cell phone service, no internet, nothing to distract us from team bonding. And you two…” He poked at my chest. “You’ll room together, since you’re both seniors and play the same position. Coach will expect you to be attached at the hip.”
“You think I don’t know that?” At least in the gym, things had felt normal between Grey and me. I fisted my hands over my thighs. Where was he going with this?
“Take him aside and talk to him the first chance you get.” He wrinkled his brows. “Hell, take him on a hike in the woods and make him talk to you.” He covered my fist with his warm hand. “The sooner you resolve this, the sooner you can put it behind you and focus on camp.”
“Yeah.” I choked on a laugh. Would he even go on a hike with me, or would he find an excuse not to? “I’ll do my best, Tex.”
“Good, and if you need my help to push it along, let me know.” He gave me a smirk. “Hell, we can invite him for a hike and then I’ll bail out at the last minute. Maybe that would work?”
With a slow nod, I said, “Yes, that might work.” Grey was more inclined to hang out with me when Tex was around.
“Okay then, inform me when you want to corner him and I’ll be there.” He patted my thigh, rose from the bed and left my room.
“Fuck.” I swiped my hands down my face. After we settled, I would invite Grey to go hiking.
The bus rolledinto the camp across a long potholed road, inside tall pine trees and scrubby oaks. I peered out my window at the fluffy clouds dotting the sky. Monsoons occurred almost daily here, unlike their irregular appearance in Tempe.
A few buildings spread around the landscape, with the mess hall being the biggest, followed by the lowerclassmen dorms. As seniors, we’d have smaller cabins that fitted maybe four of us and had their own bathrooms. The rumor was when this place first opened, it had been so rustic, there wasn’t any hot water and the guys barely bathed. That would suck.
I glanced ahead of me, a few rows up. Grey was sitting next to Justin James, our new quarterback. They’d clicked during practice this week. But then, if Grey would get some time on the field, they had to. Tightness wove through my chest. Grey didn’t even want to sit by me.
Tex, napping in the seat next to me with his arms crossed on his chest, cracked an eye open. “Are we there yet?” He snickered.
“Looks like it.” I sighed and watched the guys rise and filter to the aisle between the seats. “Get your ass up.” As my pulse kicked, my attention drew to Grey, peeking back at me and wincing.
They gaveus cabin number four, and I strolled along a dirt path with Grey and our two wide receivers, Tommy Bailey, who was first string with me, and Dirk Coley, second string. We all carried our duffel bags from the bus.
“This week will be lit.” Bailey high-fived Coley as they strolled behind Grey and me. “Don’t you think so, Thompson? You seem quiet today.”
I snuck a peek at Grey, chewing his lower lip. “Yeah, can’t wait for the usual pranks.” Some had been legendary, like when Jake Plummer, who ended up as the quarterback for the Cardinals, had found a dead bat and tossed it in the lowerclassmen’s dorm. According to the story, the guys had screamed like little girls. I smirked. “If you find a dead bat, throw it in Moore’s bed.” That should snap him out of it.
“What?” He stared at me, slack jawed and then threw his attention on Bailey and Coley. “Don’t you dare.” He shook his arms with a mock shudder. “I’d get you all back. Believe me.”
“Oh, sounds like a dare.” With a snicker, Coley slapped Bailey’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you get them back.” I bumped my shoulder on Grey’s. It felt good to be with him, even with the awkward wall between us. Maybe we could work things out. This place was magical, after all.
He shifted further away from me and clenched his jaw. “Is there a place I can get cell service so I can text Ella?”
As my heart pitched, I stopped on the small, covered porch at our cabin. He texted and called her nonstop now. And I hated it. Hated her and hadn’t even met her. “Not that I know of. I’ve never found any.” After shoving the door open, I stepped inside. The scent of burning wood with a hint of mold hit me. This place always smelled the same. I rushed to the bottom bunk on the left and threw my duffel on it. “This one’s mine.” I loathed the top bunk. The springs sagged more under them, and they squeaked like mad.
Bailey and Coley burst past Grey and claimed the lower and top bunks on the right.
“Guess I’m above you.” With a frown, Grey threw his duffel up to the bunk.
The guys unpacked a few things, hanging team sweatshirts on hooks on the wall and bringing their dock kits into the bathroom. When could I talk to Grey? I didn’t want this festering any more than it already had. We wouldn’t have our first team meeting until after dinner, and the intensive training would start tomorrow.
“A bunch of us are heading to the creek. Want to come?” Coley stood at the door, glancing behind him at me.
I pursed my lips, my gaze finding Grey’s. “Tex wanted us to take a quick hike. You up for it?” Shit, he wasn’t available to assist me with this yet, but it was worth a shot.
Grey shifted his focus from Coley and then to me. With a quick shrug, he said, “Yeah, sure. Then after we can meet them at the creek.”