Stealing Third (8 page)

He
sets her back down on the bench and takes a seat on her other side. “How’s my
girl?”

You’ve
got to be kidding me. How many guys
is
she seeing?

“Better
now,” she says, wrapping her arms around his waist and giving him another hug.

“And
how about now?” a cute girl with short blond hair says, dropping a small bag in
Emily’s lap from behind her, before laying a kiss on the new guy.

Some
of the tension I didn’t even realize I was holding in my shoulders releases as
I dial down my jealousy. Clearly I don’t need to worry about this guy, too.

Too?
I shouldn’t be worrying about any of them.  Remember? She’s off limits. Against
the rules. And probably not eighteen. 

Emily
peers at the festive multicolored bag in her lap and then unexpectedly up at
me. I furrow my brows at her until I see the big block letters stamped across
the bag. Happy Birthday. Yes.

“Open
it! Open it!” The short haired girl says excitedly as she squeezes in between
Emily and the guy I assume is her boyfriend. “It’s from me and Dave.”

Emily
fidgets with the tissue poking out of the top of the bag. “You guys didn’t have
to do this.”

“We
know it’s late, but you didn’t really think we weren’t going to get you a
present for your—”

“Thank
you!” Emily shouts, cutting Dave off from saying which birthday she’s
celebrating.

Damn
it, she’s good.

Emily
pulls out a wad of tissue paper, peeks in the bag, and starts to laugh. “Funny.
Thank you, guys,” she says before giving her friend a hug.

“Use
them wisely,” Dave advises, leaving me wondering what in the world she got. And
apparently Todd feels the same way since he snatches the gift bag from Emily’s
lap, digs his hand in, and pulls out a wad of scratch tickets and a voter
registration form.

He
looks confused by the random gifts.

Me?
Not so much.

I
can’t stop the smile that flashes across my face.

“Happy
Eighteenth Birthday, Emily.”

The
sexy smirk playing on Tyler’s lips after wishing me a happy birthday is almost
worth him knowing the truth about my age.

Almost.

I
stuff the lottery tickets and voter pamphlets back in the bag and narrow my
eyes at him and the smug look on his face. The same smug look he wore earlier
today after tagging me out stealing third.

I
cross my arms. At least all week I had the satisfaction of knowing he was
worried I wasn’t old enough to be kissed, which helped make my admission a few
days ago on the dock about wanting him, a little less embarrassing.

“I
uh, didn’t know it was your birthday,” Todd says, bumping his shoulder into
mine, his musky aftershave overwhelming my senses. In a bad way.

“That’s
cool.” I smile, scooting away from him to catch a breath of air that won’t burn
my nose hairs. “It was before we got to camp.”

Todd
leans in even closer than before—clearly not getting the hint—and I have to
hold my breath. “Maybe I can make it up to you later.” His stale whisper washes
across my face, and causes me to shiver. Again, in a bad way. And, um, no.

 “Ooooh,
let’s play truth or dare,” Jenny squeals, interrupting Todd by clapping
excitedly. “The birthday girl can go first,” she offers and I wonder if this is
a plan to block Todd from flirting with me. Which it does, so thank you, Jenny.

“Okay,
let’s see…” I scan the crowd, deciding who will have to choose first.

My
eyes stop on Tyler, or maybe I haven’t actually pulled them away from him in
the first place; either way, I can’t stop the devious smile that breaks across
my face.

Dropping
his eyes to the ground and rubbing the back of his neck with the palm of his
hand, I let out a soft laugh. Just because you’re not looking at me, doesn’t
mean I don’t see you.

“Tyler.
Truth or dare?”

Tyler
lifts his head and meets my gaze, a mixture of amusement and worry clouds his
features. “Truth?” he says like it’s a question and not an answer. I smile
bigger. I’d hoped he’d choose truth and he senses it. “I mean, dare.” 

“Sorry.
No changing,” Jenny says, scooting even closer to Tyler, which is tough
considering she’s already practically in his lap. “But don’t worry,” she
murmurs, “truths are always pretty tame.”

 My
face must betray me somehow, because after a quick glance between me and Jenny,
Tyler gives me a wicked smile and then drapes his arm over her shoulder.

Ugh.
I swear he’s trying to make me jealous. But too bad for him it’s not working.
Is it?

My
heart picks up speed at the sight of Jenny tucked under Tyler’s arm as he waits
for my question, and I think I may have just answered my own. Damn it. It’s
working. I’m jealous.

“All
right, fine. Truth,” Tyler says.

I
stuff down my jealousy at the way Jenny is leaning her body into Tyler’s touch,
remembering how it felt to be wrapped in his arms not so long ago, and plaster
back on my smile. 

“So,
Tyler,” I say innocently, like I don’t already know the answer—unless he’s been
busy with more extracurriculars than just job shadowing and baseball. “When was
the last time you kissed a girl?”

Tyler
doesn’t even flinch at my question, instead he looks at Jenny and then back to
me. “The last time I kissed someone was a few days ago, but the truth is, I
wanted to earlier today but didn’t get the chance.”

He
shrugs like the kiss a few days ago with me barely even registered in his
memory. And what the hell was that look he gave Jenny right before answering?
Is that who he wanted to kiss earlier?

Wishing
I could drown the jealously twisting in my stomach I snatch the beer Todd is
drinking out of his hand and take a swig. I guess that explains why Jenny was
so intent on going and watching Tyler, and his ‘crazy kissable lips’, play
baseball today.

“Okay,
it’s your turn,” Jenny says to Tyler, before taking a sip of her wine cooler,
which I bet tastes a whole hell of a lot better than the warm beer I hand back
to Todd. Uck.

“All
right, right back at’cha, kiddo,” Tyler says to me, emphasizing his choice of
nicknames.

I
purse my lips. “Truth.”

Tyler
smiles. “Same question.”

“When
was the last time I kissed a girl? That’s easy. Never.”

“That’s
not what I meant. When was the last time you kissed a guy?”

I
shoot him a smug grin. “Sorry, next time you should be more clear about what
you’re asking. Next.”

“Come
on, Em. Tell me,” Tyler says, the words ‘tell me’ rolling off his tongue in the
same low, soft cadence they did on the dock a few mornings ago. It sends a
shiver up my spine, the same way it did then, and I feel my face flush at his
subtle reminder.

Embarrassed
over my want for him, when I can’t quite tell where he stands, I blurt out a
lie. “Earlier today, actually.”

Tyler’s
face drops for a fraction of a second before he pastes a smile back on. But it
looks as forced as mine feels.

Is
it possible he’s a little jealous, too?

Good.
That’s what he gets for rubbing it in my face that he wants to hook up with
Jenny Osborne.

“Boring,”
Todd booms. “Let’s get to the dares, already.”

“All
right,” Lucy says, looking past me at Todd. “Truth or dare?”

Todd
rubs his hands together excitedly before taking off his sweatshirt and
revealing a neon green shirt with the sleeves cut off, making it more of a tank
top than anything. “Duh. Dare.”

“Fine.
I dare you to…moon the campfire.”

“Done.”
Todd jumps up, turns his back to the fire, and drops his shorts just below his
butt. He wiggles his bare ass towards the flames, making me glad for the first
time tonight I’m sitting next to him and not across the fire where Tyler and
Jenny have a direct line of sight to the full-monty.

I
spit out the sip I was taking and bust out laughing. Is this guy serious? It’s
like we’re down at the tadpole camp again and he’s ten.

Jenny
giggle-screams before tucking her head into Tyler’s neck, and all of a sudden, I’ve
lost the humor in it all.

“Next,”
I say loudly, causing Todd to pull up his shorts and flop back on the bench.

“My
turn,” Todd bellows.  “Okay, Jenny—Truth or dare?” Todd’s question forces Jenny
to unbury her face from Tyler’s neck. So, maybe I don’t dislike Todd as much as
I thought I did.

“Dare,”
she says, acting timid, which causes me to roll my eyes. 

“Kiss
Tyler.”

“What?”
Tyler and I say at the exact same time, earning us a weird look from Jenny,
Todd, and Lucy, too.

“A
dare’s a dare—and don’t act like you don’t want to, bro,” Todd says, burping
the word ‘bro,’ and making me cringe. What the hell was I thinking last year?

Tyler
shifts uncomfortably when Jenny turns her head, closes her eyes, and moves in
for a kiss. My stomach ties in a knot. Is he seriously going to kiss her? Right
here? In front of me?

As
I’m about to get up and grab a beer of my own from the ice chest to avoid
watching Tyler and Jenny make out, Tyler grabs Jenny’s face, pulls her towards
him and plants a kiss directly on her cheek as a chorus of girl counselors
around the fire let out a collective, “Ahhhhhhh.”

Jenny
blushes when Tyler pulls away. “Omg. You are so sweet,” she coos, triple
knotting the pit in my stomach because he
is
sweet, and hot, and smart,
and by the looks of it…totally into her.

…

A
few more truths are exposed, and a whole lot more dares fly around the campfire
as the moonings become streakings and the simple kisses become full on make out
sessions.

Luckily,
I’ve squeaked by with only one truth, and even better, Tyler has had no more
dares. Jenny, on the other hand, looks less happy about that fact.

“The
truth?” Todd drops his head into his hands at the question from cabin twelve’s
counselor, Mark. “Well, I guess it’s my math teacher,” he answers, admitting to
the group she’s the girl he fantasizes about the most. “But she’s super hot for
an old lady—I swear,” he says as everyone laughs.

“That’s
just wrong,” Dave says, wrapping his arms tight around Lucy, and nipping at her
neck. “But, then again, I guess I get the whole ‘hot for teacher’ thing.”

“You
better behave, or I’ll send you straight to detention, young man.” Lucy teases
and the spark between them is as bright as it always has been.

“Get
a room, Luve,” I shout kiddingly at my favorite camp couple, using their
‘celebrity couple’ camp-name-mash-up—which Lucy loves, for obvious reasons— and
which fits them perfectly since they’re the only real couple I know who’s still
in love.

Unlike
my parents, Bob and Pam, whose name mash would be Bam. As in— “Bam, our
marriage is over.” A lump crawls up my throat, and I stuff it back down
quickly. For now.

“A
room sounds like a good idea.” Dave makes a big show of wagging his eyebrows as
he moves to stand up. Lucy shakes her head, pulls him back onto the bench, and
plants a kiss on his lips. Apparently, no room necessary.

“All
right, little Em,” Dave says, when he and Lucy finally peel themselves apart.
“It’s your turn, again. Truth or dare?”

Afraid
I’ll be asked who I’ve been fantasizing about lately, I close my eyes and hope
I don’t regret my choice. “Dare.”

“I
dare you to walk in the woods…with Todd.” My eyes fly open. Walk in the woods?
Camp Champ’s equivalent to seven minutes in heaven. With Todd? Why would Dave
do this to me?

My
heart picks up speed as I glance around the fire. First at Dave, who winks at
me, followed by Lucy who is smiling so big she looks ready to burst, and it
dawns on me. They both think I’m still into Todd. Oh, this is bad.

“Hell,
yeah!” Todd says, jumping up off the bench, and tucking his ridiculous shirt
into his board shorts, like he’s getting ready for a real date.

I
try and formulate an excuse—any excuse—to not take the dare, but I come up
short besides saying, “Ewwww, boys have cooties,” like a fourth grader. But in
Todd’s case that may be true.

“Have
fun you two,” Tyler says after clearing his throat, but his light hearted words
don’t seem to match the look in his eyes, or the death grip he has on the
bottle of beer he’s holding. “Just don’t take too long. Light’s out in thirty
minutes,” he directs at Todd, but it somehow feels more like a power play than
a reminder of the rules.

“Wow,
I can’t believe it’s so late already,” Jenny says to Tyler, standing up. She
drops her hand down in front of his face. “Walk me back?”

“Uh,
yeah, sure.” He stands and dusts off the dirt from the back of his shorts. And
just the thought of Tyler and Jenny doing their very own ‘walk in the woods’
makes my blood boil hotter than the flames of the campfire shooting high into
the cool night sky.

Yep.
Definitely jealous.

“Don’t
wait up,” I blurt out to Jenny, even though it’s really meant for Tyler, as I
grab Todd’s hand and stomp off into the dark forest.

As
soon as were out of hearing range, enveloped amongst the dense trees, I whisper
to Todd in no uncertain terms, “It’s not gonna happen, dude. Sorry.”