Callen demands a rematch while Jace smirks in my direction and mouths “Thank you.” I shrug and begin opening all the bags.
“Anyone want to let me ride back with them?” Gage asks, loading his plate with food. “My horse decided to leave me.”
What?
Looking around, I begin counting horses. One, two, three... thirteen, fourteen.
Twelve for us, three for the cameramen.
“How the hell do you lose a horse, man?” Jace asks, clearly as confused as I am.
The pounding continues.
Gage just shrugs, taking a bite out of his sandwich, lacking the concern I feel he should have. It’s a five-mile ride. Not too far. He could walk it and probably keep up with us. It’s not like we rode at a fast pace, although I was hoping to get back quicker than we arrived. Especially with the way my head feels.
The boys poke fun at Gage while the rest of us eat in silence. It’s a beautiful day for a picnic, and there isn’t a better spot I could have picked. A creek running in the distance. Birds chirping in the trees surrounding us. The smell of fresh-cut grass. I’m lost in my thoughts when a grape pelts me in the nose. I’m ready to retaliate when I notice Lennon smirking at me.
The rest of the guys are still antagonizing Gage. Kyra and Bella are next to me chatting about books. The rest of the girls are conspiring to take over the world in their little gossip circle.
For ten seconds, it’s just the two of us. I like it. The way it feels when our eyes meet, and I get lost in their golden hue. The way his smile causes my heart to flutter.
Lennon nudges his head toward the creek as he pushes himself off the blanket, offering me his hand. His sudden movements are enough to catch the attention of Callen.
“Where are you two off to?” he asks, all eyes falling to our clasped hands.
“We were going to walk down to the creek. Did anyone else want to come?” I ask, pulling my hand away and avoiding eye contact with everyone by staring past the group. Mainly, to avoid looking in Jace’s direction.
Big mistake.
I was looking straight into a camera for the world to see my humiliation and shame.
But why? There’s nothing to be ashamed of, right?
This is how the game is played. This is why we’re all here. To see if we connect.
Lifting my chin, I notice Courtney and Bella stand, along with Jace, Callen and Gage. Letting out the breath I was holding, I turn and follow Lennon into the trees, toward the creek. There’s a cameraman next to me, watching my every move, the camera trained on my face.
If he’s hoping to capture a million-dollar shot of how I feel, he’s going to be sadly disappointed. I’ve had years of practice stuffing my feelings down deep and pretending everything is fine. Great even.
Sorry, dude. Not gonna happen.
I think he realizes that after a few minutes and turns away from me, falling to the back of the line, right about the time I feel a hand on the small of my back. Lennon is a few feet in front of me, so I can only imagine who it might be.
“Giving up on me so soon?” he whispers, leaning close to my ear. With the way my head is pounding, he may have been screaming at that point.
“I thought Gage was the funny guy,” I note, avoiding his question.
It sounds an awful like Jace growls at my response, but he doesn’t remove his hand. We walk the rest of the way to the creek like that. He’s close by my side, touching me, drawing circles on the small of my back with his finger.
In all honesty, it feels great. Until Lennon turns around and sees what’s going on. Our eyes meet briefly before his settle on Jace. Neither of them moves. I feel trapped between two of the most beautiful men I’ve ever seen as they stare each other down, their expressions saying more than words ever could.
It makes me wonder which one is going to try and stake his claim first. Beat his fists against his chest. Pee on my leg.
Rolling my eyes, I finally step away from Jace and sit on a nearby rock to remove my shoes and socks. The creek is only a foot or so deep, and I’m not going to miss the chance to walk in it. I roll my jeans up to my knees and carefully step in the water, Bella right behind me.
The water is ice cold but refreshing. My headache starts to subside as the water rolls past me. That is until one of the cameramen comes down the trail and demands we pack up and head back to the ranch. A storm’s brewing and if we don’t hurry, we could be caught in the middle of it.
His words remind me of the way I feel trapped in the middle of a storm already. Between Jace and Lennon.