Chapter 8

By the end of week one, everything is louder.

The laughs, the games, the exhaustion.

And whatever is happening between me and Quinn—

that too.

“Okay—no—line up—LINE UP—guys, please—”

I clap my hands, trying to get my cabin’s attention while they’re all singing over each other.

“We’re going to breakfast, not a concert.”

“Same energy,” one of them says.

“Not the same energy.”

“Can we run?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t trust you.”

“That’s fair.”

Finally, somehow, we get moving.

Annabelle falls into step beside me. “You look tired.”

“I am tired.”

“You also look like you’re thinking.”

“I hate when you say things like that.”

She grins. “Quinn?”

I don’t even answer.

She nods. “Yeah.”

Breakfast is chaos as usual.

But I barely sit down before—

“After lunch,” Quinn says, dropping into the seat across from me.

No hello, no buildup.

Just—

that.

I blink. “Hi to you too.”

“Waterski,” she continues. “You’re with me.”

I lean back slightly. “I’m always with you.”

Kallie chokes on her drink.

Quinn doesn’t even flinch. “Because you’re useful.”

“Wow,” I say. “That’s so flattering.”

“It’s accurate.”

I smirk. “You like me.”

“Eat your food.”

“Not a denial.”

She takes a bite, completely ignoring me.

But I see it—

that tiny shift in her expression.

Win.

Activity periods blur, archery again (no injuries, surprisingly), then waterfront.

Then crafts, where I accidentally get roped into helping make friendship bracelets for thirty minutes.

“Is this cute?” one camper asks.

“It’s adorable,” I say.

“It’s for my camp crush.”

I freeze for half a second.

“…aw.”

“Do you have one?”

“No.”

She narrows her eyes. “You hesitated.”

“I didn’t.”

“You did.”

“I’m literally your counsellor, don’t interrogate me.”

She grins. “So you do.”

I stand up. “I’m leaving.”

She laughs.

I hate it here.

By lunch, the energy is different.

Weekend is coming, which means beach party, outtrip, and absolute chaos.

Everyone’s louder.

More excited.

Less focused.

“You ready for tomorrow?” Tanner asks.

“Beach party?” I say. “Obviously.”

“Team Scarlet better win something,” Noah adds.

“We always do,” I reply.

“Debatable.”

“We’re elite.”

“Cocky,” Reid says.

“Confident.”

Across the table Quinn glances at me.

“Careful,” she says. “That’s a pattern.”

I grin. “You like patterns.”

“Some of them.”

That lands, again.

Waterski after lunch is packed.

Hot, busy, with way too many people.

I’m on dock again, trying to keep things moving, when one of the campers wipes out hard.

Not dangerous.

Just rough.

She comes up coughing, clearly shaken.

“I got her,” I say, already moving.

I dive in, swimming out before the boat even circles back.

“Hey,” I say, keeping my voice calm. “You’re okay.”

She nods, but she’s panicking a bit.

“I can’t—I don’t—”

“You’re fine,” I say, steady. “I’ve got you.”

I keep one hand on her lifejacket, grounding her.

“Just breathe.”

The boat pulls up.

Quinn’s at the wheel, watching.

I help the camper to the side, keeping it smooth, controlled.

“No rush,” I tell her. “You’re good.”

She nods again, calmer now.

When I climb back into the boat—

Quinn hands me a towel, wordless.

I take it. “She’s fine.”

“I know.”

“You saw?”

“I see everything.”

I snort. “That’s creepy.”

“Efficient.”

I dry my arms, avoiding her eyes.

Because I can feel it again.

That look, but different this time.

Quieter.

More—

Respect?

Something like that.

The rotation slows down a bit after that, less chaos and more space.

I stay in the boat.

Didn’t even get told to switch.

“Promoted?” I ask.

“Temporary,” Quinn says.

“I’ll take it.”

We sit in a brief silence.

The sun starting to dip slightly.

Then—

“You handled that well,” she says.

I glance at her. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Simple, direct, no teasing, and no edge.

I nod once. “Thanks.”

I add, lightly, “You impressed?”

She looks at me.

Really looks this time.

“Yeah,” she says.

And it’s—

Not joking, just honest.

I look away first, again.

Because I don’t trust my face. I don’t want to give away something that’s not supposed to be there.

Free time is loud again, staff scattered everywhere. With usic playing from someone’s speaker, and people jumping off the dock.

I’m sitting with Annabelle and Caitlyn, half-listening to whatever argument they’re having.

“…I’m just saying, if you had to—”

“I wouldn’t—”

“You have to—”

I tune out.

Because across the dock—

Quinn’s sitting with Kallie.

Laughing.

Actually laughing.

Head tilted back slightly, hand pushing her hair out of her face.

Relaxed.

Not the controlled, observing version. Or the bossy one,

Just—

Her.

I stare a second too long.

“Earth to Kennedy,” Caitlyn says.

I blink. “What?”

“You’re doing it again.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“You’re staring.”

“I’m observing.”

Annabelle snorts. “Professional reasons?”

“Exactly.”

They both laugh.

I hate them.

Dinner bleeds into pre-party energy.

Everyone talking about tomorrow.

Outfits, music, plans.

“You better not disappear, I need all the help I can get with these campers” Emily tells me.

“I won’t.”

“You say that now.”

“I’ll be there.”

Annabelle leans in. “Quinn will be there.”

I roll my eyes. “Everyone will be there.”

“Yeah,” she says. “But Quinn will be there.”

I don’t respond.

Because—

Yeah. I already know.

That night is lowkey.

Cabin time, were packing for outtrip.

My campers are buzzing.

“Can we stay up late?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Just a little?”

“Go to bed.”

They don’t, obviously.

I step outside for a second, just to breathe.

The air’s cooler now, quieter for once.

Footsteps behind me.

Of course.

“You ever not know where I am?” I ask.

“No.”

“Concerning.”

She stops beside me.

Closer again, that’s becoming a thing.

“You excited for tomorrow?” Quinn asks.

“Yeah,” I say. “It’s always the best part.”

“Mhm.”

“You?”

She shrugs slightly. “It’s fun.”

“That’s it?”

She glances at me. “What do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know. More enthusiasm.”

She huffs a quiet laugh. “It’ll be good, trust me.”

“Better.”

A pause, then—

“You going to show off again?”

I smile. “Always.”

“Of course you are.”

“You love it.”

She doesn’t answer right away.

Just looks at me, and then—

“Maybe.”

That—

That’s new.

I feel it in my chest again, that shift, that pull.

Its too close, too quiet, too—

Something.

Neither of us moves, and for a second it feels like something’s about to happen.

Not big or dramatic.

Just—closer.

Different, more real.

But then—

“KENNEDY—”

One of my campers from inside.

Of course.

I exhale, stepping back. “Duty calls.”

“Of course it does,” Quinn says.

But there’s something in her voice.

Something almost—

Disappointed?

Or maybe I’m imagining it.

“Tomorrow,” I say lightly.

“Tomorrow,” she echos.

I head back inside.

Heart slightly off, and my head a little louder than it should be.

Because that moment—

It didn’t happen, but it could have.

And I don’t know if I wanted it to, or if I was just—

Curious.

Either way, we both know tomorrow’s going to be a problem.