that night. She could smell it being ground in the kitchens even though they hadn’t started cooking yet.
“I’m a vegetarian,” she whispered to herself, like she had every day for the last couple of weeks. It sounded even feebler than before. Giving into eating red meat would not be laying low, especially after the scene she made over getting more vegetarian options.
Stubbornly selecting the tofu Louise had ordered and a bag of potato chips, Rylie took her lonely position at the end of a table. Nobody joined her, like usual. She didn’t mind anymore. She was too preoccupied to talk.
A hulking man strode into the mess hall. His eyes scanned the room and briefly fell on Rylie.
Jericho.
She sank lower on her bench and tried not to look guilty, stuffing her food into her mouth faster than before. But Jericho didn’t approach her table. Instead, he went to sit with Louise. If he told her that Rylie had been on the boy’s side of the lake, then no amount of hiding would save her. She would be sent home.
Rylie tried to ignore the counselors as she finished her meal. As soon as she was done, she dumped her tray on the line and hurried outside.
“Rylie!” Cassidy ran to meet her. She was wearing a torn pair of jeans and a black shirt again, defying the summer heat. “Are you done with lunch already?
“Yeah,” she said, glancing over her shoulder into the mess hall. Jericho and Louise were gone.
“You want to hang out? I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Uh, no. Not right now, Cassidy,” Rylie said. “Sorry, I have to get going.”
“Why?” She stepped in front of Rylie’s path to keep her from leaving. “I have some wicked new drawings to show you.”
Jericho and Louise emerged from the back side of the building, strolling toward the offices. Ignoring her better instincts, which told her to go back to her cabin and avoid Jericho, she edged around Cassidy.
“Sorry. Maybe later.”
The counselors paused to talk on the trail, and Rylie ducked behind a nearby tree to listen.
“Trouble on the other side, huh?” Louise asked cheerfully. “I always thought the boys were better behaved than any of the girls.”
Jericho folded his arms and glowered. He was a shadow in the sunshine. “Maybe there was a girl being a bad influence on one of the boys.”
“Did you see a girl over there?”
“I saw two kids out together, but it was dark. I couldn’t identify them. Even so, I have reason to suspect one of them was a camper from your side of the lake.”
“That’s a problem,” Louise said.
“Yes. Why would a girl cross over?”
She laughed. “Oh, probably the usual reasons. It seems like we catch a few couples in the act every year. Remember those two last year? Every single Tuesday night! It never amounted to any real trouble. They’re just doing what teenagers do.”
“It could become more trouble than we suspect,” Jericho said. His voice was a low, dangerous purr. “Someone also broke into the counselor’s cabin.”
“Who do you think it was?” Louise asked. Rylie held her breath, peeking around the tree again. Jericho’s back was to her. She couldn’t make out his expression.
“I don’t have enough evidence to make accusations. But if you find one of your girls has been getting out, I want to know about it.”
Rylie grimaced. That sounded ominous.
“There’s a couple problem campers this year, but I can’t imagine them stealing anything,” Louise said. “Are you sure it’s that serious?”
“Oh yes.”
She sighed. “All right. I’ll let you know if I discover anything.”
“Thank you, Louise,” Jericho said.
They walked away. Rylie didn’t follow—she had heard enough. Jericho knew she had been on the boy’s side; he just didn’t have enough “evidence.” She didn’t like to think how he was going to prove it, but she knew it was more
“I’m a vegetarian,” she whispered to herself, like she had every day for the last couple of weeks. It sounded even feebler than before. Giving into eating red meat would not be laying low, especially after the scene she made over getting more vegetarian options.
Stubbornly selecting the tofu Louise had ordered and a bag of potato chips, Rylie took her lonely position at the end of a table. Nobody joined her, like usual. She didn’t mind anymore. She was too preoccupied to talk.
A hulking man strode into the mess hall. His eyes scanned the room and briefly fell on Rylie.
Jericho.
She sank lower on her bench and tried not to look guilty, stuffing her food into her mouth faster than before. But Jericho didn’t approach her table. Instead, he went to sit with Louise. If he told her that Rylie had been on the boy’s side of the lake, then no amount of hiding would save her. She would be sent home.
Rylie tried to ignore the counselors as she finished her meal. As soon as she was done, she dumped her tray on the line and hurried outside.
“Rylie!” Cassidy ran to meet her. She was wearing a torn pair of jeans and a black shirt again, defying the summer heat. “Are you done with lunch already?
“Yeah,” she said, glancing over her shoulder into the mess hall. Jericho and Louise were gone.
“You want to hang out? I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Uh, no. Not right now, Cassidy,” Rylie said. “Sorry, I have to get going.”
“Why?” She stepped in front of Rylie’s path to keep her from leaving. “I have some wicked new drawings to show you.”
Jericho and Louise emerged from the back side of the building, strolling toward the offices. Ignoring her better instincts, which told her to go back to her cabin and avoid Jericho, she edged around Cassidy.
“Sorry. Maybe later.”
The counselors paused to talk on the trail, and Rylie ducked behind a nearby tree to listen.
“Trouble on the other side, huh?” Louise asked cheerfully. “I always thought the boys were better behaved than any of the girls.”
Jericho folded his arms and glowered. He was a shadow in the sunshine. “Maybe there was a girl being a bad influence on one of the boys.”
“Did you see a girl over there?”
“I saw two kids out together, but it was dark. I couldn’t identify them. Even so, I have reason to suspect one of them was a camper from your side of the lake.”
“That’s a problem,” Louise said.
“Yes. Why would a girl cross over?”
She laughed. “Oh, probably the usual reasons. It seems like we catch a few couples in the act every year. Remember those two last year? Every single Tuesday night! It never amounted to any real trouble. They’re just doing what teenagers do.”
“It could become more trouble than we suspect,” Jericho said. His voice was a low, dangerous purr. “Someone also broke into the counselor’s cabin.”
“Who do you think it was?” Louise asked. Rylie held her breath, peeking around the tree again. Jericho’s back was to her. She couldn’t make out his expression.
“I don’t have enough evidence to make accusations. But if you find one of your girls has been getting out, I want to know about it.”
Rylie grimaced. That sounded ominous.
“There’s a couple problem campers this year, but I can’t imagine them stealing anything,” Louise said. “Are you sure it’s that serious?”
“Oh yes.”
She sighed. “All right. I’ll let you know if I discover anything.”
“Thank you, Louise,” Jericho said.
They walked away. Rylie didn’t follow—she had heard enough. Jericho knew she had been on the boy’s side; he just didn’t have enough “evidence.” She didn’t like to think how he was going to prove it, but she knew it was more
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