With my heart racing from a mixture of paranoia and embarrassment, I slowly turned to face Fitz.

“Don’t call me that. And I wasn’t spying. Dahlia went after a rabbit. I had to chase after her.” It was true. Sort of. I just didn’t add that instead of heading home after I caught her, I continued to walk toward the light in the barn, concerned he might have befallen some sort of tragic accident. I’d be damned if I’d admit that to him though. Instead, I tilted my chin up and retorted with a question. “What are you doing out and about this time of night? You should be in bed.”

My tone sounded more accusatory and mother hen-ish than I had intended, but he didn’t seem ruffled. Nor did he answer me. He just took a step closer, then another. I willed my feet to back away from him, but I couldn’t move. As much as I didn’t understand it, he affected me. From the very first time I looked into his gray eyes, the attraction was instant. It was like the kind you see in movies or read about in books, and it made me feel all sorts of strange things.

But I knew better. He was a boy, and boys were a distraction I didn’t need. Still, I couldn’t deny the mysterious magnetic pull I felt toward him. I saw the arrogant and possessive way he looked at me. It wasn’t my imagination. I could tell Fitzgerald Quinn was used to having his way with every girl who crossed his path. That just gave me more of a reason to stay away.

“It’s not safe to wander around alone at night,” Fitz warned.

“I’m not wandering,” I said a little too quickly. My voice sounded breathy and slightly high pitched. I cleared my throat and tried to sound more confident. “I know my way around here. It’s my second home. I’ve spent every summer here since I was born. Besides, I’m not alone. Dahlia is with me.”

He looked down at Dahlia. She was no longer growling and held another stick in her mouth. I had no idea when she picked that one up. With her tail wagging expectantly, she was forever relentless in the pursuit to play fetch.

“For some reason, I don’t think she’s much of a guard dog,” he chuckled. It was a low, throaty sound that made me a little weak in the knees.

When his eyes moved from Dahlia to me, he trailed the line of my body and stopped on my chest. I followed his gaze. I was dressed for bed, wearing nothing but a pair of white short-shorts and a pink tank that didn’t leave much to the imagination. Now, with him standing mere inches from me, I found my breath becoming shallower with every moment that passed. I felt my nipples pebble under his scrutiny, poking visibly through the thin cotton material.

Mortified, I crossed my arms over my chest and found the strength to take a step back. Fitz at least had the decency to look embarrassed over being caught. He averted his eyes, cleared his throat, and mumbled an apology. I took another step back, very conscious of the way my traitorous breasts pressed through my shirt. Fitz reached out a hand to me.

“Cadence, wait.”

“I need to get home and go to bed, Fitz. You should do the same.”

“No, I….” he trailed off, seeming confused. “I meant it when I said you shouldn’t be out here alone. Let me walk you home.”

Walk me home? What’s with this guy and his savior complex?

At the lake, he seemed genuinely worried for my safety. Just like he was now.

“I’m fine, really. I know these woods. I don’t live far,” I insisted.

“Cadence, I am going to walk you home.” His tone was assertive, not giving me a choice.

Cocking my head to the side curiously, I stared at him. Both his words and actions made me pause. Perhaps I judged him too harshly. My mother’s words of advice about not judging a book by its cover came to mind. Still, the way Fitz had come on to me after he disembarked from the bus, no one could blame me for assuming he was nothing but arrogance and trouble. But maybe–just maybe–there was more to him than I originally thought.

I looked around. The cottage I shared with my parents was off the beaten path, placed between Creator Hall and the barn. I always felt safe at the camp despite the fact that it was full of newly arrived strangers. For all I knew, one of them was an axe murderer in disguise. I doubted it, but still. Perhaps I shouldn’t be so naïve and heed a bit of caution.

“Alright, Fitz. My cottage just up and around the bend.”

He nodded, and we began to walk in awkward silence.

“So,” he said after a few minutes, interrupting the weird quiet that settled between us. “That lake spot is pretty amazing.”

“Yeah, it is,” I agreed.

“Do you go there often?”

“I usually go in the evenings with Dahlia. Sometimes, I just want to go for a quick swim or to listen to music. It’s the one place I can crank up the volume without my momma telling me to turn it down. Other times, it’s a quiet place for me to study.”

“Study? Didn’t you just say you only spend summers here?” he asked, sounding surprised.

“I’m taking a few homeschool college courses through American University over the summer to get a jump on things. I’d like to get my master’s in social work within five years if I can.”

“That’s ambitious. Social work, huh? Not a lot of money to be made there.”

“Money isn’t everything, and I want to help people,” I responded with a shrug.

“Ambitious and noble,” he mused.

I frowned. Fitz was saying the same things my parents had said to me. My mother would have loved to see me follow in her footsteps and pursue the arts, but it wasn’t for me. My father just wanted me to be happy but was concerned about the student loan debt I’d be strapped with. While they were supportive of my choices, they worried. I understood why, but they didn’t understand my drive. I wanted to go out and make a difference in the world. I could stress about the loans later.

I almost voiced my thoughts but thought better of it. Fitz came from a wealthy family. He couldn’t possibly understand the meaning of financial burden. I pursed my lips tightly together, feeling mildly annoyed. A change of subject, one that wasn’t about me, was in order. I was normally a very private person, yet in just a few short minutes, this boy had me revealing way too much about myself.

“What about you? What’s your major?” I asked.

“I had a double major in political science and public relations. I graduated this past May with dual bachelor’s degrees.”

“Are you going on for your master’s?”

“Me? Yeah, right,” he stated dismissively. Then he laughed like he found the idea of continuing education absolutely absurd. “More school isn’t in the cards for me.”

“Why are you making it sound like a joke? There’s nothing funny with trying to better yourself, Fitz.”

He slowed his pace and I glanced over at him. The look he gave me was grim. When he spoke again, his voice was hesitant.

“It’s not about trying to better myself. It’s just that, even if I wanted to continue with my education, I can’t. I don’t really have a choice in the matter. My father….” He trailed off, and I waited expectantly for him to finish. “Let’s just say he has other plans for me.”

I wanted to ask what those plans were, but there was something in his tone that stopped my questions. He seemed bitter almost, and I thought it best not to pry. We just met twelve hours ago after all. It wasn’t any of my business.

“So, what do you think about Camp Riley so far?” I asked, deliberately changing the topic to something a little less awkward. We were almost to my cottage, and I was grateful to only have to keep up the small talk for another minute or two.

“It’s not bad. It’s a little too quaint and village-like to be called a camp in my opinion. When I found I out I was coming here, I was picturing tents and shit like that. The lake spot is cool though,” he said nonchalantly. “If you don’t mind, I may pop over there in the evening once in a while. I like it there.”

I thought about his statement and what it could mean–what it could possibly lead to. The thought of him coming to my spot, intruding on my space, immediately upset me, and I responded without thinking.

“Actually, I do mind. That place is private to me, Fitz. If you start showing up, students or camp leaders could find it and think it’s okay for them to go there too.”

“Okay, okay. No need to snap,” he said, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

Had I snapped?

If I did, I didn’t mean to. I smiled sheepishly.

“I’m sorry. It’s just…okay, I’ll think about it,” I conceded. “But if I give you the go ahead, you can’t tell anyone else about it.

Did I really just agree to think about it? Have I gone mad?

I glanced in his direction only to see a slow smile spread across his face. There was no denying he was celebrating a small victory as a result of my concession.

Jerk.

Still, I didn’t take back what I said. I stayed silent, not sure what to make of this mysterious boy who had tried to be my knight in shining armor twice in one night. I could feel his eyes on me as we walked. Something strange shot between the two of us that I couldn’t quite explain. It was as if he were hooking me with something unseen with every glance he stole. My heart fluttered, and my skin coated with a sticky sheen of sweat – only this time, it wasn’t from the humid air.

When we came upon my cottage, Dahlia pranced up the steps.

“This must be your place,” Fitz observed.

“Yeah, this is it.”

“Okay, well…um.” He hesitated. “I guess this is where I tell you to have a good night.”

It was strange. It almost felt like he had just walked me home from a first date, and this was that weird moment where you weren’t sure if the boy was going to kiss you. I studied his face–he was most definitely looking at my mouth.

Oh, hell no. No kissing allowed, buddy!

I quickly sidestepped away, just in case.

“Thanks, Fitz. Same to you. And thank you for walking me back.”

“Sure. No problem. I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I shrugged in a noncommittal way. Unable to make actual sustained eye contact, I turned away and tossed a wave over my shoulder. “Goodnight, Fitz.”

Once I was safely inside the cottage, I closed the front door a little too quickly, the wood making a loud bang against the frame. Another day, I may have worried about the noise waking my parents–today was not that day. I was too busy relishing in the relief I felt from being able to put some space between Fitz and me. The run-in at the lake, the unexpected walk, and those piercing gray eyes… Fitz and his bad boy charm were just too hard to resist. I leaned against the back of the door and exhaled with a sigh. I needed to put up a barrier to stop that magnetic pull. No good would come out of seeing more of Fitzgerald Quinn, of that I was sure.