Falling in Fast

by Danielle Arie

  He picked it up and slid it inside his fan of cards, putting down three Jacks before he discarded an eight.

  “I don’t know Lauren that well, but based on everything she’s said to me so far, I wouldn’t put it past her to tell someone in HR about us.” I ducked my head, my cheeks flaming again, because apparently, that’s all they did when I was around Tucker. “I mean, about our blip.”

  “Where will you work?”

  I shrugged, picking up from the stack. I got a four, but I needed a seven to complete my run. I discarded the four, and sighed. “I don’t know. She said the Boathouse has openings—”

  “You want to work with your ex?” I didn’t miss the panic in his tone.

  “No. But, I’m not beyond working with him if it means protecting you and your brothers.” There. Hopefully that was enough for him to understand that I cared about him. About his situation at least.

  “Emery, you don’t have to do that—”

  “It’s your turn.” I lifted my eyes to his, daring him to challenge me on it again. I’d already made my mind up when I talked to June. Besides, as awesome as Maintenance was, I couldn’t handle being alone with him like this anymore. I was obviously feeling way more for him than I’d been telling myself, and it would be better to detach from him now, rather than wait it out until coach made me leave, when it would be even harder.

  He cleared his throat and drew from the deck, shaking his head. He froze, clamping his jaw before he dropped his cards to his lap. “I probably shouldn’t be asking you this, but after yesterday, I can’t not, so just hang with me for a minute, all right?”

  I swallowed, my heart racing as he held my gaze, confident and fearful all at once. “Okay?”

  “Listen. I know we just met a couple weeks ago. And, I know my life’s crazy right now. And I get that you’re still recovering from your breakup. So, I’m not pushing anything immediate, but . . . Emery, things are different for me when you’re around.” He swallowed, shaking his head as he leaned toward me, and cupped my cheek. His thumb grazed my jawline, his fingertips slipping behind my ear, as he moved closer, rested his brow against mine, trailed his thumb across my lips.

  Every hair on my head stood on end.

  “You’re incredible,” he whispered, pressing his lips to my brow. “I can’t keep ignoring it.” He tilted my chin toward his, and dipped his lips to mine again, soft and tender. My heart constricted, my clarity wavering because he was right. Things were different for me when he was around, too. My breath froze inside my lungs as his hands ran circles around my back. Someday, I wanted something just like this, with a guy just like him, but I wasn’t sure it could be right now.

  No. I was positive it couldn’t be. Could it?

  I pulled back. “Tucker,” I whispered, my heart surging, and my lips tingling to feel his again. “This is impossible.”

  “I know.” He sighed. “I told you I shouldn’t be asking, but, what if we went for it? Maybe not right now. But maybe after you transfer. After you’ve had a minute to readjust and settle in a little more.”

  It sounded so good, but I was gone after Bridgeport. And my departure date wasn’t set yet. I couldn’t leave my heart here with him when I needed it in the game. But how could I tell him that?

  “You can’t ask me that.” I didn’t mean for it to sound as emotional as it did, but man. He was everything I could dream of wanting if I was looking, but I couldn’t be looking. Coach needed me ready to play, and I wouldn’t be if I let myself get distracted up here.

  “Maybe I sound crazy, but I’m feeling things for you I’ve never felt for anyone, Emery. And I want to see where this goes.”

  I couldn’t take the honesty in his brown eyes, or the agony in his voice. I felt it, too. We’d built something in the matter of two weeks I’d never had with anyone else. Something we could keep building on over the summer, if life wasn’t so disjointed.

  “I want this, Emery,” he said, weaving our fingers together. “I wanna see if it’s what I think it is.”

  Oh man, he was going there, wasn’t he? I had to be careful, because I could go there so easily too, if I let myself. “Look, I feel it, too, okay?” I turned his hand over in mine and ran my fingertips across his wide palm, trailing them over his wrist, tracing the edge of his thumb and back again. I shouldn’t be confirming anything he admitted, but how could I not? Everything he said resounded in my heart, and it wasn’t like he was demanding me to be with him right now.

  He was my senior crush, and he was telling me he wanted this.

  “I feel like there’s a reason we’re crossing paths up here,” he whispered, “and I’d kick myself if I didn’t try and do something about it.”

  “I know.” I swallowed, and released a shaky breath. “It’s just. The timing’s the worst right now.”

  He sighed. “It’s bad for me, too. We can figure that part out. But I want you to know that I see you, all right? You’re so much more than just a blip on my radar, Emery.”

  I nodded, a million butterflies fluttering around in my stomach as he squeezed my hand.

  The radio buzzed. “Yo, Tuck. This is Mal. We’re heading up with a new truck. See you in a few. Copy?”

  Tucker lifted the radio to his lips, still studying me. “Copy that. See you soon.” He gave me an amazing grin, and I couldn’t help but return it.

  “You guys all down for some basketball after work?” Mal’s voice cracked through on the two-way again.

  Tucker lifted a questioning brow at me. “Are you down?”

  I nodded.

  -Tucker-

  Back at camp, I hunted my brothers down in the main office. We went to our new cabin, and changed into basketball gear.

  “You know you’re crazy if you think she can beat me,” Walker said, shaking his head.

  “I’d put money on it,” I countered.

  He whistled. “How much?”

  “How about two cents.” I ticked my fingertip against his head twice. “You could use it.”

  He laced his shoes and rolled his eyes.

  “Grab your water,” I said, to Kyler as he came out of the bedroom off to the left and into the living space we were in.

  “Got it,” he said, shaking his water bottle at me.

  “Nice. Ready guys?”

  We headed out, and I took a deep breath, the air warm and laced with traces of pine. If my family couldn’t be complete, it was good having my brothers here. At least I wouldn’t be freaking out about them every two seconds. Mom was a different story, but she was in capable hands, and the rest was up to her and God. I had no clue about Dad. I wasn’t sure I wanted to think about it.

  “What’s the deal with this Emery girl anyway, Tucker?” Walker asked, at my side.

  I cleared my throat. “We’re friends.”

  Dang, saying that tasted sour, but it was accurate. Until she was comfortable being more.

  “Oh. So, like all the friends you brought home in high school?”

  I frowned.

  He shrugged. “Just sayin’.”

  “Watch yourself, little brother. I might be nicer now than I was back then, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let you walk all over me.”

  He scoffed.

  I tried to let it go.

  Emery, Hunter, and Mal were already on the courts, shooting around when we got there.

  We split off into teams: Mal, Emery, and Walker, against me, Hunter, and Kyler.

  They started off with the ball, Emery dribbling down the court, like a pro. She juked left and sent a behind the back pass Walker’s way, but he just stood there, stunned, the ball heading on a perfect path out of bounds in front of him.

  Emery grunted when he missed it, and sprinted back the other way. “Better get that next time, little Tuck.”

  Mal cackled, nudging Walker with his elbow as he passed. “Little Tuck. I like it, man!”

  Walker’s face hardened, murder written in his stare as he eyed her.

  I thought about telling him
to go easy on her, but when I saw the same murderous glint in her eyes as she waited on the opposite side of the court for Hunter to dribble down, I knew she could handle herself.

  An hour after we started, the dinner bell rang, every single one of us drenched in sweat, and gasping for air. I set my basketball on the rack and told Kyler to refill his water bottle at the fountain down the hill, turning to ask Walker what his plan was for finding his new cabin, but he was still out there with Emery, shooting around.

  “So, you’re about to be a Junior, right?” she asked, between breaths, grabbing his rebound and passing it back.

  He squared up and nodded. “Yup.”

  “What are your goals for after high school?”

  “Goals? Girl, I can barely figure out my life for the summer. You can’t be talking about goals.” He shot and she rebounded, wiping her brow.

  “No offense,” she said. “But no goals, no future, right?”

  He shrugged again. “Whatever you say.”

  “Come on,” she grinned at him. “There has to be something you love to do. What fires you up, gets you excited about living? There’s a reason you’re on this earth. What is it?”

  Dang, she was incredible.

  He dribbled a couple times, shaking his head. “It’s a good question. I honestly don’t have an answer right now though.”

  I saw the way it hit her, the concern in her eyes matching the weight in my chest. He was sixteen and he didn’t have anything he loved? My throat tightened. I had a lot of work ahead of me, but it would be worth it in the end.

  “It’s okay not to know right now,” Emery said, jumping for another rebound. She passed it behind her back and caught me watching her. She grinned and I grinned back. “As long as you’re thinking about it, you’ll be fine.”

  He dribbled a few more times, and took another shot, banking it.

  “Nice.” She moved toward him with her hand up.

  I couldn’t get him to high-five me for anything, but he put one up for her, no problem.

  “I should go change for dinner,” she told him. “But if you want to talk more, I’m here all summer.”

  “I might have to hit you up on that,” he said, shrugging as he dribbled.

  “Don’t hesitate.” Her eyes found mine. “I’ll see you later?”

  I nodded, wanting to tell her to stay and we could see each other right now. “Dinner, for sure.”

  She nodded and headed up toward her lodge.

  “She’s good people, Tucker.” Walker’s voice carried over my shoulder and he put up another one when I turned to look at him.

  I couldn’t help but smile, nodding as I went to rebound a few more for him. “She is good people, bro. I tried to tell you.”

  Kyler came running back up the hill, all smiles when he saw me. “Hey, Tucker! I just saw this fat lizard! You wouldn’t believe how big. Like, the size of my arm. Seriously!”

  “Awesome, man!” I said.

  “So what’re you planning to do about her?” Walker asked, after his next shot.

  I swallowed, setting a hand on my hip as I watched him shoot again. “Nothing yet.”

  He frowned. “You’re an idiot.”

  “It’s called patience,” I countered, blocking him out to get the ball. We went in on a little one-on-one for a minute before Kyler complained about being hungry and asked if we could go.

  I had to show these guys a good example. A better example than I did when I was younger. I had to make them see they weren’t alone.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  -Emery-

  “So, you’re sure you want to transfer?” June asked me, as I approached her counter in the Main Office before work started the next morning.

  “I think it’s the best thing. I don’t want to jeopardize Tucker at all.”

  She puckered her lip, pulling a sheet of paper out of the printer. “So, are you guys dating then?” She handed me the paper.

  “No. But, we’re talking about it.”

  A sneaky grin curled on her lips. “I knew it.”

  “It’s nothing official,” I added. “We’re waiting to see how things go.”

  “I’ll be praying for you guys.” She pointed to my paper. “Take that to the Boathouse at eight-fifteen. You have an interview with Nolan. They’re short-staffed over there, so, I think he’ll want you in.” She cleared her throat and smiled. “Good luck with everything.”

  I returned her grin and turned to leave. “See you, June.”

  “See you.”

  I walked to the Boathouse, my stomach twisting in knots the closer I got. Nick’s broad shoulders were out on display in the rental window, his neon green tank popping against his tanned skin. I passed the line of kids out front and cleared my throat.

  He frowned when I stepped up to the window.

  “Hey.” My cheeks burned at the intensity in his eyes. I turned my attention to the decorative oars mounted to the wall behind him.

  “Staffers don’t have to check-in. Just leave your badge and take whatever you want.” He turned back to the life jacket he was re-threading. “Grab a life jacket before you go, though. Camp standard.”

  “Actually, that’s not why I’m here.” I tensed, praying he didn’t read anything into my decision to transfer.

  “Okay?” He paused what he was doing, his eyes traveling my face before his jaw clamped. “Why are you here then, Emery?”

  I slid the paper June gave me across the window and cleared my throat, tugging on my earlobe. “I’m supposed to meet with Nolan for an interview.”

  He frowned, snatching the form from the ledge. “You’re transferring?”

  I shrugged. “Yeah.”

  Eyes narrowed to slits, he grunted and disappeared, returning with Tucker’s stocky roommate.

  He stuck his hand out. “You’re Emery?”

  I nodded. “You must be Nolan.”

  “Guilty.” His deep blue eyes crinkled at the corners. “Let’s head out to a picnic bench.”

  I nodded, and turned on my heel, positive Nick’s eyes were poking daggers in my back the whole way to the table. Nolan’s footsteps followed mine and he took the place across the picnic table from me, grinning.

  “So. What’s up, Miss Emery? Maintenance a little gruesome or what?”

  “I really like it over there, actually.” Huh. I hadn’t thought about what I should say. “But just . . .”

  “Let me guess. You’re the only chick, and they’re all a bunch of drooling guys?” He rubbed a finger across his lips and lifted a brow.

  “Not exactly.” I twirled my thumbs in my lap. “And they’re all really good guys.”

  He grinned. “So, why the shift?”

  Honesty was policy, wasn’t it? And this guy looked more like the cool big brother type of lead than the uptight kind. He looked like a total surfer. “So, actually, the lead over there, Tucker, and I, we’re kind of . . .” What were we doing? We weren’t dating. We were thinking about it though. “Crushing? I guess is the word?” My cheeks flamed.

  His smirkish grin turned full-smile. “Right on, Tuck.”

  “Yeah. Anyway . . . it’s not anything official. But with the rules about leads and crew members and everything, we don’t want to risk it.”

  “Right. Right.” He furrowed his brows and crossed his arms, studying me. “So the Boathouse is where it’s at?”

  I nodded. “If there’s room for me.” I fought the urge to ask to be scheduled opposite from Nick. It wasn’t like we were mortal enemies or anything. It might be weird, but nothing I couldn’t handle.

  He chewed the inside of his cheek, staring at the lake behind me, lost in thought. He returned his sights to mine and stuck out his hand. “Welcome aboard, Emery. Let’s get you trained.”

  The Boathouse was awesome, but Nick wasn’t the happiest working with me. He wasn’t a total jerk, but he didn’t go out of his way to be nice to me either. I got it. I broke his heart. No one would be that excited to work with their ex.

&nbs
p; Nolan was nice, and hilarious, keeping things light the whole time we trained. We covered the emergency forms, and life jackets, and how to check out rentals. He helped me put the last stream of campers through the process, and by the time the day ended, I was toast.

  But, I had to hit the courts. This week marked the date for my three-week check-in and I couldn’t afford to lose my game.

  I went back to my room to change, and Lauren looked up at me from her desk, frowning. “I saw you in the Boathouse. Are you working there now?”

  “I transferred today.”

  She huffed a breath. “So, is this, like, a personal attack on me, or something?”

  “I’m sorry?”

  She flipped her hair, set her pen down, and crossed her arms. “I told you I still have feelings for Tucker and you kissed him. Now, I’m starting to hang out with Nick, and you transfer to his team. I don’t get it, Emery. What did I do to you?”

  I frowned. “That’s not what’s happening. I needed to transfer to get out of Maintenance because . . .” I didn’t want to say it to her. I had no idea how she’d handle it. But, I transferred out of there so there wouldn’t be an issue if anyone found out we were starting to see each other, didn’t I?

  “Because, what?” she asked, eyes bulging.

  “We’re talking about dating, and we don’t want it to be a problem for his job.” Wow. Saying it out loud made it so much more real.

  We’re talking about dating.

  We were talking about dating.

  Tucker. And me.

  I could die.

  She rolled her eyes, and turned back to her sketch. “Whatever. Summers aren’t reality. He’ll get over you as fast as he fell.”

  -Tucker-

  The next day at work was crazy. Kyler and Walker were out with their peers, hopefully living it up. My day was chock-full from the second I woke up until the second I pulled back into the Maintenance yard, my arms dead from edging all the lawns again. It was weird without Emery. Too weird. I’d seen her in the Boathouse a couple times in passing. I saw her ex at the window beside her too. That thought didn’t help my patience level at all. I stopped by the Boathouse after work to see if she wanted to hang out after dinner.