Page 8 of Foul Line

“They didn’t really have a choice,” Alec bites out.

I turn to look at him. “No, I guess they didn’t.” Then, I spin toward my cabin with the lacrosse team—and Alec’s sister—in tow.

5

Ispend the rest of the afternoon getting my cabin ready. The lacrosse guys didn’t stay long, which I was grateful for. I don’t need another spectacle between Chase and the Ballers. One was plenty. Roberta, too, left when her mother came to retrieve her without Alec. Once I was left to myself, I rearranged the small cabin, put my sheets on the bed, and texted my mom to tell her I was safe. I’d hoped to finish with enough time to take my first swim in the lake this year, but instead, I worked right up until dinner.

With my hands on my hips, I survey the small, one-room cabin to see if anything else needs to be done. A knock sounds on the door behind me, so I turn to get it, expecting my dad. It’s not him coming to remind me about dinner, though, it’s Hayes. He’s so tall he takes up the entire frame of the door and then some. He crouches a little to take a step inside, so I move back to let him in. “Um, hey,” I say, a niggle of apprehension burrowing into my side.

He stops in the middle of the room, gaze bouncing off the small touches I put here and there. I have no idea what the boys’ cabins even look like on the inside. I’ve only ever seen inside my own temporary living space. Without so much as a greeting, Hayes turns to stare at me. “Did you know Chase Fisher was going to be here?”

My eyebrows pull together. “No… Why would I?”

He runs a hand through his thick hair. Now that it’s summer and he’s been spending so much time outside my house in the full rays of the sun, there’s a handsome copper glint to his hair that I can’t help but notice.

He doesn’t answer my question. I’m not going to let him get away with that. “Listen, Hayes, if you’re going to stand outside my house and now finally talk to me, you’re going to have to start giving me some answers.”

His gaze locks on mine. “We don’t need a repeat of what happened at Rockport, do we?” His fists clench at his sides.

I know exactly what he means. It’s clear. I also know Hayes has a reputation. Sure, he’s the quiet type, but that doesn’t mean he’s meek. He’s the exact opposite. He might not start fights, but he’ll end them. He might not start arguments, but he’ll end them, too. I sigh. “I wouldn’t think that was a problem anymore, considering the Ballers obviously unclaimed me.” I think back on the last few months of school. They barely even looked at me let alone talked to me.

“In words, maybe. You know I don’t care much for words anyway.”

“Yeah, well, I do. Words mean a lot. Actually, words mean everything. They can hurt, they can heal. They can—”

“Actions mean more.” His blue eyes dare me to disagree with him.

I shake my head. I don’t know why I thought he was any different. “Spoken like somebody who just wants to get into a fight.”

“I’m not talking about that, Tessa.”

I freeze at the sound of my name on his lips. I don’t think he’s ever said my name before. It makes my stomach squeeze and my anger slowly unravel. After a moment, I find my voice. “I didn’t know Chase was going to be here. You can ask Alec. He was there when I first saw him.”

Hayes looks to his feet. “Alec doesn’t really like talking about you.”

I roll my eyes. Of course he doesn’t. He’d rather I just didn’t exist, I’m sure. “Yeah, well, feeling’s mutual, I guess.”

Hayes takes a breath, and with that one action, it’s as if he sucks all the air from the room. My gaze darts to his. His lips purse before he says, “I’m sorry about this year.”

The world closes in on me. The cabin, my things, and everything else around Hayes and me disappears. I just stare at him. He looks contrite. Ashamed, too. I can tell he means what he’s said, but I don’t know if I can find it in me to care.

“None of us thought it was going to go down like that.”

I stand there for a minute, watching him squirm in the silence filling the room. Good. He deserves it. “I guess you were right, Ice Man. Words don’t really mean all that much.” I walk past him, keeping my eyes intent on his face until I push my cabin door open and step out onto the porch. I wait for Hayes to walk out after me. He doesn’t look back as he steps off the porch, but he does wait for me just off the side of the steps while I lock the flimsy door.

Why apologize now? And why start this whole conversation asking about Chase like he has something to do with any of this?

When I step off the porch, he starts walking. I follow him all the way to the main building, but in a way, it’s almost as if he’s following me. He’s aware of where I am every single step of the way. I have no doubt that if I were to veer off the path, he would stop and follow. When we get to the big log cabin, he opens the door for me, and I step through.

Immediately, I’m assaulted by the smell of hot, barbecued food. Through a door to our right is the mess hall that’s set up much like RHS’s cafeteria. Already, I can hear the chatter of those who’ve beaten us to the food. My stomach tells me I’ve waited too long to eat, so I head straight for the door without thinking what I’ll see on the other side of it.

Heads snap around, most noticeably the Ballers. They glance over me and then behind me, surely taking note of Hayes following me inside. That’s where this ends for Hayes though. He goes right over to where the rest of the Ballers are sitting and makes himself comfortable.

For the first time since school ended, I see Sloan. I have to suck in a breath at the dark circles under his eyes. He looks so tired. They make me think of the naps I took with him, of trying to take care of him, which in turn makes my heart ache. All that’s washed away though. He couldn’t even find it in himself to stick up for me when Lake started his shit.

Forget him.

Instead of wallowing, I move toward the other guys I recognize from previous years. I say hey to them and then introduce myself to the others. I recognize their names, and now I have the faces to go along with them.

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