Page 16 of Surviving Love
He twisted his lips. “Maybe I really do know it all.”
“I’m sure you think you do.”
There was a crack of thunder, and Jack grimaced. “We should head back.”
I felt better after our little talk, so I nodded. “Good idea.” As we made our way back to camp, we were silent. I was still surprised that Jack had bothered to come after me, and even more surprised he’d been almost kind to me. I’d have never suspected in a million years he’d be empathetic to others.
We reached the camp, and when I crawled into the shelter, Harold popped his head up.
“You two work things out?” he asked quietly, eyeing me warily.
I ignored him and lay down, turning my back to him. That meant I was facing Jack, which actually wasn’t any better. Fortunately, it was dark inside the shelter, and I couldn’t really see Jack clearly.
“We worked it out for now,” Jack said softly.
“Okay, good.” Harold cleared his throat. “You mad at me, Mason?”
I didn’t respond because I wasn’t exactly sure what to say. The game was all about deceit. It was silly to hold a grudge against Harold simply because he’d been playing the game. But his betrayal had shown me a weakness in myself that I didn’t like seeing. I’d thought I was ready to come out here and play the game without getting my feelings hurt. Instead, I’d been wounded the first time someone wasn’t who I thought they were. I needed to be harder. I was never going to make it to the end if I was this easily bruised.
“Come on, kid. It’s just a game,” Harold whispered.
Jack sat up on his elbow. “Hey, Harold, how about you let Mason get some damn sleep? He’ll probably feel more forgiving in the morning.”
Surprised Jack was speaking up for me, I almost laughed. This was only the first day, and already nothing was what it seemed. Jack had inadvertently become a sort of ally. He’d alerted me to the fact that Harold wasn’t trustworthy and offered me a temporary lifeline. Why? What was his motivation? Could it truly just be that he appreciated my help in building the shelter? No, there had to be a deeper reason for his sudden change toward me. Did he think keeping me around helped him somehow? Probably. That was the only explanation that made sense.
Jack lay down again with a grunt. We were all squeezed in like sardines, and his arm pressed against mine. I was exhausted from the long day, but still the warmth of his skin did strange things to me. I could barely stand the guy, but my body didn’t seem to realize that. My cock warmed and hardened slightly as Jack’s scent of fading cologne and sweat filled my nostrils. I willed myself to think of nonsexual things like bugs and snakes. The last thing I wanted or needed was to be sexually attracted to Jack or anyone.
I squeezed my eyes closed and concentrated on the slow in and out of my breaths. Jack wasn’t my friend any more than Harold had been. Jack was using me somehow; of that I was sure. With me on his side, he gained another vote for his alliance. I needed to stop playing this game like it was summer camp and start strategizing more. I’d play along with Jack and Harold and let them believe I was a good soldier. I’d vote for who they told me to vote for and laugh at all their dumb jokes. I’d make them like me. Value me.
Then I’d vote their asses out the first chance I got.
Chapter Four
I woke up to the smell of smoke and the sound of laughter outside the shelter. One other guy was still sleeping near me, but I decided it was time to get up. Stumbling from the shelter, I stifled a groan. My back ached, and I was dying of thirst.
Jack and Harold were nowhere to be seen, but the others greeted me cheerfully as I emerged.
“How’d you sleep?” Lydia asked, chewing on a piece of coconut.
My mouth watered at the sight of that drupe. I wasn’t usually a fan of coconut, but I’d have eaten it happily this morning. I’d have eaten many foods I didn’t like. If someone had offered me a plate of liver and sauerkraut, I’d have wolfed it down. It was amazing what hunger could do, and this was only day two.
I helped myself to some potable water and sat down next to the fire. A pan of rice bubbled over the flames, and my stomach growled. At least the rain had finally stopped and we’d get a meal.
Rob sat down beside me, his gaze pinned on the rice. “I can’t wait to eat. I never thought plain rice would be so enticing.”
I smiled. “Thank goodness the rain stopped. Who started the fire?”
Rob chuffed. “Who do you think?”
“Harold?”
“No. Jack. Harold couldn’t get the fire going because everything is so wet. Jack had to step in.”
“I see. Jack really knows his stuff. He’s handy to have around.”
Rob gave an odd laugh. “Yes. He’s also annoyingly bossy.”
“But at least we have a way to cook some rice, thanks to him.” How had I become the person defending Jack? Definitely not a position I wanted to be in. I decided to change the subject. “Were you able to sleep last night?”
