Daring the Bad Boy (Endless Summer)(48)

It all sounded like a bunch of crap to me. Especially when I saw that tool Kyle go talk to Annie during dinner. He had a plan for her tonight, I could tell. When he returned to his table, all the other guys had given him a high five. He wanted to hook up with Annie.

My Annie.

Frowning, I told myself I couldn’t be that possessive. She didn’t belong to me. I was still so confused I didn’t know exactly how she felt about me. We could consider each other friends. We’d grown closer. But was she interested in me beyond being a friend? Having her in my arms last night in the pool, that wasn’t just a friendly hug. That had been more.

But maybe it had only been more to me. Maybe she thought nothing of it. Nothing of me.

She was too good for me anyway.

I grabbed another log and threw it into the fire, making Brian yell, “Watch out, dude!”

Screw it. I was pissed and taking it out on the fire.

“Go sit down and cool off,” Brian said, waving toward the old log benches that surrounded the bonfire area. “You’re going to set this whole place on fire if you don’t calm down.”

Yeah. I felt like I could burn the entire camp down with my anger alone, which was so freaking stupid. I was trying to get that shit under control. Not let things get to me anymore. I’d been doing so well, too. Teaching the kids at swim lessons in the morning, working my lifeguard detail with no complaints and even earning a few compliments from Dane lately. Hell, I had Nancy approach me this morning asking if I’d lead a paper-airplane-making class in arts and crafts next week. I’d said yes, too stunned by her request to say anything else.

But now I was acting like a jealous fool, all because I saw Kyle talk to Annie. Who knew what he said to her? I could be mad over nothing. Though I doubted it. Kyle was interested in Annie. Annie was interested in Kyle. Her dreams were finally coming true. I should be happy for her.

I wasn’t.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” I told Brian before I jogged over to the main building, where Uncle Bob’s office was. I walked inside, smiling at his secretary as I went past her desk. The woman worked morning, noon, and night. It was like she never took any time off. I bet she slept at her desk, too.

Knocking on Uncle Bob’s partially open door, I heard him yell “come in,” and I pushed the door open to find him sitting behind his desk. Leaning back in his chair, his feet kicked up on the desk, his arms bent behind his head. He looked like he was taking a nap.

“Ah, I was just headed out to the fire now. Can’t wait to see what Nancy has up her sleeve tonight.” He pushed his feet off the desk and sat forward, a big grin on his face. “What are you up to, Jake?”

“Could I use the phone? I want to call my dad.” He’d been on my mind a lot lately, especially after my conversation with Annie last night, and I was seized with the need to call him. Maybe not the best idea, considering I still had residual anger coursing through my veins, but maybe hearing his voice would calm me down. Remind me why I was really here.

To get my head on straight, not let it get f*cked with by some girl.

“Of course you can call your dad. I’m leaving right now, so you can have some privacy.” Uncle Bob waved a hand toward the phone that sat on his desk. “Don’t talk too long, though. You don’t want to miss Nancy’s stories!”

He rose from his chair, and I watched him lumber across his office. Stopping at the door, he turned to look at me. “Tell your dad I said hello.” They were brothers, but they weren’t that close anymore. My dad had distanced himself from everyone after Mom died.

“I will,” I said, settling in Bob’s just vacated chair. “Thanks, Uncle Bob.”

“Of course. And like I said, don’t talk too long. I’ve been waiting to hear Nancy’s scary ghost stories all year. They’re the best.” He shut the door behind him and was gone.

Great. So Uncle Bob would be there tonight. I knew it would end up a make-out fest, but I didn’t want him to see me with Annie.

If I even had a chance to get with Annie tonight.

Feeling miserable, I dialed my dad’s number, grateful when he answered on the second ring.

“Hey Dad. It’s me.”

“Jacob! How are you? Everything okay?” We’d had a deal that I wouldn’t call much this summer. We were both fine with that at the time. He’d been frustrated with me and I’d been resentful toward him, so it worked out.

But for some reason, it felt good to hear his voice.

“I’m fine,” I said, pushing past the crack of emotion I heard in my voice. I hoped he didn’t notice. “I just wanted to call and say hey. So…hey.”

“Hey. How’s the weather up there?”

“Hot. Muggy.”

“Breathing in all that mountain air has to be good for you.”

“Yeah, I guess so. I spend most of my time outside, since I’m a lifeguard.” He already knew that, but I thought I’d remind him.

“Making friends?”

I rolled my eyes. He sounded like I was a ten-year-old camper, not a counselor. “I guess.”

“Met any girls?”

“Sort of.” Now the conversation had become flat-out awkward.

“Some of my fondest memories are of the girls I met during summer camp.”