Every Summer Has A Story

Ch. 13 - The Other Rat Bastard

"You look like shit," Auden commented as Eve stumbled out of her room.

The clock read 6:59 AM and Eve was still rubbing sleep from her eyes,

"Bite me," she growled, wiggling her left foot down into her Ariat boot.

Auden rolled her eyes and dropped into an empty chair, pointedly ignoring her cranky best friend.

"Yikes, someone needs her Monster." Maverick teased from his seat at one of three tables.

Two more had magically dropped over night to make space for the senior counselors. Eve sulked her way to the seat next to Maverick and sat down with a groan,

"I'm actually dead. I'm deceased. Am zombie."

Maverick chuckled low in Eve's ear and rubbed a large hand over her bare knee.

"Maybe you shouldn't stay up all night gallivanting around with some strange dude."

Eve's sleepy fog evaporated immediately at the intimate contact,

"Strange being the operative word."

Maverick didn't miss a beat before sliding his hand up and squeezing the sensitive spot on her thigh,

"You like it."

Eve blinked a few times and thanked her lucky stars for the table concealing Maverick's wandering hand.

"Yeah, I really do like it.." she thought helplessly as her body automatically leaned closer to his.

"At least you seemed to last night when I helped you sneak back into your room at 3 AM..."

Eve flushed up to her roots at the newest memory in her Maverick collection. He'd carefully kissed her forehead as he dropped her off at the back door and wished her sweet dreams...

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Eve whispered.

The bright moon beams highlighted the glow of Maverick's eyes and his genuine smile had her belly fluttering madly. 

"It just feels like I've known you forever," he whispered back, "I never saw you coming."

She half expected him to kiss her right then and there, his body was pressed against her and his calloused hands cupped her face, but he ended the exchange with a chaste forehead kiss and a lingering embrace instead.

Back in reality, Maverick was regarding Eve with the same level of intensity at the breakfast table, devouring her with his baby blues. Lost in her thoughts and Maverick's electric stare, Eve barely registered the sounds of new voices at the front door. She didn't notice the unfamiliar people piling into the lodge. She didn't notice the flash of blonde hair until it flew into Maverick's lap. Eve jumped away and Maverick immediately pulled back his hand, her skin instantly missing the heat of his touch.

"Babe!" the blonde squealed, planting an enthusiastic kiss on Maverick's lips, "surprise!"

Eve froze to the spot, panic engulfing her. Her gaze shot to Auden almost immediately and Auden was on her feet and bee-lining toward her in seconds. She quickly pulled Eve out of her chair and gave the table a big smile only Eve knew to be fake.

"Evie!" she squealed with fake vigor, "come meet the other counselors!"

As Auden dragged her away, Eve couldn't help looking back over her shoulder in shock. The slim blonde was practically wrapped around Maverick by that point and there was no denying their relationship status. Maverick met her gaze for one fleeting, agonizing moment before Eve turned to stone.

"Never again," she swore to herself, her inner goddess puffing up her chest as Eve ripped her eyes away from Maverick's pained expression, "never the fuck again."