Because I was already broken.
I didn’t want boys my age — I wanted him.
“You’re a good liar.” My eyes narrowed. “And you’re lucky I’m patient.”
“Lucky?” He sputtered out a laugh. “That you like toying with me?”
“No, lucky that even though you constantly push me away…I keep coming back for more. But, Phoenix… everyone’s time eventually runs out.”
“Go to breakfast, Bee.”
“Go to Hell, Phoenix.”
I stomped off, leaving him to his thoughts, and made my way into the dining room. Andi was already sitting next to Pike. I grabbed a plate, filled it with meat, and slammed it down onto the table.
“Uh, could you not slam things?” Pike winced. “Still got a headache over here.”
“Oh.” I stabbed the eggs with my fork. “Sorry.”
“How’d it go last night after your knight in shining armor rescued you from my dangerous grasp?” He smirked and leaned forward.
Something about Pike was seriously off; maybe it was the way he stared at me, as if I was naked, or maybe it was just his presence. He seemed too old to be in college — too old and too knowledgeable about everything.
“Oh, you know, we had wild monkey sex in the woods, and then I woke up with a pinecone attached to my ass.” I grinned then shoved the eggs into my mouth and chewed.
“Classy.” Pike whistled.
“Always.”
“Students!” The new dean, whose name I couldn’t remember, walked to the front of the room and clapped his hands. “Make sure to check your itinerary for the day. We have you split up into eight teams for the day’s activities. Enjoy!”
“Yay.” I twirled my fork into the air.
My lack of enthusiasm got worse when I was paired on Pike’s team, and we continued to lose every single activity, including beach volleyball.
Apparently, he was competitive.
And because I had no idea how to play any sport of any kind, I was the reason we kept losing. I apologized, but it did nothing to calm that stupid vein that kept twitching near his temple.
The next day passed by in a blur.
Phoenix rarely spoke to me, and when he did, it was only to bark orders and make sure I was always — and I do mean always — where I was supposed to be. If I didn’t check in on an hourly basis, he hunted me down.
The fun was officially gone. I just wanted to go home. But I had no home to go to, not really.
I had no place I felt comfortable.
Except in his arms, or maybe in his room.
But now there was this giant chasm between us, one I couldn’t jump across, because he didn’t want me to even try.
I was the job. Nothing more.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Working for Tex officially sucks.
Phoenix
THANK GOD IT WAS the final day. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take of Bee prancing around in her bikini while attempting to play beach volleyball. It was like the girl had the athleticism of a two year old, and what made it worse was that her body was that of a woman, so even when she missed the ball, things still… bounced.
And I still watched.
Like every other male within her vicinity.
I wrote down the worst offenders, mentally begging them to do something stupid so I could have the chance to shoot them.
We were leaving in an hour, and I still needed to get the final camera from Bee’s room.
The door was closed. I knocked twice.
Bee answered and rolled her eyes. “What do you want?”
“Just checking in,” I said smoothly, my eyes locating the camera immediately. I’d have to come back when she was in the bathroom or something.
“Well…” Bee turned around and lifted her hands into the air. “…care to strip search me, or are we done here?”
I let out a sigh and sat on the bed. “Am I going to have to deal with this happy attitude the entire drive home?”
Bee put her hair up into a tight ponytail, her movements jerky. “Probably. Is that going to be an issue?”
“Not at all. I can wear headphones.”
“I’ll scream.”
“Try me.”
“I’ll hit you so we run off a cliff.”
“You hate heights.”
“Agh!” She stomped her foot. “How can you always be so calm?”
“You think I’m calm?” The idea was laughable, completely ridiculous. If she even knew how close I was to snapping — all the damn time.
“I bet if I punched you in the face, you’d grunt, maybe shrug.”
“Well, there’s only one way to find out.”
“You’re like a freaking robot!”
Ignoring her, I stood and grabbed her duffel bag. “This all packed?”
“Yeah,” she said in a broken voice. “Oh wait.” She ran into the bathroom then ran out and stuffed her bikini into one of the side pockets.
It was yellow.
And I was obsessed with it.
Not that I’d ever say it out loud, lest I lost the last of the control I possessed.
“Hold on,” a voice whispered on the other side of the door. “Yeah, I’m alone.” It was Pike.
I gave my head a shake.
Bee didn’t move.
“No, nothing. Do you think I’m stupid? No, I understand. I’ll get it done, I just need more time. I can’t just—” He swore under his breath. “I said I’d get the job done, and I mean it. Just keep your end of the deal.”