Gray Back Bad Bear(17)

He only wanted to escape himself for a little while with someone who didn’t know him.





Chapter Five




Too far away for Willa’s blurry eyes to see, there was splashing and chaos on the shore where Matt was headed. They weren’t alone in this magic place under the waterfall anymore.

Confused and a little gut-hurt, Willa slipped off the rock and back under the falls. As she swam closer to the shore and the people there became clearer, her stomach sank with every stroke.

Brittney’s high-pitched flirty laugh echoed across the water, drawing a wince from Willa. And when she stepped clumsily onto the shore, her tankini clinging to her like an ill-fitting second skin, Brittney was hanging from Matt’s neck, whispering in his ear while he held her elbows and listened with a faraway look in his eyes. Great.

“Hey again,” Jason said with a friendly smile. “Sorry we crashed the party, but these three were relentless to come up here.”

“I thought you said no potential mates up here,” Matt said to one of his crew mates. Creed, she remembered him calling the dark-haired, dark-eyed man from last night.

“We’re not potential mates,” Kara said, peeling her tank top off to expose her perfectly perky boobs nearly bobbing out of her purple teeny bikini. “Potential bed-mates only,” she said with a wink at Jason.

Jason growled low in his throat and nipped at her neck, then jerked his chin toward the water and took off. Kara followed, giggling loudly.

“That’s an awesome bathing suit,” Brittney said as she peeled her beach dress off to expose her perfect ten body, barely contained in her bikini. “I think my grandma has the same one.”

Cheeks heating, Willa jerked her gaze to the water so Matt wouldn’t see how bad Brittney’s insults stung. Really, she should be used to it by now.

“I saw your post online,” Brittney said to Matt. “This place sounded amazing so we just had to come check it out for ourselves.”

“Wait, you accepted her friend request but not mine?” Willa’s voice came out high and hurt.

Brittney snorted as Matt seemed to struggle to find his words. “Okay, why is that shocking to you?” she asked Willa as she passed. “Come on, Matthew. I want to see the waterfall.”

Matt ran his hands over his wet hair, spiking it up in all directions. “I can tell by the look on your face you’re figuring out I was telling the truth,” he murmured as he walked by. “I’m not a nice guy.” He brushed her hip with a light touch of his fingertips as his gaze followed Brittney. “I’m sorry if you got hurt.”

“That’s fine,” she said, unable to hold his gaze. She looked down at her feet in the sand instead. She ghosted a glance up to him and looked back down before he saw her eyes brimming with stupid tears. “It’s my fault for thinking you had more substance.”

Matt flinched, but left her standing there as he walked purposely into the water after the bombshells, who were splashing and laughing with Jason and a blond guy she recognized from the bar last night.

She slipped into her board shorts and glasses and pulled her oversize cover-up over her head. Smiling politely at Creed, she pulled her backpack over her shoulders.

“Nah, you can’t leave now,” Creed said, sympathy in his dark eyes. “Come on over here and sit with me. I hate swimming.”

Gia yelled, “Creed, come on!” but the man shook his head and dug a pair of beers out of a red cooler someone had set in the sand.

He popped the top on both of them and handed her one.

“Why don’t you like swimming?” Willa asked, settling down into a forest green bag chair.

Creed’s eyes tightened, and he shook his head. “I just don’t.”

Awesome. More mysteries. Why couldn’t anyone just give a fucking straight answer around here? To mask the very pathetic, human growl clawing its way up her throat, she took a ridiculously long swig of beer. Watching Brittney chase Matt with long, graceful strokes through the water made Willa regret staying. Maybe if she drank her beer faster, she could excuse herself and go back to the campground to nurse her heart wounds in private.

Why were the bombshells getting to her like this? It’s not like they were doing anything out of character. It had obviously upset Brittney last night when Matt invited Willa out here instead of her, so of course she would’ve manipulated the rest of his crew into bringing them out to Bear Trap Falls. It wasn’t even about Matt. Willa already knew what the future held, like a freaking psychic. Brittney would chase Matt until he gave in, which would probably take all of three point eight seconds, she’d sleep with him, and then she’d gloat in front of Willa every chance she got. She’d done the same thing to Paul Dunner freshmen year of high school and Seth Mayor a year later. And they weren’t even friends then. It was some sick game Brittney played to make sure Willa still knew her place. She’d learned quickly to hide any crushes on boys because they would inevitably end up on Brittney’s long list of conquests.