with closing my suitcase and storing it beside the wardrobe. Oh, and maybe my clothes need rearranging on the shelves, too.
“There’s something wrong with the light,” Justin says after a while.
Refolding every single T-shirt, I make an effort not to glance at him, and instead shrug. “It’s been doing that since we switched it on this evening.” My voice is nonchalant, but the truth is, if this stupid bulb keeps acting up like this, it’s going to drive me to crazy things really soon—like throwing stones at it.
A scraping on the floor drags my attention away from folding clothes and makes me turn around. Justin had dragged the desk chair to the middle of the room and is now stepping onto it. With the cuff of his sweatshirt pulled over his right hand, he reaches up above his head and twists the light bulb a quarter turn. The flickering stops.
When he looks down at me with a satisfied expression, I gape at him and the light, with an open mouth. “You’re welcome,” he says, amused, jumps off the chair, and moves it back to the desk. “Is there anything else you need to do that I can help you with before you’re free to join us?”
I don’t like the mocking sound of his voice. “No. And thanks for the invitation, but I’m not going.”
Justin heaves a sigh and sits down on the chair instead of my bed. “Some things never change, do they?” he mumbles.
Pardon? I cross my arms over my chest. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“God, Chloe…” He cuts a glance skyward before he focuses on me. “Why do you always have to stand in your own way? What’s so bad about spending a couple hours with the rest of us to get to know each other better? After all, we’re stuck here for five weeks. Don’t you think we should try to get along?” He lifts both brows, adding, “Nicely?”
“I do get along with everyone. I just don’t want to spend every free minute with the rest of you. I’m sure you guys will have fun without me.”
He stands and slowly walks toward me, forcing me to back away until the wall stops me. “You don’t get it, do you?” His hands come up. He plants them at either side of my head against the wall. “This isn’t about you alone. Julie wants to go, but she doesn’t want to go without you. So if you can’t do it for yourself, do it for her.”
The wood presses against my spine as I struggle to put the most possible distance between us. Dammit, has he never heard of personal space and that he’s not supposed to intrude in someone else’s?
“It’s certainly not dependent on me whether she’s going out or not,” I snap—or whisper…rather hoarsely.
“You don’t seem to judge people very well.”
Whatever. I push at his chest, drawing in a sharp breath when he doesn’t budge. “Leave me alone.”
“You know I’m in charge,” he warns in an almost dangerous tone. “I can force you to come.”
“No, you can’t.” I’m sure he can’t.
He presses his lips together and almost smirks. “You’re right, I can’t. But at the end of your probation, I have to file a report about you. The question now is, what will I write in it?” In a provocative way, he shifts his mouth to one side, pretending to deliberate. “Did you take your job seriously and act as a model counselor? Or did you fail?”
My eyes grow wide with horror. “You wouldn’t dare!”
He bends his arms so that his face moves even closer and his chest is pushing against mine. “Are you sure?”
I’m warm, that’s all I know right now. Way too warm. It must be 120 degrees in here. And then I wonder what stupid game he’s playing. Before today, we hadn’t spoken three words in four years, and now he thinks he can fuel my fire by getting too close?
Well, judging by my galloping heartbeat thundering in my ears right now, he obviously can. It’s extremely annoying.
At that moment, Numbers Two and Three burst back into the room. “Everything’s set. We can go,” Julie says
“There’s something wrong with the light,” Justin says after a while.
Refolding every single T-shirt, I make an effort not to glance at him, and instead shrug. “It’s been doing that since we switched it on this evening.” My voice is nonchalant, but the truth is, if this stupid bulb keeps acting up like this, it’s going to drive me to crazy things really soon—like throwing stones at it.
A scraping on the floor drags my attention away from folding clothes and makes me turn around. Justin had dragged the desk chair to the middle of the room and is now stepping onto it. With the cuff of his sweatshirt pulled over his right hand, he reaches up above his head and twists the light bulb a quarter turn. The flickering stops.
When he looks down at me with a satisfied expression, I gape at him and the light, with an open mouth. “You’re welcome,” he says, amused, jumps off the chair, and moves it back to the desk. “Is there anything else you need to do that I can help you with before you’re free to join us?”
I don’t like the mocking sound of his voice. “No. And thanks for the invitation, but I’m not going.”
Justin heaves a sigh and sits down on the chair instead of my bed. “Some things never change, do they?” he mumbles.
Pardon? I cross my arms over my chest. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“God, Chloe…” He cuts a glance skyward before he focuses on me. “Why do you always have to stand in your own way? What’s so bad about spending a couple hours with the rest of us to get to know each other better? After all, we’re stuck here for five weeks. Don’t you think we should try to get along?” He lifts both brows, adding, “Nicely?”
“I do get along with everyone. I just don’t want to spend every free minute with the rest of you. I’m sure you guys will have fun without me.”
He stands and slowly walks toward me, forcing me to back away until the wall stops me. “You don’t get it, do you?” His hands come up. He plants them at either side of my head against the wall. “This isn’t about you alone. Julie wants to go, but she doesn’t want to go without you. So if you can’t do it for yourself, do it for her.”
The wood presses against my spine as I struggle to put the most possible distance between us. Dammit, has he never heard of personal space and that he’s not supposed to intrude in someone else’s?
“It’s certainly not dependent on me whether she’s going out or not,” I snap—or whisper…rather hoarsely.
“You don’t seem to judge people very well.”
Whatever. I push at his chest, drawing in a sharp breath when he doesn’t budge. “Leave me alone.”
“You know I’m in charge,” he warns in an almost dangerous tone. “I can force you to come.”
“No, you can’t.” I’m sure he can’t.
He presses his lips together and almost smirks. “You’re right, I can’t. But at the end of your probation, I have to file a report about you. The question now is, what will I write in it?” In a provocative way, he shifts his mouth to one side, pretending to deliberate. “Did you take your job seriously and act as a model counselor? Or did you fail?”
My eyes grow wide with horror. “You wouldn’t dare!”
He bends his arms so that his face moves even closer and his chest is pushing against mine. “Are you sure?”
I’m warm, that’s all I know right now. Way too warm. It must be 120 degrees in here. And then I wonder what stupid game he’s playing. Before today, we hadn’t spoken three words in four years, and now he thinks he can fuel my fire by getting too close?
Well, judging by my galloping heartbeat thundering in my ears right now, he obviously can. It’s extremely annoying.
At that moment, Numbers Two and Three burst back into the room. “Everything’s set. We can go,” Julie says
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