Glimmer (Glimmer and Glow 1) - Page 46

“But haven’t Alan Durand and his wife been dead for years?” she asked. “If what Kehoe said was true, Fall would have had to be a kid when he ‘ingratiated’ himself with the couple,” she mumbled, thinking furiously. Had Dylan become a favorite of the Durands when he was a teenage camper at their charitable organization? She hadn’t told anyone—even Thad or Kuvi—what Fall had told her about being a vulnerable child at Camp Durand. She didn’t think it was her place to expose what he’d told her in private.

Or maybe Fall’s vulnerability about his past felt a lot like her own, and she’d protected it instinctively.

“I’m not sure when they passed away exactly, or how Fall knew them,” Thad said quietly. “But I think Alan Durand lived longer than his wife, even though he was supposed to be weak and a sort of invalid for years. He certainly left his stamp on his company, though. Fall is hamstrung in his daily operations as CEO by the detailed operatives and the extensive trust document that rules all of Durand’s finances.”

“But I understood that Fall actually owns a good portion of Durand shares.”

“But not the majority,” Thad said. “The majority is held by the trust.”

Alice mulled this over as Thad glanced toward the camp. “Here comes Dave,” he said, frowning slightly.

“Oh … yeah,” Alice said distractedly, resuming walking.

“Alice.”

She paused and looked back at Thad. His expression was serious again.

“Thanks. For those things you said. I really have been accepting it as a given that my parents’ expectations for my life are more important than mine. I’m not saying I’m going to change my plans—this opportunity with Durand is too good to pass up—but it helped to hear you say that. To realize I have a choice. You’re really easy to talk to,” he said quietly.

She smiled and shrugged, embarrassed. “Sometimes, it just helps to hear yourself say it out loud.”

What would Kuvi or Dave or Thad say if she told them about how she’d spent last night? She scowled slightly at the judgey-sounding voice in her head. Still—there was no doubt about it. Her impulsivity when it came to Dylan Fall—her oddly intense obsession with him—could crash down on her at any moment given these circumstances. Most people would question Fall’s ethics in sleeping with her in this situation. They’d certainly question her judgment. What if Kehoe found out? She was being stupid. She was letting her guard down, something Alice just didn’t do.

But for some reason, it felt nothing but right when Dylan touched her—

“I’d like to be able to talk with you more,” Thad said, interrupting her thoughts and taking a step toward her. Alice’s heart jumped. “Alone. In private,” he added tensely.

“I thought you guys got lost in the woods,” Dave said dryly, approaching them. Alice took a step back. “Our teams have dinner duty,” he reminded Thad. “If you want to shower first, you better now.”

“Yeah. Okay,” Thad said distractedly, dragging his gaze off Alice’s face. “See you later,” he told her pointedly before he jogged toward his cabin.

“Do you want me to take that stuff?” Dave asked her in a friendly fashion, waving at the scrimmage vests. “The equipment storage is close to our cabin.”

“That’s okay, but thanks. I can do it.”

Dave tilted his head in the direction Thad had just taken. “Sorry for barging in on you two,” he said quietly. “I figured Thad had forgotten about dinner duty. He tends to forget about a lot of things when you’re around,” he said with a smile.

“It’s not a problem at all,” she assured, eager to correct his misunderstanding. “We were just talking.”

Dave’s look was a little too knowing for her liking. “Kuvi mentioned you being away from your cabin last night.” Alice’s stomach dropped. “Don’t worry,” Dave said quickly, obviously interpreting her alarmed expression. “Kuvi and I can keep a secret. It was just by chance that we realized we were both in the same situation. That’s the only reason we talked about it.”

“What situation?” Alice asked numbly, confused.

“We’re the roommates who have roommates that are …” Dave rolled his hand in a circular motion as if he wasn’t going to condescend to state the obvious. Alice wished he would write it down for her, because she had no idea what he was talking about. “I was the one who mentioned it to Kuvi first—about Thad being away most of the night from our cabin. Then she told me about you, and it all made sense. Kuvi normally wouldn’t have said anything, if we hadn’t had that in common. And don’t worry,” he mimed locking his lips together and flinging away the key. “Your secret is safe. I approve of Thad’s taste—for once. Like I said, privacy is a rare commodity around here. We’ve got to help each other protect it, right?”

“Dave, I don’t think you—”

Someone shouted Dave’s name. He turned and waved. “Gotta go. See you at dinner,” he said, jogging down the path and leaving Alice utterly bewildered how to proceed with this new complication in her life.

THAT night, Alice talked the kids into a fun game of Pictionary despite Terrance’s insistence that they tell more ghost stories. Given what had happened to her last night at the castle, she thought she’d heard enough ghost stories for now. Crystal had worried about the kids having nightmares. Little had she known that she’d be the one waking up in the midst of a nightmare, she thought with self-disgust. Somewhere in the midst of the rowdy game of Pictionary, Alice fortified herself and made a decision.

She wasn’t going to meet Dylan tonight in the woods. She was overwhelmed by everything that was happening to her.

What she needed was some time and space to figure it all out.

Her decision left an uncomfortable ache in the vicinity of her chest as she left the Red Team’s cabin that night. Muted pink and lavender light still clung in the western sky. She immediately spied Thad and Brooke standing at an intersection in one of the camp paths. Thad looked around as Alice closed the screen door behind her, as if he’d been expecting her. He took a half step back, and Brooke took a full step toward him, her gaze fixed on his face. She spoke quietly. For once, Brooke didn’t look like a bitch. Maybe it was a trick of the fading light, but instead, she looked anxious. Thad turned back to her and said something Alice couldn’t hear.

Feeling like an intruder, Alice hastened in the direction of her cabin. She felt jumpy and vaguely nauseated. Dylan would be waiting for her in the woods in half an hour. It pained her, to think of him waiting there alone.

Tags: Beth Kery Glimmer and Glow Erotic
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