Falling for the Player

Chapter 15- Nastiness and Nature Hikes

Veronica stood in the door frame for a moment, her freshly manicured nails resting on her hips. She then changed her brooding glare to a falsified smile. She stared at me for a few, painful moments, her green eyes boring into me threateningly.  She took a second to re-adjust her plaid, Neiman Marcus poncho and then tore her gaze away from me and towards Blake.

"Laine," she cooed, her voice icily fake, "Would you mind coming outside with me and Samantha for a moment."

I gulped. Half of me wanted to look at Blake for help, the other half of me wanted to run in terror. I, however, did neither. Somehow, I managed to will myself to my feet and follow Veronica out of the main cabin. I could feel Blake's eyes as we walked, but I didn't look back. I followed her out into the night, the cold air whipping Veronica's sleek, black ponytail around behind her. Samantha was trotting nervously between us, clutching her pink puffer jacket as the cold wind blew.

Veronica stopped suddenly and turned to face me. Her condescending smile was gone, and now her brows were knitted angrily.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" she asked, "Stay away from Blake. He's my boyfriend."

"I am staying away from him," I said.

"Samantha told me about your little crush," Veronica spat back.

I didn't reply. Instead, I glared daggers at Samantha.

"I don't understand why you feel the need to snatch other people's boyfriends, Laine, but it needs to stop," Veronica continued.

"He's not your boyfriend, Veronica," I replied. "I don't understand what's going on between you two, but it's definitely  not a relationship. And trust me when I say this, I don't want any part in your dysfunctional romance."

Before she had a chance to respond, I pushed past her and marched off towards my cabin. Emotions surged through me as I went. I was partly confused about what I was feeling, because I liked Blake even though he was so unhealthy for me.  I was partly amused by the fact that Veronica was so possessive and desperate for a man that clearly didn't like her. (Well I assumed, and hoped with all my heart, that he didn't like her). I was partly miserable that I liked Blake even though he was so much of a jerk. But mostly, I was furious that Samantha told Veronica about my feelings for Blake.

I walked across the clearing with my fists clenched. I slammed open the cabin door and collapsed onto my cot dramatically. It wasn't much warmer inside, so I pulled about ten blankets over my shivering body. I could hear the wind howling outside and the few leaves that still clung to the trees rustled noisily. I laid awake for what felt like hours. Eventually I fell into a fitful sleep and was continuously awoken the harsh sounds of the wind.

I woke up the next morning shivering. The blankets I had packed were clearly not enough to shelter me from the cold winter air. Only one more day, I thought as I rolled out of bed and slipped into my boots. I walked alone to the main cabin, the frozen leaves crunching beneath my feet. I ate breakfast, which consisted of oatmeal and soggy bread, alone.

Evalyn announced that we would be taking another nature hike when everyone had gathered around the long center table. Blake, I noticed, was seated as far from Veronica as possible. After everyone had eaten, we gathered outside the main cabin.

"Today, we'll be hiking to Lake St. Agnes, which is at the top of that hill over there." Evalyn said.

She motioned to the hill, which was actually more like a mountain. Evalyn smiled brightly and started off towards a trail leading into the dense forest. The weather had improved slightly and by the time we reached Lake St. Agnes, I was sweating in my jacket.