medically trained or something?"
I shook my head, giving him a brittle smile. "Or something." Because how did I tell him that I’d just picked things up from years of abuse? Or how I knew what a broken ankle looked like because Blake had pushed me down the stairs a few years back? Oops, I mean, I tripped and fell.
"Hey, wait up," Ben called out as I pulled my pack back on and started to walk away. "Do you think you could help me back to the trail? If... if you know where that is."
I gave him a shrug. "Sure. They never said anything about not helping each other, right?"
Another wide smile crossed his face as I extended a hand to help him up. "Thanks, Brooklyn. You know, three other guys walked past me, and none of them stopped to help?"
I snorted a laugh. "Color me shocked." My tone was drier than the Sahara, and once again I was shocked at myself. I wasn't that girl.
Covering my awkwardness by helping support Ben's weight, I guided him back in the direction I'd come from. My broken branches served me well, and a few minutes later, we were back on the path.
"That was really smart of you, Brooklyn," my new companion commented as he fingered one of the broken branches. "And you're surprisingly strong for such a little chick."
I slipped out from under his arm and let him balance awkwardly against a tree. "Yeah, well. Don't underestimate girls, Ben."
He barked a sharp laugh, flashing another winning smile. Maybe I did find him attractive, after all.
Whatever he was about to say next was cut off by someone jumping out of the tree Ben leaned against. I tried to swallow my scream of fright, but a small squeak escaped, nonetheless.
Matthew—my original guide—arched a brow at me, and I knew he'd heard it. Dammit, how embarrassing.
"Nice work, Lawson," he commented, turning his attention to his phone to tap out a message to someone. "You passed your first test." Then he added in a mutter, "Took long enough."
Ben scoffed. "I hope you marked those other three bastards down."
Matthew just rolled his eyes and tucked his phone back in his pocket before leveling a stare at me. I was just gaping at the two of them, though, in utter disbelief.
"Wait. That was a test?" I mean... the thought had crossed my mind. Except I'd expected more of a trap than a test.
Matthew nodded to Ben. "Dismissed, Bainbridge. Go teach that mouthy kid a lesson in humility."
Ben's winning smile turned wicked, and he nodded. "You got it, boss! Thanks again, Brooklyn." He shot me a wink, then jogged off into the night without even a hint of a limp. Faking motherfucker.
"Are you waiting for something more here, Lawson?" Matthew gave me a bored look, but there was a flicker of something out of place in his expression. Kindness? Surely not. Maybe the shadows from the trees were messing with my mind.
I started to shake my head and apologize for breathing, then bit my lip. This wasn't Blake. I wasn't going to be punched for replying to his question.
I hoped.
"I don't get it," I admitted in a voice barely louder than a whisper. "You're testing people for... what? Morals? Humanity? I thought this camp was all about stamping those character traits out of people."
Matthew's lips tugged up in a half smile. "And I thought Brooklyn Lawson was supposed to be a spoiled, selfish party girl. Not everything is what we're told, huh?"
With that vague-as-fuck comment, Matthew disappeared back into the trees and left me alone once more.
Great. Now I was more paranoid than ever.
7
The sound of Matthew's retreating steps sent me forward, and the entire time I followed him, I was on the edge of panic, waiting for the next "random" situation to arise. I'd never particularly liked the dark; Blake would often strike in the middle of the night, completely wasted and unreasonably angry. Nothing like awakening from a deep sleep to fists breaking bones. Hence why I’d learned to sleep light.
Walking through this dark forest should be even more terrifying, but I just couldn't seem to muster the energy to feel anything except a mild sense of dread. I was here, there was nothing I could do to fix the situation, and since Blake wasn't around, this really wasn’t the worst place in the world.
After a while, I even started to enjoy the relative peace and scents of nature with a hint of snow in the air. I