him, pulling him forward again. “I’m going to itemize a list of every crappy thing I’ve had to put up with. After this week is done, I’m going to send it to the Pauls and threaten to post it on social media if they hire Ben again next summer. You want decent human beings coming to your camp? You want your alumni to fund this place? Good luck after that.”
Will stopped again and turned to me, frowning. “What if no one believes you? You could get your own reputation—as being someone who’s . . .”
“Overly sensitive?”
He wrinkled his nose and nodded. “For starters. Do you want that?”
My conviction wavered for a second. But I shook my head. “If people think that, I don’t want to work with them. It might make it harder, but these guys don’t get to keep doing what they’re doing to other women. You know, at first I said I was doing this to show people women belonged at the top. But now I’m doing this so when other women get to the top, they don’t have to put up with this trash.”
Will nodded. “Let’s go make the list.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
One hour and forty-five minutes later, my hands shook with rage as I folded the four-page, single-space, handwritten list of offenses committed by Ben and the team and tucked it into my backpack.
“How do you feel?” Will asked. He had found a Tootsie Pop in the dresser drawer meant for the counselor and was sucking away on it.
I shook my head at him, having used up all my words making that list. As I laced up my hiking boots, he bit through the last part of the candy into the Tootsie Roll center with a crack.
I shuddered.
“That bad?” His face twisted in concern.
I snorted, adding my water bottle and trail mix to the backpack. “Yes,” I said, “but also that Tootsie Pop. It could be older than we are.”
“I doubt it.” He chewed thoughtfully. “But you’re joking around. That’s a good sign, right?”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, willing my hands to steady themselves. Finally, I admitted, “I don’t know.”
The floor squeaked, and I felt his arms go around me.
“Those guys suck,” he growled. “You’re doing the right thing. And it’s done for now. Don’t think about it. Just go have fun with Jesse.”
“Thank you,” I muttered, laying my head on his shoulder. “You’re a good one.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. You listen to me. You take me seriously. You love me.”
He shrugged.
I pulled back and gave him a half smile. “And you gave up sneaking away in the woods with your gorgeous boyfriend to help out your dumb sister.”
“You’re not dumb.”
“Yeah, I know.” I punched his shoulder. “I just hope Jonas—”
The door banged open. “Hi!” Jonas and his grin bounded into the cabin. Then he noticed me. “Aren’t you meeting that hot Boy Scout?”
I cocked my head at Will. “Jonas knows about Jesse? And what time I’m meeting him?”
Will had the decency to look chagrined.
“No secrets between boyfriends.” Jonas laced his fingers with Will’s.
“I’ll keep that in mind with my future secrets.” I smirked, slinging my backpack over my shoulders.
“And with your future boyfriends.” Will smiled.
I rolled my eyes, but smiled a little, too.
I had not given myself a luxurious amount of time to get to the rock—our rock—according to Jesse’s note—so even though I ran a lot of the way, it was 11:35 by the time I arrived.
Jesse wasn’t there.
I clambered up onto the rock to try and see down the path, but like last time, the foliage was too thick. My stomach dropped. Had he already gone? Or was he not here yet? I filled my lungs with air. “Jesse!” I bellowed.
Some birds chirped and flew out of their tree. I had a quarter of a thought about birds and threats and instinct and togetherness, but the rest of my thoughts were focused on something else.
No Jesse.
Putting my hands on my hips and staring at my boots, I bit my lip. Had he been waiting so long he started without me, thinking I wasn’t coming? Or did he change his mind and decide not to come at all and this was just the way it was going to be with me and boys forever? Disappointing?
I’m not Catholic, but I read somewhere nuns are, statistically speaking, really happy. And they live super long lives. With other women. Caring for one another, not worrying about boys—well, except for Jesus. But—
“Zelda?”
My heart leapt. Jesse’s smiling face came clomping