It didn’t take us long to get to my apartment and when we did I expected him to leave me at the door. He didn’t but followed me up the stairs and inside.
“Are you going to tell me now why you’re being so frosty?” As I crossed my arms and leaned against the back of my sofa, something hit me, and nausea rolled through me. “Are you breaking up with me?”
“What? No.” He breathed out slowly through his nose, shoving his hands to his hips.
“Well, your body language says different.” I straightened ready for a fight, whatever that damn fight was going to be about.
He stared at me for a moment, tipping his chin up and taking a deep breath. “I thought we were on the same page here.”
I was confused. “About?”
“Us, Cassidy, about us.” His whole demeanor was cold, inflexible steel. Even his usually warm, soft eyes were hard, full of one emotion, anger.
Tilting my head to one side, I pursed my lips and tried to see something in his expression that would give me a clue.
After a few moments of silence, I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Gunner, but I’m lost here.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face, clearly frustrated. “You told everyone at that meeting that the school was your priority.”
“And it is,” I responded. “It’s my job. I’m paid to work there, so it has to be. I don’t see your point.”
“I thought the camp was something we were both committed to. The school being your priority doesn’t scream that to me.” He paced toward the door, and I thought he was going to leave, but as soon as he reached it he turned back to face me. “I thought you were going to teach at the camp. We discussed it.”
I desperately tried to think about a conversation where I’d agreed to teach at the camp and remembered what he’d said:“Cassidy, if this becomes as big as we want it to be we’re going to need as much help as possible. I know you love teaching but maybe one day you could teach here.”
“You mentioned it would be an option maybe one day, but it was never agreed. I thought it was just an idea.”
“You thanked me, Cassidy. For involving you and believing in you.”
My lungs felt tight as I took a step to him. “And I am grateful, but that doesn’t mean I’m just going to end my career to teach full-time at the camp.”
“And why not?” he cried, throwing his hands into the air. “And in any case it wouldn’t be ending your career, you’d be just taking a different path.”
“But what if the camp doesn’t work?” A lump rose in my throat, making it difficult to speak.
“Who the hell said it wouldn’t work?” he yelled.
“No one, but what with the development and?—”
“So, you’re surrendering to Jenkins now are you?”
I threw my hands in the air. “This is ridiculous. You won’t listen to a word I’m saying.”
“Really,” he scoffed. “Maybe my ears are blocked with bullshit.”
“God,” I muttered. “You’re such a pain in the ass.”
He rolled his eyes. “Welcome to my world.”
“If I’m such a pain in the ass then maybe the camp is the least of your worries.”
“What?” he leaned his body closer, cupping his ear.
“I think you know what I’m getting at.”
His nostrils flared. “Not sure that I do.”
“What if I give up my job at the school and the camp doesn’t work? W-what if we don’t work?”
