How could he be laughing at a time like this?
“Is this seriously a game to you?” I growl.
Colton casually pushes onto his knees. “Yes.Sunsets and Sabotage, I believe it’s called. I thought you were a fan.”
His snarky comment is tinder for the frustration mounting inside of me. Hot tears prick my eyes. Of course he’s making a joke at a time like this. What does it matter if he wins this game show? He’s going home to a comfortable life filled with anything he can dream up.
I scramble to my feet, pulling Colton with me. As soon as we have our bags in tow, I wipe the rain from my face with my clean wrist, but in an instant, the water is back in my eyes. Regardless, I step forward, determined to keep going when I trip over Colton’s shoe and nearly end up falling face-first. My emotions are a boiling pot of water ready to spill over.
Colton runs a hand down his arm, wicking away globs of mud. “What is it now, Missy?”
I blow out a shaky breath. “The shoe, the fall, this game. Everything, Colton. You’ve done everything to get in my way since the moment we met.”
“Hey now, it was you who started that high school rumor, Miss, not me,” Colton prods, as if this were just another one of our meaningless sparring matches.
It takes all I have not to strangle him with the bungee cord. I’m not playing our little game this time. This challenge may mean nothing to Colton, but this is high stakes for me.
“I’m not joking around, Colton. Every single time I try to do something to break out of my circumstances, there you are, stopping me.”
His eyebrows scrunch together. “When are you going to stop blaming me for anything that goes remotely wrong for you?”
I jab a finger at his chest. “When you start giving me a reason not to blame you.”
“And what have I done now? Slip into you? I’m sorry. It was an accident. The mud was slippery. I had no choice in the matter.”
“It’s the fact that you’re here, Colton. You’re just here having a rich-kid summer doing whatever seems fun because you know your future is taken care of, just like it’s always been. You don’t know what it’s like to work your butt off for a college scholarship, or wonder how you’re going to pay for your next mortgage bill, or fund your dreams. You’ve always been under Daddy’s umbrella.” I step back, wishing I could sever the shackle that binds us. “You don’t understand, Colton, and you never will.”
Colton huffs with incredulity. “Have you ever thought that maybe you’re the one who doesn’t know what it’s like? You’re Perfect Miss Missy, always saying the right thing. Always charming people with your accent and your smile. You wouldn’t know the meaning of hard because everything comes effortlessly to you. You want to teach kids confidence? Great! I’m sure you’ll have success, because that’s just you. But how you’ll teach coping skills to a bunch of kids with real problems is a mystery to me.”
He steps forward, closing the distance between us. “But somehow, you’ll find a way. Call it luck—call it a glow-in-the-dark star, a shiny shoe, a seashell. Whatever it is, it’s made you completely oblivious to the fact that you have more at yourfingertips than most people can dream of, and yet, here you are. Complaining. Blaming me for having the money you don’t have, when it was something I was born into. I never had a choice.”
Both of our chests rise and fall in quick succession, our anger coursing out of us with every breath.
“I can’t stand you,” I seethe.
Colton leans down until his face is level with mine. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”
I’ve never wanted to walk away from someone so badly, but there is a twelve-inch piece of rubber keeping me connected to the one man I never want to see again.
“Let’s go,” I say, trying to summon the thimble-full of strength I have left.
The rain escalates, coming down as intense and as furious as our argument. I raise my free arm to swipe at my face, but it’s no use. The sheets of rain pound so forcefully, even the drone that’s been filming us during this challenge has flown away, likely being steered back to its home base before getting waterlogged.
Just when I’m starting to think I can’t hear a single thing over the barrage of water droplets, I’m proved wrong when the shot of a fourth flare gun reaches my ears. Stomach sinking, Colton and I look skyward. I make out the faintest hint of lime green through the rain.
Four teams have officially completed the challenge, which means if we don’t beat Team Violet, we’ll take last place.
“We’ve got to go,” I yell, more frantic than ever.
“Are you serious, Missy? We can barely see each other. There’s no way we’re finding anything in this,” he yells back.
“I’m not giving up.” I try to walk forward, only to be held back by the bungee and Colton’s stubborn will.
“I know you want to win, but we need to think logically. I saw a small cave a little way back. Let’s take cover there and come up with a plan.”
I point to the sky where the green flare recently burst. “We don’t have time. We could come in last, Colton. Last.”
“We. Can’t. See. Anything.”
