“You alright over there?” Mike asks, approaching me and taking a seat next to me.
“I’m okay, just taking a break,” I smile.
“You did great,” Mike returns the smile. “Rest up. Lunch break will be in about an hour and a half. Soren’s already finished.”
Slowly, I turn my head to look at him, eyes widened, and brows lifting all the way to my hairline. “Excuse me? How is he done already? Did he have less work than me?”
Mike shakes his head with a small chuckle. “No, not at all. He just called some friends, and they helped.”
“I didn’t know that was an option,” I frown. “I would’ve done the same thing.”
“Well, depending on when you finish with the trash, the next task will be to clean all the cabins. You can call some of your friends to help, if you’d like. Technically, I should report all of it to the Dean, but given how hard you’ve worked, I’ll turn a blind eye to it.”
I lift a brow. “I’ll think about it. What am I supposed to do with the cabins, exactly?”
“Well, everything’s prepared more or less. I’ve split an equal number of cabins between Soren and you, so you need to change all the sheets, wipe all the dust, and such. Oh, bathrooms, too. Then sweep and mop the floors, and you’re good to go.”
“How many cabins do I have, exactly?”
“You’ll have thirteen,” he winks. “Soren will have seventeen.”
I laugh. “Why?”
“Well, the circumstances of why you two are here are different. I’m on your side here, Sophia.”
“You are?” I chuckle, looking up at the sky. “Well, no matter. I’ll be off to finish the job for the day.”
Mike’s eyes fall behind me, and it’s silent for a couple ofminutes. Then, he pushes himself off the bench, stretching. “Looks like someone’s here to see you. You can take a break if you need it.”
I turn my attention to the direction where he’s looking, my gaze softening when I see Damien approaching me. He’s holding two cups of coffee, a wide grin on his face.
“Hi, Soph.”
“Hey,” I pat the spot beside me on the bench. “Please, tell me one of them is for me.”
Damien’s grin widens, if possible. “Of course, it is. Here,” he extends one, and I take it with gratitude. “Black coffee, no cream, no sugar.”
“You’re a lifesaver.”
“I can’t guarantee it tastes good, though. I picked it up by the main cabin, straight out of the machine.”
A small laugh slips from me, and I take a sip of it. He’s right — it tastes terrible, but for some reason, it slides down my throat with ease. It’s probably because I haven’t had a single cup since coming here, and I usually have between three and six a day. I’ve been missing my caffeine.
“You were right,” I smile. “But thank you for the coffee. Why are you here, anyway?”
Damien shrugs, lifting the paper cup to his lips, taking a sip of the coffee. His eyes fall on the lake, his blonde hair messy. “I just wanted to see you. You know, to keep you company. I know you’re stuck with Soren here.”
“Don’t remind me,” a grimace etches onto my face, and Damien smirks. “It’s like I’m stuck in a horror movie or something equally as bizarre. I’m just waiting until he strikes again.”
“Again?” Damien asks. “Sophia, has he done anything to you since you came here?”
“No, that’s not what I meant,” I explain. There’s no way I’d tell Damien about what happened last night, or anyone, for that matter. That’s a secret I’m taking to the grave, and no one will ever find out about it. I’ll move on with my life and pretend like it never happened. “But you know what the two of us are like; it’s only a matter of time before one of us strikes.”
“Oh,” he nods. “But you seriously need to tone it down. It can’t be healthy. I mean, you two are adults, why are you acting like children?”
“Okay, ouch, my pride just got wounded.”
A wolfish grin appears on his lips. “I’ll make sure to stroke your ego to make up.”
