A tap at our door prevents anything more from happening. I don't know whether I'm relieved or frustrated. What's clear: we've started something. I don't know what the fuck it is exactly, but it's much more than I arrived here with.
"I'll get it," I say and withdraw reluctantly from her warm body.
Crossing to the door, I open it and see Jenna standing in the hallway.
"I can't sleep," she says.
"You can stay with me, hon," Katya says.
I say nothing. It's probably a good idea, even if every part of my body wants me to crawl in bed with Katya in the six-year-old's place.
Disappearing into the bathroom, I take a cold, cold shower. The more I'm around Katya, the more I want to be around her.
It can't happen. We can't ever be anything. I chant the words mentally, resolved to the fact that nothing could ever work out between us, not with the circumstances that brought us together to begin with.
***
The kids sleep in the next morning, their reward for the grueling, muddy obstacle course. I get up early and go for a run then a swim to try to get rid of the sexual frustration that's making me too wired to think straight.
When I return to the room, I see Jenna asleep in Katya's bed. Katya, however, is nowhere to be found. We have a seven o'clock counselors meeting at the pool. Not daring to assume where she'll be, I text her the same thing I've sent her at least twice a day since arriving.
Where are you?
Not expecting a quick answer, I take a shower and check the message awaiting me.
Pool.
Impressed that she's ahead of me for once, I dress and head that way. With Petr on alert about Harris, I'm not as worried about her running into the shitbag who hit her. It'd shock me if Petr didn't have a talk with Harris last night or if Harris didn't show up black and blue today.
"Morning," Riley greets me, trotting to join me.
"Morning."
"First decent night of sleep here. No kids fucking around in the middle of the night." He sighs.
"You outta try running them through drills first thing. Seems to work."
"Brianna doesn't get up before six."
"Drag her ass out of bed. If I can get Katya up, you can wake up Brianna," I say with some amusement.
"Spiders?"
I laugh, recalling the look on Katya's face. "Not my most creative method of motivation."
Riley grins.
Before we reach the pool, I hear the raised voices: two females arguing. There's no mystery as to who it might be. Riley and I exchange a look and trot towards the pool area.