I don’t say anything.
I hear him stop behind me and he grabs my arm, pulling me toward him. His grip is strong, his eyes on fire as they search mine. “I’m serious. The guy doesn’t even give a shit that you’re out here. Why the fuck are you with him?” His voice is growing louder. “Tell me!”
I can hear Amber inhale behind me, watching this unfold, probably waiting for an answer, too.
“Because,” I croak, trying to find my defiance. “I know exactly what to expect with him.”
“And what is that?”
I pause. “Nothing. I expect nothing and that’s just what he gives.”
Josh frowns, looking a little broken. “How can you want that?”
I don’t say anything.
He grabs my other arm and there’s a wildness to his eyes, his hair catching on the wind. “Gemma.” His voice is rough and heated. “Some people may expect nothing. Most people expect something. But you, you, should expect everything.”
Will you give me everything? I want to ask. I look away before he can see the question in my eyes.
I don’t want the answer.
Fifteen minutes later we reach the hut and my nerves are squirming. I’m actually kind of glad that Amber didn’t tell anyone other than Janne and Ana, and that all the trampers here are none the wiser.
But once we step inside the communal dining hall and see Nick storming toward us, I know that everyone’s about to know all of our business.
He’s mad. Amber said he didn’t have an outburst but I don’t think I’ll be spared one. Nick’s going to blow like a volcano and it’s not going to be pretty. That’s when the caveman rugby player comes out, the kind that picks fights and spits in faces.
“Where the fuck did you go?” he yells, and the trampers who are trying to eat their oatmeal and cereal look up at him aghast. He ignores them, coming right over to me and grabbing my forearm tight, yanking me hard.
“Hey,” Josh warns, stepping in between us, putting a hand on Nick’s chest and trying to push him back.
“Oh fuck off,” Nick barks at him, his face going red. “I know exactly what’s going on between you two.”
“Nick,” I cry out softly, my eyes darting to all the people watching us. “Calm down, there’s nothing going on.”
“Bullfuckingshit,” he says. His eyes settle on me, hard, mean little dots. “Like you actually just wanted to look at the sunset. You’re not that daft.”
“I did!” I say.
He turns his gaze to Josh and his lip curls into a snarl. “So she’s a good lay, isn’t she? A good little root.”
“It’s not what you think,” Josh says, though now the anger is starting to creep into his voice, too. “We got stuck up there, the flashlight died.”
“And you fucked the night away, is that it?” he turns to me, yelling, spittle flying in my face.
“Nothing happened!” I yell right back. I’m getting defensive and can’t help myself. I try to lower my voice. “Nothing happened, we got stuck and waited until morning to come back, when we could see where we were going.”
“Right, likely story. Like you haven’t wanted to fuck this loser for the last couple of weeks.”
“Nick, shut up,” I grind through my teeth. “Let’s take this outside and deal with it and not ruin these people’s breakfasts.”
“Fuck them,” he growls. “And fuck you. I should have known better than to take you back.” He steps closer to me, his chin raised. “You’re beneath me, you ugly slut.”
Amber gasps from beside me. My heart stops.
The dining hall fills with a crack as Josh’s fist slams right into Nick’s face.
Blood sprays from his nose and he goes stumbling backward. Josh has caught him off guard, putting all of his height and weight behind the punch.
Nick grabs his nose, crying out, then springs forward, fists swinging at Josh. Josh ducks and spins out of the way and Nick is too crazed to act with precision or grace. He stumbles into a table and orange juice spills and cutlery clatters and people scramble to their feet to get out of the way.
“Stop!” I yell but they don’t hear me.
Nick goes for Josh again and clocks him on his chin but Josh moves with the blow and then twists around before throwing a hard punch into Nick’s solar plexus. Nick coughs, stunned for a moment, and then Josh is going for another punch.
But someone has grabbed Josh’s arm, holding his fist back, and another guy holds back Nick, and I’m able to safely launch myself in between them. “Stop it, please,” I say again and my attention is on Josh because, out of the two of them, he’s the only one who will listen. I press my splayed fingers on Josh’s chest, feeling his breath heave in and out, the heat he’s giving off. “Please. Don’t be like him.”
His eyes are crazed, pupils small against his glacier blues. A thin sheen of sweat covers his brow. But he peers down at me, understands what I’m asking, and gives me the most subtle nod. His body relaxes slightly and he steps back, turning away.
I look back at Nick, who is fighting to get out of the restraint of two men. They’re burly, seasoned-looking trampers and they mean business, but that doesn’t stop Nick from yelling, “Don’t think I won’t forget this, Gemma Henare!” He says my last name like it’s a joke. “I know what you did. You won’t have a job to come back to now, so don’t even try. I’ll make sure your name gets trashed all over town.”