Rich Prick by Tijan

46

Aspen

By Saturday night, the trip was winding down.

Blaise had gone out early in the morning to ride, and later in the afternoon. I’d realized he enjoyed doing that stuff when no one else was around, but he’d said he was going to take me out in the morning.

I hadn’t been sure what to expect from this trip, but it was fun.

While Blaise was gone, Bren and Taz had come over and sat with me at our camper. When he came back, he and I went inside. He’d held me while I read until Zeke came over, and then Blaise had gone off with the guys. They’d taken a trip to town and came back with more food and booze.

A few people had started drinking early in the morning, but once the guys came back, party mode got cranked up a notch. The music blared, they fired up the grills, and the drinks were flowing.

Now it was the evening, and Blaise was drinking while I sat on his lap. We’d moved from in front of our camper to join Blaise’s friends around the fire. Bren and Taz stuck with their group, and they were laughing a lot. Taz sat on her boyfriend’s lap, and Bren sat close to Blaise’s brother. The other guys were eyeing a few of the girls on our side of the campsite.

At one point, I saw Mara Daniels break away from the main group, and I sighed, figuring maybe this was the time for our showdown.

I knew it was coming. Everyone had been waiting, or they had been in my head, at least. People watched whenever Mara came close to where Blaise and I sat. Blaise would stiffen too, until she moved to a different group. Then he’d relax. The other girls in her group had left me alone. I’d gotten a few dirty looks, but that was it.

Whatever Blaise had done, it had worked to warn them off.

But still, this was my fight. He couldn’t take this on for me. As I saw Mara head over to a camper by herself, I slid off Blaise’s lap.

He held me in place. “Where you going?”

I rested my hands on his chest. “I’ve got something I need to do.” I pushed off of him.

He started to stand, and I shook my head. “No. You stay. I need to do this alone.”

He growled. “I don’t like this, Aspen.”

I snorted. “I don’t care.” I gave him a smile and leaned down, brushing my lips over his. “I have to do this. Let me.”

He scowled, but stayed where he was.

“Keep him back,” I told Zeke.

He laughed. “Yeah, right. Good luck on that one.”

Blaise’s scowl shifted to his best friend.

Zeke shook his head.

I headed around to Mara’s camper, but when I looked back, I wasn’t alone. Her girlfriends were right behind me.

Penny raised her eyebrows. “You think we’re not going to rally around our girl? Blaise warned us off, but it’s different when you’re the one seeking her out. All bets are off.”

Well then. Lovely.

I eyed them. All four gave me varying hostile looks.

Then I heard a scrape behind me, and saw Bren and Taz walking to join us.

Penny raised her head. “This doesn’t concern you, Monroe.”

Bren snorted. “It’s a chick fight. Of course we’re coming to have Aspen’s back.”

Penny’s gaze turned wary. “We don’t fight like you do.”

“I hope not, but if you do…” Bren’s grin was a slight bit evil. I liked it. She added, “I got no problem wading in.”

Penny looked past her. “And if you do? What then? Your crew will come? We’re girls.”

“So let’s keep this just girls.” Bren shrugged.

The camper door opened, and Mara stepped down, taking everyone in before her eyes fell to me. Her demeanor was frosty, and she didn’t waste time. “Get the fuck out of my way.”

I readied myself, rolling my shoulders back. Chin up. That’s what you do when you’re about to fight, right?

“I’m giving you your shot,” I told her, already bracing myself because I didn’t really know how this worked.

She frowned. “Say what?”

“I’m right here. Blaise gets tense every time you walk by us or get near us, and I don’t know... I figure this is coming, so go for it. I’m here. Take your shot. If you want to hit me, do it. If you want to say something to me, do that instead. I can take it. I’m ready.”

Her eyes narrowed.

A brief image of a snake winding up, raising its head for an attack flashed in my mind… Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

But I still added, “I’m kinda tired of waiting, to be honest. Time keeps moving. Feelings will fade, and you might not get your shot later, so strike while the iron is hot. Right? That’s the saying?”

Someone snorted behind me. I wasn’t sure which side it came from.

“You’re an idiot,” someone else muttered.

Again, I wasn’t sure, but I was betting that wasn’t Taz or Bren.

Mara rolled her eyes. “I don’t have anything to say to you.”

What? I frowned. “Why not?”

She shook her head. “Are you always this stupid? I’m leaving you alone. Take this and shoo, bitch.”

But… That’s not how this was supposed to happen. “I don’t get it. Aren’t you supposed to lay into me or something? Make me bleed? Cry, at least?”

“Why?” Her eyes flashed, but they looked hollow, empty. It was gone in the next breath. “My problems aren’t yours. Blaise never lied to me, and it ain’t your fault he fell for you and not me. It’s my fault I didn’t keep him.”

I had no clue how to process this. This was really not going how I’d prepared myself for. I had psyched myself up for a fight fight. “But—”

“Dear God.” A hand took my arm and pulled me back. Bren frowned at me. “She’s trying to be a good person. Leave it alone.”

I swung my head back to Mara. “I don’t get this.”

“What the fuck do you want from me?!” she screeched. That was more like it. Her hands formed fists and she came at me, but only took a few steps before stopping. “You are rubbing salt in the wound by doing this. Back off! I have shit to deal with, and it has nothing to do with you. This ain’t a television show where I’m the mean girl and I’m going to write whore and your phone number in the bathroom or something. Bitch. Whore. Slut. Is that what you want from me? For the last fucking time, I got my own shit to deal with, but I’m not a bully. I never actually planned on doing anything to you.”

“You told Blaise you were going to do something to me.”

A bitter laugh rippled from her. “I wanted to hurt him. Threatening you hurts him. That’s all I wanted. You helped me in the beginning of the year. Do you not remember?”

“I did?”

She laughed again. “I needed an answer on a test, and you moved your shoulder. You knew I didn’t know it, and you let me see your test. That one question helped me keep a passing grade. It meant a lot to me.”

I was pretty sure I hadn’t done that on purpose.

“Oh.” I eased back. “Yeah.”

Someone stifled a laugh behind me. This time I guessed it was Taz or Bren.

Mara waved, dismissing me. “Just go away. You got the guy. Stop rubbing it in by doing stuff like this. It’s barely manageable watching him fawn all over you, treating you like you’re made of glass or some shit. Want to do me a favor? Get away from me. That’ll help.”

And with that, she was done. She swung around, grabbed a bottle of wine, and stalked off. Her girls went with her, and I watched them move past the guys, giving them a wide berth too.

Taz stepped up. “That was refreshing. For once, no one came to blows.”

“I’m kinda disappointed,” Bren said. “But relieved at the same time.” She looked at me. “You okay?”

I nodded. “Is it wrong to feel bad for her?”

“Nah. She’s hurting. That’s obvious. But she’s trying to do the right thing by not taking it out on you. Steer clear of her. That’s the kindest thing to do now.”

She was right.

Taz gestured to their side of the campsite. “We’re going to do s’mores. You want to hang for a bit?”

I looked over my shoulder, my eyes meeting Blaise’s over the campfire.

I nodded in their direction, and he looked over to where his brother was.

I was trying to convey that I was going over there, but that’s not what happened. His shoulders went rigid, but he nodded and stood. He said a few words with Zeke, grabbed some of the booze we’d been drinking, and came around to where we were standing.

Bren went stiff next to me. “What are you doing?”

His tone was cool. “Not starting shit.” He nodded. “She likes you.”

That must’ve been enough, because Bren and Taz turned back, and their entire group watched us come. All were silent for a second until we settled.

I sat at their table, with Blaise beside me at first.

Then as the conversation started, as Blaise remained quiet, just sitting with me, and the guys started to relax. Conversation flowed, and after a full hour, they were laughing and telling jokes. The s’mores were yum. Blaise gave me an extra one of his, but for the most part, he was content to remain quiet, sipping his drink.

Later on, Zeke, Brian, and Branston moved their chairs so they were closer to where we sat, but they remained at their own bonfire.

Then Blaise moved, grabbing one of the bigger lounge chairs. He settled in and pulled me down onto his lap. And that’s where we sat the rest of the night.

Blaise held me while I laughed with his brother and the rest of their group.

It was nice.

It was progress.