“Hey,” growled an angry male voice, and I was shocked to see Jendan step in front of Kip and push him away from me before he could grab my arm and shake me again. “Watch what you fucking say,” Jendan told Kip. “Annabelle’s done nothing wrong.”
“Oh, trust me, I know what I’m talking about. I’ve fucked her,” Kip said with a sneer. “I know how shitty she is in bed.”
Annnnd my humiliation was now complete. I wanted to shrink into the trees and disappear.
“You need to turn around and leave,” Jendan said in a soft voice to Kip. He didn’t look back at me cowering behind him. “If you keep saying that shit, I’m going to mess your face up with my fists. Understand?”
“Fine, fine, whatever. Just tell my partner,” he sneered the word, “that I’d like to have a nice talk with her on the beach when she gets done here twisting you around her finger so you can do her bidding.” With one final look of disgust at me, Kip turned and stalked back into the trees, heading for our camp.
Silence fell. I bit my lip, feeling awkward. Jendan continued to stand in front of me, practically vibrating tension, until we could no longer hear Kip’s footsteps in the jungle. Then, he turned and looked at me. I was unable to read his expression in the darkness, but it worried me.
“I’m sorry about that,” I told Jendan. “Maybe I should have told him I’d found you guys here. I just try not to talk to Kip unless I can help it. He doesn’t make things easy for me.”
“I see that,” Jendan said, tone deliberately bland - too bland. He took the blanket and began to settle it around my shoulders, and I realized I was shaking.
But…it wasn’t my blanket, and I knew just as much as Jendan did that those sorts of rewards were hard won, and if others found out Jendan was sharing with me, not only would I be resented, but Jendan would, too. Kip’s jealousy could ruin the game for both of us. So I peeled the (warm, delicious, heavenly) blanket off of my shoulders and gave it back to Jendan. “I should go back to camp and smooth things over with him.”
“You don’t have to,” Jendan said, his voice still that same, oddly stiff tone.
But…that wasn’t an invitation to stay.
“No, I should go. If I stay out here, it’s just going to add fuel to the fire.” Reluctantly, I pushed the blanket into his hands. “I’ll smooth things out with Kip.”
“It’s cold.”
“I know. I’ll be fine. I have a shelter.” For what it was worth. I gave Jendan a game smile that he probably couldn’t even see in the darkness. “Thanks for trying to share, though. It was a great thought.”
“Want me to walk you back to your camp?”
“No, I’ve got it. See you tomorrow.” I waved into the darkness and then began to head back to my end of the beach. I paused, then turned and added, “I’m not using you, you know.”
“I know,” he said softly.
“Bye.”
Jendan didn’t follow me, and I headed off into the darkness alone. Now I had to go and soothe the ruffled feathers of the partner I didn’t want until I could boot him off. The next challenge would be a Judgment challenge, at least, and I planned on throwing it. No playing around this time. I was going to do whatever it took to ensure that Kip and I ended up on the bottom. Then, all it would take would be a few innocent, veiled comments about how strong Kip was and everyone would vote for us, thinking my partner was a threat…and then he’d be gone.
I just needed to put my plan into action before Kip opened his big fat mouth. Again.
When I got back to camp, Kip was hogging my shelter. I sat on the edge of the woven mat I’d made and looked at him. “Kip, do you want to talk?”
“No,” he said, voice sulky.
I sighed. Time to stroke his ego. “You know you’re the strongest, most dangerous guy in this competition, Kip.” Gag me. “I was just chatting with Jendan to try and get information out of him and his partner.”
“That didn’t look like chatting to me. It looked like I interrupted make out point.”
Okay, so that wasn’t too far off the mark. I didn’t argue, just tried a different tactic. “It’s all strategy.”
“Did you ever think that maybe I wanted to spend time with that hot redhead? Snuggle under her blankets? But no, you’re selfish.”
My jaw dropped. So Kip wasn’t mad about anything other than he didn’t get to cozy up to Sunnie? I threw my hands up in disgust. Trying to talk to Kip was like hitting my head against a brick wall.
I just couldn’t please anyone tonight.
As if the island gods were watching, the skies opened up and began to pour, raining down on me.
Naturally. Everyone was crapping on Annabelle Tucker today.
Chapter Thirteen
“It took everything I had not to punch Kip straight up into his smug, shitty mouth. The only thing that stopped me was knowing that if I did, I’d be removed from the game and his ass would still be here, tormenting Annabelle. It’s rough when you can’t defend your girl.” — Jendan Abercrombie, Day 14, Endurance Island: Power Players
The next day, there was a tiny, red, rolled-up note in our team mailbox. Kip trotted over and showed it to me while I sat, curled up on a rock in the sun and tried to get warm.
It had rained buckets last night. Rained so hard and so long that what little we had was soaked, and the shelter had fallen apart. The temperature had dropped and this morning it still felt chilly. Our fire was nothing but an ashy puddle - it was the first time it had gone out since we’d gotten here. Our wood was soaked, so there would be no new fire until we could get dry tinder.
With no fire, no clothing, and no shelter, I couldn’t get warm. My teeth chattered and my skin felt like a million raised goose bumps. Over and over, I thought of Jendan and his thick wool blanket. God, why had I returned to camp with Kip? I must have been three kinds of stupid.
At least today would be a Judgment challenge. Then, it was goodbye to Kip.
My partner came and sat next to me on my rock, blocking out my sunlight. I glared at him, but he ignored it, focused on unrolling the red note.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Team mail,” he said, his eyes scanning the message.
“You going to read it aloud?” I tried - and failed - to keep the annoyance from my voice. “Seeing as how I’m part of this team?”
“Oh, are you? I wasn’t sure after last night’s little escapade.”
I rolled my eyes. Bitter, party of one. “I came back, didn’t I?”
“Not of your own volition.”
He had a point. “Just read the damn thing aloud, will you?”
Kip finally did. “It’s been two weeks, but you’re not done / Many teams will leave as we narrow down to one / Pack up all your things and wait for pick-up / Today’s not a challenge, but a mix-up.”
I looked at Kip in horror. “A mix-up?”
“Yeah. Sounds like they’re mixing up the teams?” He looked over at me and smirked. “I can’t say I’m sorry to be rid of your ass. You’ve sucked in the last few challenges.”
Because I’ve been trying to get rid of you, I wanted to retort, but bit my angry words back. A mix-up was not good news. My Pandora’s Box secret word only allowed me to vote off my partner, and I’d desperately wanted to use it on Kip.
“Oh, trust me, I know what I’m talking about. I’ve fucked her,” Kip said with a sneer. “I know how shitty she is in bed.”
Annnnd my humiliation was now complete. I wanted to shrink into the trees and disappear.
“You need to turn around and leave,” Jendan said in a soft voice to Kip. He didn’t look back at me cowering behind him. “If you keep saying that shit, I’m going to mess your face up with my fists. Understand?”
“Fine, fine, whatever. Just tell my partner,” he sneered the word, “that I’d like to have a nice talk with her on the beach when she gets done here twisting you around her finger so you can do her bidding.” With one final look of disgust at me, Kip turned and stalked back into the trees, heading for our camp.
Silence fell. I bit my lip, feeling awkward. Jendan continued to stand in front of me, practically vibrating tension, until we could no longer hear Kip’s footsteps in the jungle. Then, he turned and looked at me. I was unable to read his expression in the darkness, but it worried me.
“I’m sorry about that,” I told Jendan. “Maybe I should have told him I’d found you guys here. I just try not to talk to Kip unless I can help it. He doesn’t make things easy for me.”
“I see that,” Jendan said, tone deliberately bland - too bland. He took the blanket and began to settle it around my shoulders, and I realized I was shaking.
But…it wasn’t my blanket, and I knew just as much as Jendan did that those sorts of rewards were hard won, and if others found out Jendan was sharing with me, not only would I be resented, but Jendan would, too. Kip’s jealousy could ruin the game for both of us. So I peeled the (warm, delicious, heavenly) blanket off of my shoulders and gave it back to Jendan. “I should go back to camp and smooth things over with him.”
“You don’t have to,” Jendan said, his voice still that same, oddly stiff tone.
But…that wasn’t an invitation to stay.
“No, I should go. If I stay out here, it’s just going to add fuel to the fire.” Reluctantly, I pushed the blanket into his hands. “I’ll smooth things out with Kip.”
“It’s cold.”
“I know. I’ll be fine. I have a shelter.” For what it was worth. I gave Jendan a game smile that he probably couldn’t even see in the darkness. “Thanks for trying to share, though. It was a great thought.”
“Want me to walk you back to your camp?”
“No, I’ve got it. See you tomorrow.” I waved into the darkness and then began to head back to my end of the beach. I paused, then turned and added, “I’m not using you, you know.”
“I know,” he said softly.
“Bye.”
Jendan didn’t follow me, and I headed off into the darkness alone. Now I had to go and soothe the ruffled feathers of the partner I didn’t want until I could boot him off. The next challenge would be a Judgment challenge, at least, and I planned on throwing it. No playing around this time. I was going to do whatever it took to ensure that Kip and I ended up on the bottom. Then, all it would take would be a few innocent, veiled comments about how strong Kip was and everyone would vote for us, thinking my partner was a threat…and then he’d be gone.
I just needed to put my plan into action before Kip opened his big fat mouth. Again.
When I got back to camp, Kip was hogging my shelter. I sat on the edge of the woven mat I’d made and looked at him. “Kip, do you want to talk?”
“No,” he said, voice sulky.
I sighed. Time to stroke his ego. “You know you’re the strongest, most dangerous guy in this competition, Kip.” Gag me. “I was just chatting with Jendan to try and get information out of him and his partner.”
“That didn’t look like chatting to me. It looked like I interrupted make out point.”
Okay, so that wasn’t too far off the mark. I didn’t argue, just tried a different tactic. “It’s all strategy.”
“Did you ever think that maybe I wanted to spend time with that hot redhead? Snuggle under her blankets? But no, you’re selfish.”
My jaw dropped. So Kip wasn’t mad about anything other than he didn’t get to cozy up to Sunnie? I threw my hands up in disgust. Trying to talk to Kip was like hitting my head against a brick wall.
I just couldn’t please anyone tonight.
As if the island gods were watching, the skies opened up and began to pour, raining down on me.
Naturally. Everyone was crapping on Annabelle Tucker today.
Chapter Thirteen
“It took everything I had not to punch Kip straight up into his smug, shitty mouth. The only thing that stopped me was knowing that if I did, I’d be removed from the game and his ass would still be here, tormenting Annabelle. It’s rough when you can’t defend your girl.” — Jendan Abercrombie, Day 14, Endurance Island: Power Players
The next day, there was a tiny, red, rolled-up note in our team mailbox. Kip trotted over and showed it to me while I sat, curled up on a rock in the sun and tried to get warm.
It had rained buckets last night. Rained so hard and so long that what little we had was soaked, and the shelter had fallen apart. The temperature had dropped and this morning it still felt chilly. Our fire was nothing but an ashy puddle - it was the first time it had gone out since we’d gotten here. Our wood was soaked, so there would be no new fire until we could get dry tinder.
With no fire, no clothing, and no shelter, I couldn’t get warm. My teeth chattered and my skin felt like a million raised goose bumps. Over and over, I thought of Jendan and his thick wool blanket. God, why had I returned to camp with Kip? I must have been three kinds of stupid.
At least today would be a Judgment challenge. Then, it was goodbye to Kip.
My partner came and sat next to me on my rock, blocking out my sunlight. I glared at him, but he ignored it, focused on unrolling the red note.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Team mail,” he said, his eyes scanning the message.
“You going to read it aloud?” I tried - and failed - to keep the annoyance from my voice. “Seeing as how I’m part of this team?”
“Oh, are you? I wasn’t sure after last night’s little escapade.”
I rolled my eyes. Bitter, party of one. “I came back, didn’t I?”
“Not of your own volition.”
He had a point. “Just read the damn thing aloud, will you?”
Kip finally did. “It’s been two weeks, but you’re not done / Many teams will leave as we narrow down to one / Pack up all your things and wait for pick-up / Today’s not a challenge, but a mix-up.”
I looked at Kip in horror. “A mix-up?”
“Yeah. Sounds like they’re mixing up the teams?” He looked over at me and smirked. “I can’t say I’m sorry to be rid of your ass. You’ve sucked in the last few challenges.”
Because I’ve been trying to get rid of you, I wanted to retort, but bit my angry words back. A mix-up was not good news. My Pandora’s Box secret word only allowed me to vote off my partner, and I’d desperately wanted to use it on Kip.
