Cameron waited for a response, but Xander went radio silent. She chucked her


    phone onto the bed and headed to the bathroom.


    When she returned, her screen was flooded with texts from him.


    [So, will you stili tutor me?]


    (Hey, answer me! Tutoring or not?]


    [Seriously? You''re mad over this? I didn''t know. Cut me some ck.]


    [Cameron, I...]


    [Cameron, I''m sorry.]


    A notification popped up: [The other party recalled a message.]


    Cameron watched the apology vanish. ''ssic. Proud and prickly,'' she thought. Towel-drying her hair, she typed back: [Pay up, and we have a deal.]


    Xander had been pacing the room anxiously, thinking, ''He probably didn''t see it. When her message finally came through, he scoffed.


    He texted: [70 thousand dors an hour.]


    Cameron replied: [30 thousand dors.]


    [Are you nuts? Double the cash!]


    [I don''t rip people off.]


    Stunned, Xander texted: [Fine. Library, noon tomorrow.]


    [See you then.]


    Cameron had barely set her phone down when Bradley swung the door open.


    "Hey, Brad, you''re back early today," Austin remarked.


    Bradley just grunted and gave a small nod.


    Meanwhile, Elijah was buried in his books. Solving problems always put him in his element. He nced up and acknowledged Bradley with a quick nod.


    Bradley''s eyesnded on Cameron, and he smiled. She was oblivious, but Austin caught every second of it.


    Austin''s brows shot up. He thought, ''What the hell? Why is Brad smirking at Cam like that?''


    It was seriously creeping him out. Austin rubbed his arms, feeling goosebumps prickle his skin.


    Without a word to Cameron, Bradley dropped his stuff and headed straight for the bathroom.


    Austin sidled up behind Cameron. “Cam, you saw that, right? Brad totally gave you this weird smile." He exaggerated a full-body shudder.


    Cameron was confused. "Seriously?"


    Austin nodded.


    Cameron frowned. "No way."


    "Swear to god, I''m not making it up."


    She just shrugged it off and got up to wash a towel.


    In the bathroom, Bradley stood at the sink, toothbrush in mouth. His top button was undone, revealing a hint of his sexy corbone. Cameron looked up mid- step and froze.


    "Brad," she blurted, quickly busying herself with the faucet.


    He mumbled something around the toothbrush, and the silence between them stretched thin.


    Bradley scrubbed his teeth while Cameron wrung out the towel.


    The wide sink gave them plenty of space to stay out of each other''s way. Right as she hung the towel to dry, he rinsed his mouth.


    "Night, Brad," Cameron said.


    "Good night," Bradley replied.


    Cameron hoisted herself onto the top bunk and yanked the privacy curtain shut.


    Austin''s cheerful "Good night, Cam!" came with a smile. He couldn''t help feeling bitter, thinking, ''Figures she''s closest to Brad. She only said goodnight to him.'' Cameron just nodded. "Night." Then she pulled the curtain all the way closed. The room plunged into darkness as the lights clicked off.


    Elijah stowed his books and crawled into bed, while Bradley flopped onto his mattress, angling his pillow toward Cameron''s side.


    The next day after lunch, Cameron grabbed her backpack for Xander''s tutoring session.


    Austin shadowed her out the door. "Mind if I tag along?"


    She stopped short, eyeing him, thinking, ''Since returning from Fraser Vi, he''s been glued to my side.''


    Elijah jogged up. "Can I join too?"


    Cameron was at a loss for words.


    AD


    Comment