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The first rule of Camp Crestview is to always smile! No matter who’s chasing you with an ax.
Working as a camp counselor has been eye-opening when it comes to kids. Namely, how much I don’t want any of my own.
His dark golden-blond, almost brown hair is pushed back from his face and tousled, like he runs his fingers through it a little more than necessary. It’s longer than most guys keep their hair, the soft curls nearly reaching his shoulders. But it only serves to draw attention to his gorgeous high cheekbones, his full lips, and the fact I’m half sure he uses cherry chapstick on his full lips.
“Welcome to Camp Crestview. Please don’t let any of the kids eat you, because that would be a lot of cleanup for me.”
For me—who’s never had an extra social bone in her body and barely has enough to get through the day here—he seems to be a fountain of wealth in that area.
“I was falling asleep,” I admit with a yawn, not trying to sound particularly overly-friendly. “Sorry.” “Must be all that marijuana in your system, hmm?” Kayde all but purrs, his honey-brown eyes dancing. When all I can do is look at him, the smile on his face pulls even wider. “Sorry, uh, was it a secret? The fact you’re high? No offense, Summer, but…” He steps closer with a glance around us, and I notice belatedly that we aren’t exactly alone. Kayde’s voice lowers when he speaks again, and it’s close to what I might call sultry when he says, “It’s so obvious. Even if I couldn't smell it on
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Kayde isn’t human like the rest of us, as much as it burns my throat to admit it, even to myself. Especially now, with rumors and whispers floating through the air at my back. To these kids, and probably to my fellow counselors, Kayde is a fucking god.
“Well, I don’t know, sweetheart.” He turns fully, and the light I’m holding falls on the bright, reflective thing he holds in his other hand. “Feels like tonight might be your unlucky night, actually. Really wish you were asleep right now.”
“Oh, my god.” The words come out as a whisper as all the warmth drains out of me, into the ground below. “Not quite,” Kayde responds, still with that half-apologetic smile. “And if you’re really good for me, sweetheart, I won’t make you meet him tonight.”
“Well, if it makes you feel better, I never intended to kill you.” His smile is sheepish when he says it, shoulders hunching like I’ve caught him doing something oh-so-sweet. “I’d thought, maybe afterward, as long as I could keep you in the dark, that you and I could be the only survivors. Thought maybe…” His other hand comes up so his knuckles can trail along the edge of the ax as I watch.
Kayde doesn’t waste any time. Still pressing hard and holding me in place, he spits, and I nearly choke when the liquid hits the back of my tongue and seeps into my throat. Every bit of me burns with disgust and humiliation as he does it, but he doesn’t release his grip on me, so there’s no way for me to do anything except stare at him in horror and try not to choke. “Swallow.”
“You should expect me everywhere, Summer.” His hand moves, coming up to grip my chin lightly. “Anywhere you are is somewhere I’d love to play with you. The shower, your cabin, the woods…” He shrugs, his blond hair straight and plastered to his shoulders as he stares down at me. “I’m sure we could think of lots of fun places to play our game.”
“I hate you,” I whisper against his tanned, perfect skin, breathing in open-mouthed pants. “I hate you so much.” “I know, Summer.” His hands shift down to my hips, just to wrap around me again and hold me close in his embrace like he really gives a damn. “But if you didn’t, then this wouldn’t be nearly as fun for me.”
“I think you’d look good in a little bit of red. I’ll try not to slip, Summer, I really will. But…” He sucks air through his teeth, dragging the blade down further until he’s sitting fully back on his heels. “It’s really hard, you know? You have to be so still for me so I don’t mess up and nick you. But even if I do, you’ll be so quiet for me, right sweetheart?” His eyes dart to the shared wall with his campers, then back to me. “Right?”
“Fine. Then I don’t forgive you.” He twists the blade before pulling it away, though the lasting sting that pulls a gasp from me is enough for me to know he’s actually nicked me with the knife. “I don’t forgive you at all.” He sounds almost feral as he says it, even though his calm and collected movements as he puts the knife in a sheath at his belt read as anything but.
“Because, sweetheart.” Carefully he hands the flower back to me, then ducks in close to whisper against my ear, “It takes a sociopath to spot a sociopath.”
“I came back because I’m in love with you, Summer Walsh. And you’d better understand real quick that I’m going to make sure you feel the same before these kids go home. No matter what I have to do to make that happen.”
“All mine, for the rest of your life. I don’t really believe in an afterlife, by the way. But if there is one, you’re mine there as well.” “What if we go to separate places in the afterlife?” I ask, scoffing a low laugh. “Last I checked, heaven isn’t for murderers.” “Then I’ll just have to drag you down to hell with me.”
“I’ll be your monster, if you want. Your psychopath, your ax murderer. I’ll be anything you want me to be, as long as you can be one thing for me.”
