Chapter Eight
A few days passed. Riley had been trying to get some time with Noah, but either he was swamped, or she was busy with children.
The cabin she was in got worse by the day. They tried pushing her into skinny dipping with them and the male counselors. Riley shook her head and complained about a stomachache. Then they tried to make her drink the alcohol someone had snuck into the camp, and she pretended she was going to vomit. The more they couldn’t get her to do, the worse they were with her.
She started to become desperate and tried harder to find Noah. But she’d catch a glimpse of him, and then by the time she got to where she saw him, he was gone. There were just too many people, buildings, and trees that could hide a person.
She started to become more unsure of a relationship between her and Noah. He was busy, but it didn’t seem like he’d even tried to see her. The last thing she wanted was to anger or bother him, so she tried to be a big girl and deal with the problems in her life herself.
She was afraid to go to sleep in her own bed. A few of the boys kept creeping into their cabin and making out with some of the girls. Different boys kept trying to climb in bed with her, but she threatened to scream every time. She’d even gone so far as to sleep with a steak knife she’d taken from the kitchen.
It was getting to the point that she was afraid she would be raped.
Riley couldn’t take it anymore and tried to find Noah later that night when most people were in bed, hoping he’d be in the office or his own cabin. There was no light in the office, so she turned toward the cabin.
She worried about him getting angry when she just showed up, but she didn’t know what to do. He was the only one she trusted.
The light was on in his cabin. Her shoulders relaxed when she saw he was still awake. Raising her hand to knock, she caught sight of Noah through a crack in the drapes. He had his hands on Brigit’s shoulders and was smiling down at her.
Riley’s stomach tightened painfully.
That was the way he looked at Riley. Was everything he said a game? A sob caught in her throat, and she pressed her hand against her mouth. The door started to open and she sprang around the corner, out of sight.
“Thank you, Noah. Just being near you settled me down.”
“I’m glad I could help. Now get to your cabin.”
Brigit smiled and walked off.
Riley waited to hear the door close before she stepped out of the bushes on the side of the cabin. Another sob sprang from her throat as she hurriedly walked away.
Noah came around the corner must have caught sight of her because he called out to her. The last thing she needed was face him. Hiding behind a large tree, she bit down on her knuckle to keep from crying out. She couldn’t talk to him at that moment because she felt too raw inside, and she hated the fact she couldn’t stop the tears from falling.
She waited until he walked off to make her way to the stables. It was the only place she thought she’d feel safe that night. Once she’d crept in through the door, she quietly closed it behind her, and walked through the stables, petting and talking to all the horses. It calmed her enough to stop the tears.
Riley wiped her eyes with the bottom of her t-shirt, and then she got one of the horse blankets and settled down in a pile of hay in the corner. After an hour of lying down, tossing and turning, she gave up.
She wouldn’t be able to sleep there. So she decided to sneak into the office and call her dad to tell him she couldn’t stay there anymore.
A shiver coursed down her spine as she looked back and forth on her way to the office. The shadows seemed more menacing at that moment for some reason. Maybe it was because she’d never felt so alone?
Riley breathed a sigh of relief when the door was unlocked. She turned on a small light that sat on the desk and reached for the phone.
****
Earlier that night, he’d been ready to make his rounds when Brigit showed up at his cabin, asking his advice on how to deal with a boy who wouldn’t leave her alone. It put off his plan to check the camp and make sure everything was quiet.
Things were settling down enough now that Noah was finally able to walk around the camp and catch a glimpse of Riley. He had to find time to be alone with her because he was going crazy not being able to touch her.
After Brigit left, Noah had shut the door. While he was outside, he heard a sound and walked around the outside of the cabin. He saw the back of someone running as he came around the corner.
“Riley! Is that you?” Noah shouted and started jogging after the person. She was gone by the time he made it to the fork in the path. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted her name.Noah jogged to Riley’s cabin and knocked.
“Hey, Noah,” Brigit said when she opened the door.
“Is Riley here?”
Brigit looked over her shoulder when a few of the girls snickered. She turned back. “No, she might be with Tommy. She’s had the hots for him since she got here.”