As the group headed back, Kate was clearly still mad about Ray's "performance," not even wanting to walk close to him. She kept a faster pace than usual, putting just enough distance between them to make it obvious.
As they were already close, someone they didn't expect to see this late at night appeared.
"Hello, Counselor," Ray said with a smile.
Kate rolled her eyes, watching him practically drool all over her—just like the rest of them.
Ugh. Boys will be boys.
"Hello, Ray. I wanted to thank you again for taking the first group shopping. But no more races," she scolded him playfully as she turned around, her ass cheeks nearly completely visible under her small denim shorts.
"Yes, Counselor!" she shouted back as she left.
Julia couldn't help but smile a little. These girls were lucky they weren't married, she thought to herself—before immediately scolding herself for it.
Emma looked at Ray for a second. "You think she's married?" she asked, joining in on the drooling.
"Hope not…" he said—right before Kate smacked the back of his head.
"Back to the cabin you go, pervert! I swear, you boys are unbelievable!"
As Emma and Sarah drifted ahead to join the rest of the group, their voices blending into the distant chatter, Jake stayed unusually quiet as they passed him. His usual smirk was gone, replaced by something more cautious—like he already knew what was coming.
Kate slowed just enough to lock eyes with him, shooting him a sharp death stare, her jaw tightening and her arms crossing briefly over her chest. The tension in her expression said everything she didn't bother to say out loud.
Then, just as quickly, she turned back around, her ponytail swaying with the motion as she picked up her pace again, clearly not interested in giving him another second of attention.
After a few minutes, they approached the cabin door. Kate's heart started beating faster the moment Ray reached for the handle, her steps slowing just slightly behind him.
The door creaked open, the familiar darkness of the cabin settling around them as the night air followed them inside. Ray stepped in first, running a hand through his damp hair as he took a quick look around the room—his gaze landing almost immediately on his bed.
He quickly analyzed it—first his clothes were gone, and now his mattress too.
Ray lost it.
His jaw tightened, his breathing sharpening as his pupils seemed to widen, his eyes darkening with anger as it finally clicked what had happened.
Without acknowledging it, he turned toward the entrance and started walking, his movements almost too calm, too controlled.
"Ray?" Kate looked at him, confusion flickering across her face as she stepped into his path—but he gently pushed her aside without even looking at her.
"Ray, stop it!"
"I've had enough of him playing Cupid," he said, his voice low and tight as he walked toward the campfire.
Kate hurried after him, her footsteps quick and uneven as she tried to catch up, reaching out like she might grab his arm and stop him before things got worse.
"I've had enough of him playing Cupid," he said, his voice low and tight as he walked toward the campfire.
Kate hurried after him, her footsteps quick and uneven as she tried to catch up, reaching out like she might grab his arm and stop him before things got worse.
Jake's face quickly turned serious, the laughter dropping from it as he pushed himself to his feet, shoulders squaring.
"Bring it on."
Sarah stood up quickly, stepping in front of Jake as she tried to calm him down, her hands raised slightly like she could physically hold the situation together.
Kate grabbed Ray's hand, her fingers wrapping around his wrist, but he gently pushed her away again without looking at her, his focus locked entirely on Jake.
Despite their attempts, the girls couldn't stop it.
Jake threw the first punch, his fist connecting with a sharp crack as Ray's head snapped back slightly. A split second later, blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Marco heard the noise and rushed out from his cabin, his footsteps quick against the ground as he headed toward the commotion.
That's when he saw it—Ray's fist slamming into Jake.
"The fuck? Hey, you fucking morons! Stop it!" he shouted as the two of them started swinging at each other, fists flying in messy, uncontrolled bursts.
Kate was completely shaken—she had never seen Ray like this before. Her chest tightened, her hands hovering uselessly at her sides as she watched it unfold.
What the fuck was wrong with him?!
It was just a stupid mattress!
Marco forced himself between them, shoving Ray back hard enough that he stumbled and hit the ground, the impact knocking the air slightly out of him.
"Stop it. Now!"
"He fucking started it! First he took my clothes, and now the fucking mattress!" Ray snapped, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand as he tried to get back up.
Jake scoffed, rolling his shoulders like he hadn't just been hit. "Oh, come on, man, it was a joke. You seriously lost your shit over a mattress?" he shot back, though his voice carried a defensive edge now.
Sarah grabbed Jake's arm, trying to pull him back. "Jake, just drop it, okay? It's not funny anymore," she said, her voice tense, eyes darting between them.
Emma stood frozen for a second, then let out a nervous breath. "Yeah, this is—this is getting out of hand," she muttered, crossing her arms as if that could steady her.
Kate didn't say anything at first. She just stared at Ray, wide-eyed, her earlier anger completely gone, replaced with something closer to fear and confusion, her fingers curling into her palms as if she didn't know whether to go to him or stay back.
And that's when she decided.
Kate stepped forward, her movements suddenly firm, cutting through the tension like it wasn't even there. She approached Ray without hesitation and dropped down in front of him.
For a split second, everything went quiet.
Then—
smack.
The sound echoed sharply as her hand connected with his cheek, snapping his head slightly to the side.
Ray froze, stunned more by the act than the force, his breathing still heavy, eyes blinking as if trying to process what just happened.
Kate didn't say a word.
She just stood up, her expression tight, jaw clenched, and turned around, walking away without looking back.
Emma's mouth fell open. "Holy shit…" she whispered under her breath.
Sarah blinked in shock, her grip on Jake loosening. "Okay… yeah, he probably deserved that," she muttered, still staring after Kate.
Jake let out a low whistle, rubbing his jaw like he could feel it himself. "Damn…" he said, the fight completely drained out of him now.
Marco exhaled slowly, running a hand over his face. "Well… that's one way to end it," he muttered.
Ray stayed on the ground for a moment longer, silent, his cheek still stinging—though it wasn't the slap that hit the hardest.
As Emma helped Ray back to his feet, her hands steady on him, he accidentally brushed against her waist. She smiled at the touch, not pulling away, and helped him all the way up.
Jake watched him for a second, the tension in his posture easing before he finally stepped forward. Then he grabbed Ray by the shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze.
"Come on, stop acting like I offended your family. Let's get a fucking drink, you moron," he said.
Ray let out a breath, some of the anger slipping away as a reluctant smile tugged at his lips.
The girls, watching the whole thing, rolled their eyes almost in sync.
Kate stormed into the cabin and slammed the door shut behind her, the sound echoing through the small space. Her chest was rising and falling quickly, her hands trembling slightly as she paced a few steps before stopping.
What was he thinking, attacking Jake like that? Over a fucking mattress? They could've just slept together for the night—
instead, he just lost it.
Is that his real face?
The thought hit harder than she expected.
Everything crashed at once—the anger, the confusion, the fear—and before she could stop it, her vision blurred. She pressed her lips together, but it didn't help.
She broke.
A shaky breath escaped her as tears started falling, her shoulders tensing as she tried—and failed—to hold it together.
Meanwhile, Jake had already handed Ray a drink as they sat down together near the fire, the tension from moments ago still lingering in the air but slowly dissolving into something more familiar.
Ray took it without a word at first, the cold of the bottle grounding him a little as the noise of the campfire and distant chatter filled the silence between them.
What was supposed to be the end of a long, exhausting day clearly had other plans.
It wasn't ending anytime soon.