Disclaimer: Characters and some quotes belong to Ann Brashares.

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On to the chapter!

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"Hey, guys." Eric placed his tray, laden with burgers and fruit, on the table and sat down opposite Bridget and Diana.

"Hey," Diana said, smiling and leaning forward in her seat. "So, you guys ready to continue the discussion about how my team is going to kick your guys' asses in every game?"

"Oh please!" Bridget laughed, holding up a hand. "My kids are getting better by the second. Did I tell you? That Jack Naughton kid almost blocked a goal today."

Eric chuckled. "Was it because he was too busy staring at you?"

Diana screeched in laughter, while Bridget scoffed indignantly and threw an apple at Eric.

"Don't deny it!" he laughed, dodging the airborne fruit. "He loves you, he adores you, he dreams about you -"

"No, that would be you, Eric." Diana grinned cheekily.

Bridget gasped, leapt from her chair and clamped her hands over her friends' mouths, laughing. Diana squealed in surprise and Eric tried to fight his way out of her grip. When Bridget finally released them, all three coaches were convulsing with fits of laughter over poor Jack Naughton. Their amused laughs filled the cafeteria, and some players turned to stare. Bridget clutched her side, which was searing.

I think we're finally friends, Bridget thought to herself, as the laughter wound down. She smiled to herself. After a few days of talking and kayaking, the awkward air between her and Eric had finally disappeared. The two hung out now, even when they didn't have to. He joined her for her daily runs and they often sat under the oak tree when their players were conditioning and talked soccer strategies. Finally, finally, at long last, the strange relationship between them had morphed into a normal friendship. Bridget even felt that she could trust herself around him again.

It was a good feeling.

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Eric's heart raced as he realized what Joe was saying. "So you need someone to take over for Esmer and Kelsey?"

Joe nodded, distraught. "Yeah, but I don't know how I'm going to find two coaches willing to give up their weekend here to take eight kids on an overnight camping trip."

"We'll do it." The words were out before Eric could retract them.

Joe scrunched up his face. "You mean, you and Bridget?"

"Yeah."

"You understand that it's overnight, right? There won't be any problems with that?"

"No, sir." His mouth was running about ten times faster than his brain.

Joe looked wary. "Well…maybe I should check with Bridget, too."

Eric nodded. "Yeah, fine, whatever." He shouldered his big Adidas soccer bag and gave a quick salute to Joe before walking onto the fields for the last hour of pre-lunch practice.

As he walked toward his restless players, Eric grimaced to himself. What did I just do? He had been getting along so well with Bridget and didn't want to destroy the comforting air between them. Now he had gone and done exactly what he had been trying to avoid doing. He mentally slapped himself.

He sighed and dropped his bag onto the grass, and his players jogged up to listen for further directions. Eric's head pounded uncomfortably.

"Okay, guys," he started, "The first camp-wide tournament is coming up soon. We definitely need to work on our defense and our agility. So today, I've decided on a couple of laps and then some of the usual drills. How's that?"

He was met with the chorus of usual groans.

"You know what?" Eric felt a sudden surge of energy and pent-up frustration. "What if I did all the exercises with you guys? Huh? Would that be better?"

"Yeah!!" the group yelled, patting Eric on the back before running to line up for laps around the field. Eric tightened his cleats, chuckling slightly. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the kids were actually growing on him. As he jogged to join the group, he saw Bridget jogging toward him, dressed in her team uniform. He tensed. Had she heard the news?

"Hey, dude," Bridget greeted him, smiling. She slowed her pace and stopped, breathing fast. "You look like you're about to run with your kids."

Eric exhaled subconsciously. She hadn't heard. "Yeah," he replied. "I felt like working out a bit today. Plus, it got them to stop complaining for once."

She grinned. "Mind if I join?"

"Of course not."

"Just the two I need!" came a booming voice. Eric groaned at Joe's arriving footsteps. Not now, please, not now.

But "now" was exactly when Joe decided to intercept the two friends.

"Hey, Vreeland." He winked, as if to say, See, your partner's not so bad, is he?. Bridget looked down at her toes. Joe went on, "We've planned a rafting trip this weekend. It's an overnight down at the Schuylkill. We've got eight kids signed up, and Esmer and Kelsey pulled out at the last minute. Do you mind filling in? Eric said-"

"Does it matter if we mind?" Eric cut Joe off and shot him a warning glance before he said too much.

Joe, luckily, caught on. "No, actually."

"Well, then." Eric's heart beat quickly. That was close.

After receiving some instructions and plans for the trip from Joe, Eric turned back to Bridget. "Sorry about that," he started.

But she had already left.

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Eric was fully prepared to apologize to Bridget. Exactly what he was apologizing for, though, he was still sketchy about. When he had sat down opposite her at lunch that day, she had seemed distant and quiet, as if she didn't trust herself around him.

Eric walked through the woods adjacent to the camp, knowing Bridget would show up soon for her daily evening runs. He kicked up the dried leaves as he walked, feeling slightly stalker-ish.

Suddenly, he heard gravel crunching behind him, slightly to his right. Eric walked up the incline, preparing to emerge from the shadowy trees. But just as Bridget came into view, Eric saw another, smaller figure trailing behind her. Just a quick glance told him that it was the kid that was infatuated with Bridget, Jack Naughton.

"You know I can't be your girlfriend, Naughty," he heard Bridget say. "I'm your coach."

Eric felt an indescribable feeling rise in his chest. That hadn't been enough for Bridget two years ago… he couldn't help thinking. From his hiding spot within the trees, Eric listened to Naughton continue talking to Bridget.

"But I think you're pretty amazing. No one would have to know."

"I can't, Naughty. I can't." Bridget kept repeating, looking pained. But only Eric knew her pain came from elsewhere, not from feeling sorry for Naughton.

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A few hours later found Eric seated next to Bridget on the dock. The sun was setting, and the sky was painted with streaks of pink and orange. Bridget's tan legs swung like slow pendulums over the lake. She was quiet and pensive, and Eric let her be.

Suddenly, she blurted, "Can I apologize for something?"

Eric was surprised. He thought he was the one that had to apologize for getting them stuck with the awkward camping trip. "What do you have to apologize for?"

"Two summers ago."

Eric's breath caught in his throat, and a torrent of images raced through his head. Bridget sitting next to him on the beach, in all her leggy splendor, his own arm wrapping around her shoulders, the jeans she shared with her friends, lying abandoned in the sand nearby. Eric winced at the painful memories. He remained silent.

"That kid Jack Naughton wants to be my boyfriend," Bridget went on. "He's sweet, but he made me think of myself…and how I acted towards you. You must have thought I was so ridiculous." She fingered a smooth rock on the dock and skipped it across the tranquil lake. Eric watched the ripples disturb the surface of the lake. He sympathized with the water. He and Bridget had been doing so well, and then she had to go and bring the "two summers ago" up.

He could tell Bridget was regretting bringing the specter of "them" up again. She drew her knees to her chest, as she always did when she was nervous. She rocked back and forth, silent.

Eric contemplated whether or not he should admit what he had never said, that he had felt the exact same way toward her. He had loved her just as much as she loved him. Finally, he settled on saying, "You weren't ridiculous. It was a little more complicated than that." There, he thought. That was a good answer. Aloof, vague.

"But it was all my fault. I know it was," Bridget pressed on.

Eric sighed inwardly. She wasn't letting him get away with this. He looked tormented for a long while, before finally giving in to the feelings that were struggling to pry themselves out of his mouth. "Do you really think it was all you?" His voice was barely louder than a whisper. "That I didn't want it, too?"

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(A/N) How was it? I hope you liked it. Feel free to leave reviews/comments! Thanks so much, guys! (: