Even after we got on board and sat by the on deck pool, his phone kept ringing. Really, it was putting a damper on the absurdity of being in a pool on a perfectly swimmable lake.
“Hand it over,” Jared said, holding out his hand. He and his girlfriend, Alyssa, were on one side of the pool, Wesley and I were on the other, while Luca, Garrett, and Evelyn had found chaise lounge chairs to sunbathe on.
“Why?” Wes grabbed the phone protectively, frowning.
“So I can throw it over the edge. You told her you don’t have reception, and she’s still calling. Give it to me and blame me later.” Jared splashed across to us.
Alyssa got out of the water and padded across the deck to the cabin, her wet footprints rapidly drying from the heat of the Italian summer sun. She returned with a small open lock box, holding it out to Wes. “Phones. All of you.”
I liked her. She brought a sense of practicality to the group. Garrett was practical, but he was also too abrasive for it to be a virtue.
“Is it really necessary for all of us to participate?” Garrett demanded.
“It’s a good idea,” Evelyn told him, tipping down her sunglasses so she could look at him over the frames. “Or is it true that you’re with that Hungarian prince and waiting for him to call?”
“Hungary doesn’t have a monarchy,” Garrett told her. “And no, I just don’t see the point.”
“Boring!” Evelyn chimed.
I looked at Wes, who seemed more drained than I’d ever seen him, his near permanent grin sagging.
“I agree,” I said, crossing the shallow edge of the pool to hand Alyssa my phone. “We only have a few days here. Send people the boat’s number if it’s an emergency, but really, who’s calling us if things go to shit?”
The rest of them followed with varying degrees of excitement. Garrett was still bickering when Wes tackled him into the water. We were all caught in the spray. Jared leaped in, followed by the rest of us.
“If you’re going to fuck me, can you at least do it in private?” Jared groaned, dragging a hand across the faint stubble on his jaw.
“Why do that when this is far more entertaining?” Alyssa smirked and put down her next card, forcing Jared to draw four more. We found a set of games on the boat on the third day. It was overcast, and by then, most of us were sunburned. We weren’t opposed to a day inside.
Garrett stood, and the rest of us shifted, shielding our cards. “I’m grabbing another drink.”
“I’ll take a beer,” Wes said, to my surprise.
“Since when do you drink?” I asked. It had been a while since we had seen each other but we talked every day. Or was I just overreacting? He was twenty-two now and it was normal. It was just unsettling to be the last one to know about this change.
His eyes shifted to the floor. “Recently, I guess.”
“Maddie got him into wine and scotch,” Luca offered, with a sidelong glance.
“I guess she’s part of it,” Wes said.
“Sounds like you two are doing good then?” I winced as I said it, awkwardly overcompensating.
“As long as he picks up his calls,” Garrett muttered as he pointedly placed a can in front of Wes. I guess I wasn’t the only one who had opinions on his new girl.
“Can we not do this right now? I thought the whole point of putting our phones away was to focus on our vacation. So let’s be here and enjoy this.” He looked at me pleadingly, his eyes starting to turn hollow the way they did when we first got on the boat. “Avery, it’s your turn.”
I added my card to the top of the deck, sending the game back in motion. “Uno.”
This earned me four glares and a wink. Evelyn whispered to Luca, and the siblings flashed each other their cards. The tension from a moment ago fizzled out.
“No colluding!” Wes leaned over the table, inadvertently flashing his cards. I schooled my face knowing if he played his Uno reverse, I was screwed.
I attempted not to fidget as everyone took their turn.
Wes played his card, and I waited for the cycle to start all over again. I blinked.
A red four.
