“Don’t let me get eaten by a gator,” I beg, letting our palms brush. “I don’t want to be their afternoon snack.”
He crosses his free hand over his heart. “On three.”
“One,” we say at the same time.
“Two.”
A shudder of guilt rips through my body, and the final number gets stuck in my throat.
I shouldn’t be here. I don’t do things like this. I should be at home studying for my biochemistry exam and writing a personal statement that will knock the judges’ socks off. Being at Lake Anita isn’t productive. Now I’ll have to stay up all night to make up for the lost time.
How could I have been so careless andstup–
“Hey, Ed,” Kenneth says, and my eyes shift from the water to his sharp, freckled jaw. “It means a lot to me that you came today. I know it’s weird that I asked you to come do something you hate. This is my favorite place in the world, and I’m happy I get to share it with you.” My heartbeat slows as he meets my eye. “I know there are so many other things you could be doing instead, so I’m glad you’re here with me.”
The shame of not working slips away as he tangles our fingers.
For extra security of course.
He’s right. I do have so many other things I should be doing, but I’m happy to be here too.
Standing next to Kenneth, my shoulders fall. Not even when falling asleep do I feel this at peace. A mellow state hangs over Lake Anita, and I feel it radiating off the man beside me and deep into my bones.
Relaxed is a feeling that I never expected to associate with Kenneth Gray, but here it is, and today I’m not going to fight it.
Fuck it.
“Three!”
My fingers are shriveled like raisins, and I’m struggling to open a package of crackers and cheese. Kenneth floats on his back, and his eyes flutter open when I finally rip into the snack. He opens his mouth, cheering when he catches the piece of cheese I toss.
I swipe crumbs from my legs onto the dock. “How long has Lake Anita been in your family?”
“Forever. My grandmother grew up here, and it’s been passed down for generations.”
He points to a cozy, charming house I hadn’t noticed until now. The home gleams a pristine white, blinding against the backdrop of the surrounding forest with its own private lake. A cobblestone path leads to the front porch, adorned with rocking chairs and draped in sunlight. The space is full of love and memories that I can feel from here.
“Where is she now?” I ask, but then I realize how personal that question is and cover my mouth. “Never mind. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that.”
His floating falters for a moment, and he flips over to tread water. “No worries. She lives at the assisted living facility up the road. Nan has multiple sclerosis.”
Kenneth answers every question I ask. Nan was a swimmer who started a family with her high school sweetheart. She’s the person who taught Kenneth how to swim and never missed a meet. Since moving into the assisted living facility, she has only been able to watch them on the television.
“I wish I could do more for her,” he says, guilt weighing his words down to an almost-whisper. “She’s given me so much support over the years, and I barely manage to visit her once a week.”
I cross my legs, keeping my eyes everywhere except on Kenneth’s face. “From the outside looking in, I think you’re being a little hard on yourself. You’re a student-athlete with a difficult major that I assume was inspired by your grandmother. You come every weekend to take care of your home and see her. You walk out of class when her doctor calls. You’re her right-hand man when it comes to decisions about her health. I think what you’re doing is pretty amazing, Gray.”
And because I can’t have another soft moment with this man today, I stand abruptly before he can speak. I don’t think my heart can handle it.
“Break’s over, Gray. I didn’t come out here to float. I came to show you I can swim and possibly get eaten by a lake monster.” I turn and backflip off the dock, rejuvenated by the cool water.
Kenneth lets out a sharp whistle when I resurface, holding up nine fingers. “It was a little wobbly at the end. Try again.”
I crawl up the ladder and curtsy. “As you wish,” I say, but follow up with a cannonball that covers him with a water.
I don’t know how long we’ve been out here, and I don’t care either. I’m going to enjoy this time of laughing and everything else I had no idea I could have with Kenneth Gray.
The sun is lazy in its descent, as if it’s not ready for the day to end. Truthfully, I don’t want it to end either. I see why Kenneth loves this place so much. Thirty seconds after he parked, I decided I wouldn’t mind coming back here again.
