He started to help me into the water and I couldn’t help but keep teasing him. I know the morning had been rough on him and I wanted to make him smile.
“Holding me to it? Or holding it against me?”
Liam let out a moan. I laughed and settled in the water. It felt awful at first, but then my muscles seemed to melt and I let out a moan of my own.
“This feels fantastic.”
Apparently, that was too much, and he started to tease me back.
“Oh, I have something fantastic you can feel.”
He pulled me against him and wrapped his arms around my waist. He started to press kisses into my neck and I just giggled.
With a sigh, he whispered, “Voglio te.”
Sadly, I responded,“I want you, too.”
He turned me around to face him and frowned.
“But still… nothing.”
“Niente.”
We stared at each other for a moment before he rested his forehead against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered, “Are you crying uncle yet?”
I held my breath. It was probably time to start accepting that nothing was going to happen between us, regardless of how much we both might want it. We had to start accepting that we were only meant to be friends. Liam shook his head.
“Not today. Let’s just hold on to today. I want to enjoy the Italian fair and just forget about it all for tonight. We can cry uncle tomorrow.”
I raised my lips and kissed his forehead.
“Deal.”
We were still holding each other, my lips on his forehead, when his family arrived, Cassidy and Dylan in tow. They did not seem pleased to find us all cozy in the hot tub but I didn’t care about them. I cared about Liam and what I was about to lose.
We waited until Cassidy came prancing out in a suit that was barely covering her before we decided to join them in the regular pool. Liam got out first and then offered me his hand. I could feel Cassidy’s eyes boring into me, waiting to prove she was hotter and that Liam would never stick with me. It wasn’t going to work. When I stood up, I hid a smile when both Dylan and Richard let out slow whistles.
“Damn, Isabella. No wonder Liam’s been keeping you a secret. I wouldn’t let you out of my room either.”
Liam threw a water bottle at Dylan.
“Dude, watch it.”
We entered the pool and I tried to join the conversation. Not only because I was insanely curious about Liam’s family but also because I was really starting to fall behind on this history report. I needed more information. Richard seemed nice enough but he didn’t seem very close to Liam. Actually, he seemed to know less about his brother than I did. Dylan was more useful, but it was clear he was determined to put a wedge in between Liam and I. He was Team Cassidy all the way.
Shewas clearly after Liam. Dylan would distract me and she’d sidle up to Liam. He always managed to untangle from her and grab me back, but he was clearly getting frustrated.
Under his breath, he whispered, “I can’t believe I was ever attracted to her.”
I paused.
“Wait. You’re not attracted to her now?”
Liam looked at me like I was crazy, but something was stirring inside of me. An ounce of hope. I hurried.
“I mean, not like… physically or emotionally?”
He shook his and looked at me curiously. Unable to control this slight sense of joy starting to bubble inside me, I blurted out, “Did you ever sleep with her?”
