She’s gone poker-faced again. “You want me to put that back on you, or do you want a towel?”
“Can I take option C and just die right here in this pool?”
“Not after that. That, my friend, was the biggest you’ve lived in a long,longtime.”
Dammit.
I was afraid that was what she’d say.
And honestly?
I don’t think I want to die of mortification in this pool. My teeth chatter one more time.
I order them to stop.
And they do.
“Sabrina?” I whisper.
“Yeah?”
“Tomorrow I’ll think this was fun.”
She cracks up. “Good,” she says. “Even better if you think it’s fun today. You didn’t do anything wrong, and you don’t have anything to be ashamed of. You get tolive, Laney. You get to have fun in the moment too.”
“You keep saying those words, and I keepwantingto believe them.”
“You will. One day. It just takes practice.” She lowers her voice. “Also, you made a grown man dive into a pool fully clothed to rescue your…sunglasses.”
I stare at her.
She stares back.
And then webothcrack up.
13
Theo
The world isa beautiful place with a few people I’d like to punch.
Beautiful? Laney in a bikini. Even if it gave me a boner that I couldn’t hide behind a mountain and that’s still half-hard a couple hours later.
People I’d like to punch?
The Sullivan triplets.
All three of them.
Yes, they’re my friends. Some of my favorite friends, in fact.
Butthey fucking looked at Laney in a bikini.
Didn’t think Decker would be the one who thought she lost hersunglassesand not hertop, but he’s only alive because he did.
And I’m only able to walk next to Laney on the way to dinner tonight because I’m making myself think about how dead Sabrina would make me if I asked Laney if she wants help with her cannonball later.
Sabrina wouldn’t believe I was only worried about Laney’s form.
