“Okay. Okay.” He caught his breath. “Don’t panic, we can find them.”
“I can literally never leave the ocean. I’m doomed. I live here now.”
He laughed again, this time so hard he had to paddle over to the boat and grab the side of it so he could expel his amusement without drowning.
“I hate you,” I told him, with no little sincerity.
“I know. I’m so sorry.”
“I can’t open my eyes underwater.”
“Okay. Don’t worry. I’m going under.”
“Don’t look!”
He shot me a wry expression—obviously he’dhaveto—before gulping in air and diving. I scurried backward, much as one could scurry in the water.
He reemerged, dashing water from his eyes and hair. “Sorry. Nothing. Let me try again.”
“Noah—”
But he’d already vanished.
He dove a third time, but we both knew it was hopeless. I sighed mournfully. “This is the first time I ever even wore that bikini.”
“Really?” He grinned. “What inspired you to wear it?”
I splashed water at him from a good fifteen feet away. “Get over yourself.”
He laughed. “Okay. Well, you have your shorts, right?”
“And I have underwear.” Embarrassingly, I went redagain. Apparently I couldn’t even mention something utterly mundane without blushing.
“I’ll turn my back when you get on the boat and you can put them on.”
“Swear to god you won’t look, Noah Barbanel.”
“I swear. I swear so hard.” He was laughing again as he held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
I climbed up the boat’s ladder, face blazing hot, and wrapped my towel around my waist. I dug the underwear I’d brought with me for post-beach wear out of my bag, and quickly pulled them and my shorts back on.
“Besides,” he shouted as I changed. “It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before.”
“Noah!” I yelped. “You did not!”
“No—you’re right—” He could barely speak for laughing. “I didn’t.”
It was amazing, though, how different this was than the night weeks ago when I’d gone skinny-dipping, when I was mortified about the idea of him catching me naked because I didn’t want to feel vulnerable. I would have doneanythingthen to keep him from seeing me, even swum to the opposite side of the pond, as I’d half joked to Jane.
But now—
Now keeping my clothesonfelt way more difficult.
“You’re good,” I called to him, and two broad strokes brought Noah to the boat. He closed his hands around the ladder and halfhoisted himself out of the water. He draped his forearms casually over the top of the rails. Droplets streamed down his body, causing him to glitter like a diamond. He grinned at me, eyes bright and hair straightened by the weight of water. “Now what?”
“Now what, what?”
He swung himself into the boat. “I’d thought we’d swim a bit, get some exercise... now what are we going to do?”
