“On the beach.”
Mack laughs, turns, and runs towards the ocean.
“What is going on here?” I mutter, but Devon races past me, and I feel a bit like I should avert my eyes, but, at the same time, I want to yell at him to run slower so I can get a better look.
Elijah walks up and stands beside me with Danger in his arms. “Are you going to go out?”
“Me?” I squeak. “I mean, no. I couldn’t. I shouldn’t.”
“Really? Rebel would have.”
I hesitate for a long moment.
“You’re right,” I whisper and shove off my shorts and undies in one go. I lift my T-shirt and bra and drag them to the sand, too.
“I’ll stay here and enjoy the view.”
I shudder as his warm hand slides over the curve of my lower spine.
“Have fun, Sofia.”
The first step is the hardest, but then I’m jogging towards the water, holding my chest. The water is freezing, but I don’t stop until it hits mywaist, then I take a big, calming breath and drop my hands, letting them sink into the water. Now I feel really exposed, but I refuse to look at them.
Devon floats up to me and stands up, looking slowly down over my chest.
He sidles up and lifts me up against him, giving me plenty of time to get away. For a moment, I think he’s going to kiss me, but then I see his smirk.
“Don’t you do it, Devon! Devon! Stop!”
He throws us backwards, and we go under. I come up in a rush, pushing my hair back and shrieking from the cold.
Devon laughs and swims around me like an eel. Tonight, he is definitely a snake of some kind.
“You are so annoying, Devon Hart!”
He rises up, and I get to see how much he’s changed, too. “Yeah, but you love that about me, don’t you, Sofia Sol?”
I turn away, but he captures me again. This time, his mouth presses against mine, his tongue slipping between my lips. I forget that I’m cold, annoyed. I forget where I am. Devon Hart is kissing me.
He lifts me up, and I feel the hard length of him between us, the soft lapping of the waves as they rock us about, and the salt in my mouth.
“Hey, Rebel.”
I smile, only to shriek as he falls backwards again. I kick free and splutter and fight my way to the surface.
“Devon!”
He throws his head back and laughs. I keep walking backwards until I step into something hard. Arms wrap around me, and I’m lifted bridal style and carried out of the water.
Mack sets me down,grabs a towel and then, carefully, with infinite care, towel dries me and then helps me back into my clothes. He wraps my hair in a towel, then gets dressed himself.
“Right. I think we deserve a snack.”
The fire is much lower, and when I lay back on the blanket on the sand, I can see thousands of stars.
Every attempt to keep them at bay is failing. My walls are falling. I’m drowning in them, losing my willpower.
It’s like it was before. Where they are, I turn so I can see them, move towards them so I’m closer. Everything about me gravitates to them.
