I stepped into the cool water. It felt good after our hike. “Listen, Marten. What I wear is my business and my business alone. If what I choose to wear is going to derail your plans for a new truck, then maybe you have no business betting Jake anything.”
He lifted his hands up, as if he were placating a toddler. “Listen, I’m not trying to be a jerk. I’m trying to keep our heads on straight. I’m fully aware you can wear whatever you want, and the problem is me. I’m just asking as a guy who will be fake-dating a hot blonde—as all the guys at work call you—try and help me out.”
I scooped up a handful of mud, watching it ooze out of my hands, thinking about what it would feel like to hit him directly in the face.
“Tess.”
I looked up at him then. His eyes were pleading, and he seemed legitimately worried about my clothing choices.
I grinned and scooped up another handful of mud. “I think I’m going to enjoy this.”
He sighed and nodded toward me. “Ladies first.”
I pulled Jake’s list of questions out of my pocket and laughed as I read the first one. “Which statement is true? In high school, Tessa helped Cade prank Kelsey by putting her car on cinderblocks. Or… In high school, Tessa opened Kelsey’s locker for Cade so he could put a garter snake inside.”
Logan rubbed his chin, deep in thought. “If I recall, amid the long list of misdemeanors from those two, both of those happened to Kels…” His voice trailed off while he studied me. “Cinderblocks seems the obvious answer, but I’m worried about it being so obvious. How do you feel about snakes?”
I gave him my best poker face.
“Snakes.”
A smile broke across my lips as I bent over and added more mud to my hand, preparing to throw.
“Snakes is the lie! That’s what I was going to say!” He threw his hands up, trying to prevent what was coming.
“Too late, Marten.” I let the mud fly. The image of watching it splat across his gray t-shirt was supremely satisfying.
We went back and forth, trading questions. Jake had a mix of salty and sweet, TV or books, places we’d traveled, and would-you-rather questions. So far, the one speck of mud I had on my shirt had been my own fault, slipping a little with my last throw. It was getting to be sad, really. Logan looked ridiculous, even as he grinned and pretended to welcome the onslaught.
“This isn’t fair. You’ve been obsessed with me for years,” Logan said, laughing and dodging out of the way when I threw another handful at him.
“Stop whining. You’re up.”
Logan read over his question silently, keeping a tight game face, but I thought I heard a soft, “Freaking Jake” before he shook his head to begin his question. “If given the chance to watch a game of football on TV or the nature channel, what would I pick?”
I hesitated for the first time since we started. It felt like a trick. Logan seemed annoyed by the question, but he could also have been trying to confuse me. Logan had played whatever sport he could in high school and was naturally gifted at each one. The nature thing didn’t fit. I had to go with my gut.
“Sports.”
“This stays between us, Jailbait.”
Cold, wet mud came flying at me, splatting all over my tank top and gushing over my neck and down my front. My mouth dropped. “What? You love sports.”
“I like toplaysports. I don’t love watching them on TV.” I gaped at him, and he only smiled, a hint of red appearing on his cheeks. “What? Didn’t know I was so in tune with nature?”
“For someone ‘so in tune with nature,’ you sure complained the whole way up this tiny hill.”
“I think I missed a spot.” He flung another handful in my direction, which I dodged easily.
“Stop embarrassing yourself.”
He folded his arms with a playful glare. “You’re up.”
I began reading the last question. “Once, when Tessa and Kelsey were having a sleepover at your house and your sister was mad at you for something, they either A - dipped your—”.
I stopped reading immediately, darting a nervous glance toward Logan.
He had grown very still, a dangerous gleam growing on his face as he watched me carefully. “Oh don’t stop now. You were just getting to the good part.”
