Swallow. Breathe. Blink. Remove shorts and shirt, kick off sandals, and walk toward the water. That is why we’re here, and it’s too early in the morning tobanter.
I approach the water’s edge and then quickly walk into the foamy sea scum like I’m walking down a long hall in a race to get into the bathroom, which is a huge mistake. This water is so shockingly cold that I might pee myself! “Holy shit!” I shriek. This is probably one of the reasons I don’t swim. I hate coldwater.
“It’s cold early in the morning,” Liaminformsme.
“You fucking think?” Iyellback.
“Easy, I was just trying towarnyou.”
“I’m already in the water,jackass.”
“Yeah well, most people don’t normally rush in as if they’re being chased by a bull. Although, it is one way to get over the cold faster. I’ve always been a firm believer in getting it over with rather than painfully enduring it, but it might also help if your swimsuit covered some of youup,too.”
I wrap my arms around my chest as I convulse from the frigid temperature surrounding my ankles andbelow.
“Come on, you’llbefine.”
I don’t see how there is any possibility of taking another step further into this ice pit. Clearly, I’m not given that choice, though, because Liam’s hand is firmly wrapped around my wrist, and he’s pulling me against the current. “I can’t go in there,” I tell him, sounding weak and freaking cold, but right now Idon’tcare.
“Trustme,okay?”
“Trust you?” I shout back. “All you’ve been trying to do is piss me off since I crossed this state border. How in the world could I trust you of allpeople?”
“You still think I’m trying to piss you off, huh?” Liam has managed to distract me with our passing words, and somehow, we are waist deep in the Arctic. I believe we have even crossed oceans. Actually, I think I see an iceberg ahead. “See, you’reokaynow.”
Either my body is becoming used to an iced-over version of hell, or I’m numb from thewaistdown.
“What else could you possibly be trying to do, other than piss me off?” I press for an answer I’m sure I still won’t drag outofhim.
“I’m not trying to piss you off, Julia, despite what you want tobelieve.”
“Then what is it?” I’m hardly able to annunciate my question through my chatteringteeth.
“Look, I figured if I pissed you off enough, you’d leave before anyone got hurt ... meaning Dylan. I can’t stand watching that poor kid hurting every time he gets attached to someone, only to watch them leave soonafterward.”
I feel like this is the first piece of honesty Liam has offered me outside of Dylan’s dad situation, but this isn’t only about Dylan. He feels pain watching Dylan suffer, which means he has real people emotions, and he’s not one-hundred-percent prick, infused with materials that make up adouchebag.
“You still think I’m going to leave?”Iask.
“Actually, no, but, you’re so damn cute when you get mad, it sort of just became fun totortureyou.”
Inside of my now frozen soul, I feel a slight wrath of fury swirling around inside my chest in response to his confession. I pry one of my arms away from around my chest and point at him. “Stop trying to piss me off.” It’s all I can come up with.How is he not evenshaking?
“Did you sleep with him last night?” Liam asks, serious as day, no hitch to his voice, no emotion, just a solid question like he just asked me what the weatherislike.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” I tell him. “And why doyoucare?”
“I would congratulate Sterling later. That’s all. He’s got a working tally, and he is a little behind this summer. I know he was worried about it, but it looks like you’re solving that problem for him.” Liam winks at me as if he’s convinced himself that I slept with Sterling last night. He can try to ninja his way into my head all he wants, but it isn’thappening.
“A tally? Are you kidding me? Can’t you come up with anything better than that? Let me guess . . . he has notches on hisbedposttoo?”
“That part, I can’t confirm. I’ve never been to his place, but I wouldn’t put it past him.” At least this time, he can see me rolling my eyes since we’re out in broaddaylight.
“Okay, put your face in the water,” heinstructs.
“What?Why?”
He laughs. Because apparently, I’m funny. So funny. But as far as I’m concerned, there is absolutely nothing funny about my question. “Um, so I can teach you how to blowbubbles.”
