Liam’s hand wraps around my back as if he were embracing me, and for less than a split second, I feel like something is rightaboutthis.
It was just another wavethough.
“Let’s head out. We’ve ended up a far distance from the shore. That’s why the waves are getting bigger. You don’t always realize you’re moving when the current is pullingyouout.”
The momentum of everything is stronger out here. Maybe that’s why I’m feeling things I shouldn’t be feeling. His hand is still against my back as he helps me walk against the pressure of the ebb and flow from theforcefultide.
As we approach the sand, I hear, “Brochacho!” shouted from down the beach. It takes a minute for my eyes to focus, but when I see who it is, I realize why it’s so important to learn how to swim. If I knew how to swim right now, I’d be out of here before Sterling or Cleary has a chance toseeme.
This is totally not awkward.Not even a little bit. I kissed one of you last night and fondled the other ten minutes ago. After only two days, I think am officially a beach whore. It does have a nice ring to it, Isuppose.
I grab my towel and quickly wrap it around myself, hoping to detract some of the attention away from my body, which is apparently under a spotlight. “Guppy, what are you doing here?” Sterling’s words sound chipper, but at the same time there is an inflection ofwhat the fuckery. Because, yeah, he offered me swim lessons too, and probably not at zero degree thirty in the freaking morning. Maybe I should have taken him up on his offerinstead.
“Oh, uh—” Name. Name. His name. “Liam, offered me swimlessons.”
“Ahh, nice, nice. How’d she do?” SterlingasksLiam.
“Before or after the wave almost stripped her bare?” Liam asks, laughing. Holy crap, why would you say that tohim?No.
“It was nothing.” I laugh nervously, combing my fingers through my wetstrands.
“I wouldn’t call that nothing,” Liam adds in. “I copped a feel.” What, are we ... fifth graders in the boys’bathroom?
“You do know I’m standing right here,” Ipipein.
“Yeah, you should um, pull your towel up a bit,” Liam mutters and gestures to me, pointing at my on-alert frozen nipples. I grip my towel and hold it against my neck for full coverage. I look back and forth between the two of them, and I feel the testosterone in the air. Sterling expressed that he’s interested in me, but why is Liam acting possessive all of a sudden? I feel like he might come over here and claw his mark into me to claim his territory orsomething.
“I’m going to get going,” I tell them. I think that would be best for all parties involved at thispoint.
“Where’s your stuff?” Sterling asks Liam. “You not going back into the watertoday?”
“I’ll be back at it tomorrow. I pulled something yesterday, so I’m taking a rest day,” Liamtellshim.
I feel completely uncomfortable right now, especially seeing the somewhat crushed look on Sterling’s face. It was bad enough I basically told him he couldn’t call me last night after he kissed me, but seeing/hearing all of this now is kind of a slap in the face. He’s misreading this whole situation, andunderstandablyso.
“Hey, Guppy, I know what you said last night, but—” I should just start running now. Sterling makes his way over to me and takes me by the arm, bringing me a few feet away from his brother and Liam. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you last night. That kiss—” Yeah, that word was a little louder than the rest of his words. “It was something else and—did you feelittoo?”
I’m trying to avoid the obvious peripheral stare Liam is hiding, not-so-subtly, when I look up at Sterling. “Yeah, I felt it too, but—I told you my reasons. I just need to get settled in here for a bit and figure some things out.” Like, do I want to have some nice sex all summer, then go home and pretend like it never happened, or should I just auction my heart out to someone who wants to have the first crack at breaking it open like apiñata?
“I gotcha. Liam, though, he’s not bothering you, is he? I can handle him if he is. I know he can be a little rough around the edges sometimes.” What is the right answer here? Yes, he’s bothering me ... he grabbed my breast, acts like a jerk, and he hid Shermanator from me, but other than that, he’s been perfectlycharming?
“No, I can deal with him. It’s not an issue,really.”
“Are you diggin’ him?” Another question I can’t honestlyanswer.
“I—I ugh, Sterling, I just don’t know anything right now, okay? I got here less than a week ago, and my head is all over the place. It’s a lot to take in at once. I’ve never left Indiana before last week, I lied to my dad about what I was doing here, and he’s out there alone, probably living in a filthy house, eating leftovers from dinners I made two weeks ago. I need—I just need some time, like I said.” I don’t leave my statement open ended, or the opportunity for another question to pop up. Instead, I turn and jog back to thehouse.
It isn’t until I reach the small boardwalk leading up to the path that I realize I forgot my flip-flops, but I don’t want them badly enough to go back down there right now. I’d rather get new oneslater.
I reach the side of the house and rinse my feet with the small foot shower, then rush inside before Liam can catch up with me. No more questions. No more teasing. No more groping. I need a break fromitall.
When I close myself inside of the house, I hear Samantha and Daniel in the kitchen having a heated but quiet conversation. At the sound of the door closing, their voices go mute, and Samantha turns the corner. “How did the swimlessongo?”
She’s decked out in her yoga clothes, ready to leave, but it’s only eight. I thought she didn’t head out until nine. This getting up early business is new to me. I’ve never understand how anyone is completely functional before nine in the morning. Daniel turns the corner too, holding a cup of coffee in his hands. He’s dressed casually today, unlikeyesterday.
“It went okay, I guess.” I’m still holding the towel up to my neck, afraid of anyone seeing more than they bargained for, now knowing I’m wearing the wrong type of swimwear for almost alloccasions.
“It’ll get easier,” she says. “Liam taught Dylan how to swim and now look at him. You have a great teacher.” I force a smile and look toward the clear path of the staircase. “I better squeeze in a shower real quick so I can get Dylan settled when hewakesup.”
