He continues to swim in place, clearly agitated. “You are not on the list of people who make me feel okay right now.”
“I’m sure your list is non-existent on a normal day.”
“Fuck,” he barks. “I had the tiniest inclinations that your relationship might have been something like this. I just didn’t want the fucking confirmation.” He slams his hands on top of the water causing more ripples on the surface.
“What the hell does that mean?” My voice raises an octave.
Nash’s eyes laser in, and he looks at me as if I should solve the riddle. “It might make it hurt even more.”
I shake my head. “If you rewind the last five minutes, then you would realize we’ve established that it’syouwho led us all down this path.”
“The past few days you let me think that your marriage was…”
“We started on the wrong foot because you’re still a cocky asshole sometimes.”
Nash growls then wipes droplets from his face. “The house?” His cheeks rise, and he’s trying to keep his temper down.
“Oh, you mean which room I made a baby in?” I mock him, and it only makes him more dismayed.
“Summer,” he grits out a warning.
I glance away then slide my eyes back to him. “I only moved in with Bo when Zac was in the hospital. So to answer your very inappropriate question from the other day, no. No, there is not a room where I made a baby in my house. The bed is new, too, you asshole. And while we’re at it, no. No, I never told him about us. I made a promise, and I tend to keep those.” I’m nearly livid that we’re discussing this topic.
Nash stares at me blankly. “Okay,” he replies with zero indication of what’s running through his mind.
“Oh gee, does my answer appease you? I really want to throttle you right now.”
He peers down and back up with a faint chuckle. “Well, you could if you want. Look where we are.”
I take a moment to let the surroundings remind me of my setting. “Shit. Why are we still in the water?”
“Because you felt the need to explain important facts here,” he says, irritated.
I growl. “Ugh, I need to find a way to live with you. This is ridiculous that I’m in the lake.”
He smirks at me, and it’s so smug. I remember that look. The one he would give before his mouth would move lower on my body. “What’s even more ludicrous is that we can stand here.”
“What?”Oh.It’s a bit of a reach, but still, my feet touch the bottom of the lake and my head is still above the water.
Then it happens as we both stand. A calmness overtakes us as we stare at one another. A moment where even I can let my mouth ease into a small smile. It’s not every day that you can clear the air in cold water. The corners of his mouth stretch up because he must feel it too.
Nash’s hand comes out on offer. “A peace offering? No more jabs at one another?”
I think for a moment then sigh. Bo shouldn’t be dragged into Nash’s and my history. “Yes.”
Reluctantly, I slide my hand into his. The connection hits with a jolt and an anger that the water on our skin is an extra layer between us. It rushes through my body, the patter of my heart and the warning that a truth may alter the moments that I’m alone with Nash.
But I won’t think too hard as I walk up the slant of the dark sand on the shore.
We both look up to see that we have an entire audience.
Holden’s face is puzzled. “Uh… you guys okay? I thought about throwing in the life vest, but when we all heard you two screaming that you hate one another, we decided you have some issues to work out.”
While Nash continues his slow walk with a satisfied grin, I look at Holden and a few other staff members with embarrassment.
“How much of that did you hear?” I wonder.
“Nothing except the hate part. Kind of concerning,” Holden tells me, pretty amused by all of this.
