"You’re frustrated. There’s a difference between you being frustrated and me being frustrating." This was a reasonable conclusion for him to come to. "That difference being that I’m not doing anything right now to make you frustrated." His hands fell to his hips.
"I feel like I’m yelling at you." She gestured to the space between them.
He nodded. "I also feel like I’m being yelled at."
"Because you’re all the way over there," she said, exasperated.
Darla needed a splash of cold water for a reset. A day floating in the pool would do her good.
But he didn’t say this because he liked his balls where they were on his body. Instead, she’d just have to come into the pool with him.
"Come in if you want to be closer. There’s another floating slice." He tilted his head toward the cabinet where they kept the pool floats. "A pineapple. Even a unicorn if you’re feelin’ fancy."
"Why?" she asked like it was a dare for him to answer.
"Because, Darla, you are stressed out. This is a stressful situation we are in." Anytime the internet and social media went rogue, shit got tense. "But we are going to figure out what to do about it, but while we do that, we don’t need to make things more stressful. So come on in, the water’s great."
"I don’t have a suit," she said.
Of note, that wasn’t a no. It was only a reason. He quirked an eyebrow because, "Darla?"
"What, Mach?"
"You seem like a person who solves problems. I bet you can come up with a solution here. If not, I have one."
She lifted her chin in defiance. "I am a problem solver. All day, in fact. I fix things. That’s why I’m out there trying to live my life whileyouare here just… swimming. Like the stuff going on out there doesn’t even exist."
She didn’t get it, but today didn’t seem like the day to explain why he was the person who precisely understood. The man who had been a kid dealing with all kinds of shit. He’d bet that he understood what existed outside of this pool better than nearly anyone. Yeah, he wanted her to understand that, but today was not that day.
"Would you believe I am a problem solver, too?" he asked.
He was about to tell her they kept extra swim stuff—suits and trunks and anything else someone might need for an impromptu pool party—stocked in the guest bath by the kitchen.
But Darla reached down and pulled her hospital top over her head. Wow, he did not expect that.
"Problem solving in action," she said, tossing the shirt aside.
Serious as fuck, this wasn’t what he’d meant. He’d implied it, sure, but he hadn’t meant it. He didn’t think she’d do it.
Under her top was a tiny black tank. Actually, it could’ve passed for a full-coverage bikini top, easily. He stared because, well, he was trying to not be an ass, but he was still him.
"You’re really not coming out?" she asked, huffing as she toed off her orthotic sneakers. "You’re going to make me come in?" The fire in her gaze made him want to challenge her so she could challenge him back.
God, he wanted her to challenge him back.
He swam farther away from her to make his point with no words spoken.
"If you decide you want my solution, all you have to do is give me the thumbs up," he said. "I do not mind helping you out."
She seemed to get off on the challenge between them as much as he did because with that, she shimmied out of the polyester hospital pants. The pants hit the ground, and she stepped out of them, revealing a perfectly acceptable pair of boy short underwear that covered everything but somehow still made him harder.
Too far, Mach. This is going too far.
"I’m coming in now. Are you happy?" She stomped her way to the deep end, her fists clenching and unclenching along the way.
"Are you having fun yet?" he asked.
"No," she clipped.
