“Uh, yeah. Let’s do this.”
My confusion is the only reason I’m able to get to the pool without panicking. This time, I move to the edge before I remember what I’m doing and how much I hate the water.
But when it starts, it takes over. I freeze almost immediately.
“How are you feeling?” Nate asks. “If you need to pull an Obi Wan, I’m sure we can find something to do.”
I need to pull an Obi Wan on my whole brain at this point.
“I’m terrified. Why do people do this for fun?”
“No idea. I think humans are very prideful. They love to do things that can kill them.”
I let out a shaky laugh and reach out to grip the handrail. Oh, this is going to beterrible.
“Go slow,” he says. “There’s no rush here.”
My life would be so much easier if I could shove all of my fears into a box to get over them. That goes for things that aren’t just the pool. But my fear makes itself known, so I pause and stand just two steps into the water.
“You okay?”
“Y-yeah.” My hand tightens on the railing. “Thank God this is an adults-only cruise. I think kids would have pushed me in by now.”
“What is with kids and loving pool stairs?” he asks. “It’s so funny.”
I force myself to laugh before I look back down at the water. “This is way worse than I thought. It looks like the pool I—” My breath hitches as I think back on it. I can’t even say it.
“Hey.” His voice is soft.
“I want to do this,” I remind him. “Please don’t tell me to turn back.”
“Okay.” He grabs my hands, making my heart skip a beat. “We’re gonna try something.”
All I can do is rely on humor. “If you throw me in, I’ll take you with me.”
He shakes his head. “I’d never do that. Did I tell you about the end-of-year dodgeball match that got me yelled at by admin?”
I blink. Just what is he going for? “You didn’t. Are you keeping secrets now?”
“Not intentionally. That was when wedding planning was on your mind.” He shrugs. “Now’s as good a time as any.”
He tugs me a little farther in and I squeak. I hold onto him so tightly that it feels like I could break his hands, but he doesn’t complain. “Okay, tell me about it.”
“Most of the kids were stressed with finals. Actually, all of us were. Have I ever told you it’s bullshit that I have to have some kind of final?”
“You have,” I reply. “It’s up there with the fact that you have to wake up early every day.”
“Exactly,” he says. “But you know how much we enjoyed dodgeball when we were kids.”
“Youenjoyed it.Igot hit in the face and you yelled at Terrence McKay for it.”
Nate rolls his eyes. “Asshole had it coming. Anyway, apparently you can do something dodgeball-esque with foam balls and different rules. The kids loved it. The administrators didn’t. Wanna know what I called it?”
“What?”
“Cabbage Catch Kids.”
I sputter out a laugh. “Nate!That is such a dad joke.”
