I laugh, remembering when Margarine used to get the zoomies when she was younger.
“He’s also decided to implement a No Phones in Bed rule. Remember that weird message you got last night?”
“You mean the string of random letters and emojis?” I was also texting with Myles and Kat last night, so I was so concerned about keeping those conversations straight, I didn’t even comment on the obscure message from Gregory. Especially after he followed it up with a link to the fall lineup for Austin City Limits this year. We spent the next ten minutes bemoaning the fact that our parents would never let us take off across the country to attend, but planning everywhere we’d stop on the road trip, anyway.
Gregory nods. “That was me and Waffles fighting. As soon as I turned my lamp off, he kept trying to bat my phone out of my hand.”
“Aw, he’s just worried about you. Too much screen time rots your brain, you know.”
“You’re right. Here, let’s go throw our phones into the water right now.” He reaches for me, and I spin away, laughing.
“Come on!” He lunges for me again, one arm sliding around my waist as he goes for the phone sticking out of the back pocket of my cutoffs. “I will if you will.”
“Gregory!” I screech. “Oh my God, you just touched my ass!”
“I touched yourshorts,” he corrects and tries again. “I’m just trying to save your brain!”
I start wheezing, I’m laughing so hard. The thought that people are probably looking at us crosses my mind a split second before another voice says:
“Everything okay over here?”
We freeze, me hunched over and Gregory’s body curved over mine, his chest pressing into my back as he huffs out labored breaths.
Myles is a few feet away, regarding us in the darkness.
This is definitely not how I planned on greeting him after his vacation. His expression is unreadable, but he’s not smiling.
Gregory pulls his arms away slowly, like if it were up to him, he’d keep them right where they were. Conscious of Myles’s blue eyes on us, I make a point of pushing Gregory away a little, creating more space between us.
“We’re fine,” I say, trying to catch my breath. Though, I get the feeling his question was directed at me and he doesn’t give a flying flip if Gregory is fine or not. “Just, um, goofing around.”
I feel awkward as hell standing between these two guys right now. Gregory seems completely unbothered, and pulls his hat off his head to rake his other hand through his hair before replacing it.
“What’s up, Myles?” he says. His grin feels a little provoking.
Myles looks at him briefly. “Gregory.” That’s it. That’s all he says.
They stare at each other.
What is happening? Surely this isn’t some sort of standoff, right? I’m not the kind of girl that guys compete over.
At least… I didn’t used to be. Has that changed along with so many other things this summer?
“I’m gonna go find something to drink,” Gregory says and walks away.
Swallowing hard, I adjust my shorts, which feel a little sideways after my antics with Gregory. I turn back to Myles and smile, trying to act like my pulse isn’t racing through my veins. “You made it.”
“Yeah.” He smiles at me then—a real one—and opens his arms. I walk straight into him, breathing in his scent as he wraps himself around me.
He makes a kind of humming sound, which might be the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard. “It’s good to see you,” he says into my hair.
I squeeze him tighter. “I’m glad you’re back.”
He pulls back and glances around. “It’s kind of wild tonight, isn’t it?”
“That’s exactly what I said. Is it a full moon?” I tip my head back to look at the sky.
“Dunno,” Myles says. I bring my chin back down to find that his eyes haven’t left my face. “I never pay attention to the sky when I’m on the beach at night, remember? I get distracted by pretty girls.”
