“Chicken! Let’s go! Bowen, Kit, get your asses moving!”
Bowen rolls his eyes, but before I can react, his hands wrap around my waist.
“Wait…no…Bowen…” I scramble; I’m normally on Tucker’s shoulders. This was not how this was supposed to go. I’m all noodle limbs, flailing to get away, but Bowen lifts me like I weigh no more than the inflatable pool duck Brett loves and sets me on his shoulders.
His skin is warm under my legs, and I nearly sever my tongue with my teeth to hold back the embarrassing sound that tries to come out when Bowen settles his hands just above my knees to hold me still.
“Brace yourself,” he mutters, wading forward.
“Are you serious right now?” My hands automatically grip his soaked head for balance.
“I don’t lose,” he says, and then Brett and Tucker are coming straight for us.
We collide in the middle of the shallows, water sloshing, hands grabbing at anything to stay upright. I’m laughing too hard to do much good. Brett is usingbothhands, tugging at my arms, and I’m yelling at him to stop cheating while Bowen adjusts beneath me, steady and solid as always.
Brett gets a good grip and yells, “Come on, Kat-boy. Put your back into it, don’t be a puss. You’re gay, not weak!”
Time freezes.
My whole body snaps straight and locks.
His words ring out across the water, louder than they should be. Much, much too loud.
Oh, God.
Bowen’s hands clamp tight around my thighs, holding me steady when I try to wiggle off. Then, slowly, he bends in the water, bringing me back down with him. I can’t breathe.
Brett’s voice, from somewhere behind us, whispers, “Shit. Kit, I…I didn’t…I didn’t mean…”
“Shut up, Brett,” Bowen says firmly, before turning back to me.
I try to pull away, but he grabs my wrist to stop me. Not hard, just a gentle touch with a comforting rub of his thumb against my skin. That makes itworse.
“You know I don’t care, right?” He asks softly. Totally unbothered. He seems more confused about my reaction than what he just learned. “Really? Kitten…”
My name in his voice hurts worse than the rest.
Because he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know it'shim. That every time he touches me, looks at me so intently, I feel like I'm going to burst open.
I can’t stay here, letting him look at me. He’ll see it all in my eyes. Seeeverything.
So, I bolt.
I climb up onto the dock with trembling legs and dripping swim trunks and take off down the worn path, barefoot and full of panic.
The bunk room is dim, late afternoon light filtering through the slats of the old window. I’ve tucked myself into the corner of the bottom bunk I always sleep on, knees pulled tight to my chest, Red the dragon clutched under one arm like I’m just a little, scared kid again. It doesn’t take long for the door to open and click shut.
My wet shorts still cling to me, but I don’t even care.
His arm comes around my chest, and he squeezes me tightly until I don't feel on the brink of falling apart.
“I’m sorry,” Brett says into the back of my neck. “I was being loud and dumb. And you didn’t deserve that. I just…wasn’t thinking.”
My throat tightens, and I shake my head, barely.
“I know you didn’t mean to,” I whisper.
“No. But I still did it, and I’m so sorry, Kat-boy.”
