I just stand there for a second.
Charlotte doesn’t notice anything off. She walks past me like this is completely normal, brushing her hair back as she looks over the water.
Then she steps in. The water climbs from her ankles to her calves as she wades in.
“It’s a little cooler than I expected,” she says.
A second later, there’s a splash as she dips under. When she comes back up, the water covers most of her, leaving only her shoulders and slicked-back hair above the surface.
That’s better.
I focus on the ripples spreading across the water. The trees. The steady background noise of the jungle. Anything except the fact that she’s ten feet away wearing…that.
I clear my throat and fix my gaze on the opposite bank.
You’re fine, Dane. Completely fine.
“Everything okay?”
I glance over. She’s floating near the center now, arms moving lazily as she treads water, sunlight flickering across the surface around her.
“Yeah, all good.”
She raises an eyebrow. “You coming in?”
“Yeah.”
She’s drifting closer, cutting through the water in slow, easy strokes. Small ripples spread out ahead of her, heading straight for shore—which means if I don’t get in now, she’s going to be right here.
Close.
Again.
I get to my feet before I can overthink it and step into the pool.
The water closes around my ankles, then my calves as I wade in. It’s colder than the lagoon, fed by the stream up in the rocks, and the chill sends a quick shiver up my spine.
“Colder than usual, isn’t it?” Charlotte asks.
“A little.” And exactly what I need.
I keep moving until it reaches my waist, then duck under. The cold hits all at once, washing over my shoulders and neck, taking the last of the loose hair with it.
When I come back up, she’s closer. Not right next to me, but closer than I’d like.
She treads water a few feet away, watching me with a small, easy smile, like this is completely normal.
For her, it is.
I drag a hand back through my hair, slicking it away from my face, trying to convince myself to relax.
Act normal. It’s just Charlotte. Same as always.
She turns in the water, glancing toward the far side of the pool where the stream spills down the rocks. The waterfall sends a steady curtain of water into the deeper section. Then she starts toward it.
“I forgot how good this place feels after a hot day.”
The water parts around her as she swims. She reaches the shallow ledge beneath the falls and pushes her hair back before looking over her shoulder.
