Page 64 of The Summer We Lie

"Helloooo! Where is everyone?" Harper's voice calls from the front door, shattering the moment. We quickly remove our hands, and I stand up, returning my chair to its proper spot, my body already missing Skye's warmth.

"In here," I call back, meeting Skye's eyes for one brief, heated moment before Harper appears. That single look contains everything we haven't said—desire, uncertainty, and something deeper that neither of us is ready to name.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Skye

I hesitate at the threshold of the room, watching Harper burst in with her typical boundless energy. "Come on, let's go swimming!"

Then she notices the laptop. "Oh, FaceTime?"

"Yeah, they met your dad," I explain, my skin still tingling where Dom's hand had covered mine. Such a simple touch shouldn't feel so significant, but my body hasn't gotten the message.

"Good, your mom and brother are seriously the best," Harper beams, her freckles dancing across her face as she smiles.

"Yeah, I could see that," Dom interjects, his voice carrying a warmth that catches me off guard. I still can't wrap my head around how he sat there chatting with my family like it was the most natural thing in the world. The way he connected with Justin especially—God, that means everything. My brother doesn't warm up to people easily, his autism making social interactions complicated. But with Dom, Justin had been engaged, comfortable. That simple approval from my little brother speaks volumes about the kind of man Dom really is beneath all that intensity.

"I'm all ready. We just need to grab sunscreen and towels," I say, trying desperately to sound casual while my pulse refuses to slow down.

"I'll bring them down with the drinks," Dom offers, his deep voice sliding over me like velvet. I fight the urge to shiver.

"Thanks Dad. And I bought stuff for burgers and hot dogs so we can grill out after we swim," Harper informs him, already heading for the door with the single-minded determination she gets when outdoor activities are involved.

"Thanks," he responds, disappearing back toward the kitchen.

"Let's soak up the sun before it's gone," Harper calls over her shoulder. I follow her outside, immediately feeling the absence of Dom's presence like a physical ache.

We haven't spoken all day. When I got back to my room, I'd thrown myself into work—making a video for one of my regular subscribers, sending it off, then losing myself in the sketch I'd started nights ago. I hadn't known who I was drawing at first, but my fingers had recognized him before my brain caught up—Dom standing shirtless in the kitchen when he'd caught me doing dishes. My artist's hands had captured the hard planes of his chest, the intensity in his eyes that makes my stomach flip.

Now comes the impossible task of pretending we're indifferent to each other all night. The thought of maintaining that artificial distance while being so physically close makes my chest constrict painfully.

"I snuck some beer in my Stanley if you want some," Harper offers as we descend the wooden steps leading to the beach, her voice dropping conspiratorially despite the empty stretch of private shoreline.

"Nah, I'm good. I'm going to chug water tonight," I reply. I need crystal clarity around Dom. Last night's drinks had given me enough liquid courage to send those bold texts, and now I'm floating in uncertainty, not knowing where we stand.

"Suit yourself," she shrugs, unbothered. "Oh, and hey, I'm all set for Saturday at Obsidian if you still want to come."

My stomach performs an acrobatic routine at the mention of that name. Obsidian—where this whole impossible thing began.

"Okay, yeah. What does one wear to a sex club?" I whisper, though there's nobody around to overhear.

"Something sexy," Harper laughs, the sound carefree and confident in a way I've always envied. "You can raid my closet if you want."

"I'll probably have to," I admit as I pull my cover-up over my head, revealing the only bikini I own. It's not as daring as Harper's barely-there number, but I chose it strategically—knowing it somehow makes my small chest look fuller while highlighting the curves of my ass that I've caught Dom staring at when he thinks I'm not looking.

"You want to go in while we wait on towels?" I suggest, desperate for the cool ocean water against my increasingly heated skin.

"Hell yeah!" Harper exclaims with characteristic enthusiasm.

We race into the waves together, laughing as the water splashes around us. I try desperately to wash away thoughts of Dom with each crashing wave—but like the persistent tide, they keep rolling back in, impossible to escape.

I follow Harper's gaze to where Reed and his girlfriend Wren are making their way across the warm sand toward us, their figures silhouetted against the brilliant sunshine.

"Oh cool," I say, immediately propelling myself through the water back to shore. My arms cut through the waves with purpose, mind already racing about how I'll manage to act normal around Dom with additional witnesses. Maybe more people around will help keep my ridiculous hormones in check.

"Hey guys," Harper and I chorus as we reach the shore, water cascading down our bodies and leaving dark splotches in the sand at our feet.

"This place is absolutely beautiful. Thanks so much for inviting us," Wren says, her eyes wide with genuine appreciation as she takes in the pristine private beach and the stunning house perched majestically on the bluff above.