Page 17 of Let the Light Shine Through

She’s not a thief. She’s just crazy.

A smile slowly overtakes my face.

I’m starting to think crazy might look good on me.

Roz

We stay in the pool while the party carries on without us. We stay in the pool even when people begin to leave. We stay in the pool until Gia’s lips turn blue and I offer to warm them up.

We get out when she agrees to let me.

On our way to the front yard, we find her sidekick with the same green-haired girl from before pressed against the side of his tricked-out F-150. Neither of his hands are visible but both of his elbows are moving…rapidly.

Gia jogs over to them before I can stop her.

“You jumped on his back,” I say once she’s back by my side.

“Mmhmm.”

“And kissed him.”

“On his cheek, yeah.”

“While he was dry-humping someone.”

Pushing through the front door ahead of me, she jerks a thumb behind her, saying, “There was nothing dry about what they were doing.”

To keep her from tracking water anywhere else—our clothes are dripping all over the threshold—I grip her middle with both hands, resting my chin on her shoulder.

“Maybe you were getting an eyeful?”

Her breath feathers over my face when she twists her head to the side, asking, “Of Rowdy? Or the girl?”

My eyes hold hers but drop when she follows up with, “I’m madly in love with Rowdy.”

How does that work? She’s in love with him but doesn’t mind him finger-fucking another girl right in front of her.

“But not in a sexual way.”

“Then…in a romantic way?” I ask, trying to keep up. Madly in love is serious. I’ve never been madly in love with anyone. Or anything.

That’s not true.

I used to be madly in love with snowboarding. It was…everything. My life’s mission.

And now I don’t have one at all.

Gia snorts, shaking her head. “Definitely not. Rowdy’s my closest friend and I fucking adore him but we’ve never been like that.” She says “that” like she’s talking about the monster under the bed—if you don’t draw attention to it, you’re safe.

“Besides, I already told you it doesn’t matter what’s between someone’s legs.” I feel her hand glide up my thigh, and on a curse, I press myself into her ass, letting her feel what’s between mine. “I only care what’s under their ribs.”

She shivers, or I shiver, or we shiver, I don’t know. I just know something intangible passes between us, and while neither of us openly acknowledges it, we both feel it.

But Gia’s eyes widen a fraction and she pulls away, ending the moment by asking for the bathroom. She doesn’t wait for an answer either, just finds the correct door all on her own.

The door closes, then the bathtub faucet turns on, making me frown.

Okay. Maybe she’s rinsing off?