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Which then sent Elena right into the water with a loud scream.
“Shit.” Skylar ran toward the end of the dock where Elena had fallen in. The water wasn’t super deep there, but it was definitely too deep for either of them to reach the bottom. She quickly knelt down at the end of the dock. “Are you okay?”
Elena was bobbing in the water and then suddenly burst out laughing.
“God, I forgot how good this water felt.” She laid back on her back and floated as Atlas swam over to check on her. “Yeah, you knocked me in, but it’s okay.”
“Come over here, and I’ll pull you up.”
When Elena reached the dock, she held up her hand to Skylar. But the moment Skylar took it, she knew she’d made a terrible mistake. Elena pulled her into the water with her as she laughed.
“I don’t know why I didn’t see that coming.”
“I honestly can’t believe you didn’t.” Elena was breathless from all the laughter. “You know me too well.”
“Yeah,” Skylar felt her smile and eyes soften as she looked into Elena’s eyes, “I do.”
For a moment, Skylar thought they were going to kiss again. She watched as Elena swam closer to her, and she wanted nothing more in the world than to kiss her. Just as she was about to lean in, Atlas jumped into the water not far from them and splashed them both.
Skylar knew she needed to keep her distance from Elena, but, dammit, she didn’t want to. Why couldn’t they just fall back into the relationship they had before? Couples do that all the time, right? Why did they have to be different?
Because she broke your heart and never apologized, she reminded herself.
Pulling herself up onto the dock, Skylar turned around to help Elena up. They were both dripping wet as they gathered up the leftover items from the picnic and put them back onto the boat.
“Here.” Skylar tossed Elena a T-shirt that she kept on the boat for emergencies. “You can change into this if you want.”
“Thanks.”
Skylar was about to tell her there was a small bathhouse on the island now, but Elena pulled off her soaking wet shirt right in front of her. It took everything in her to keep herself from staring. She tried to fiddle with the key in the ignition as she tried not to focus on the way Elena’s black lace bra looked against her olive-colored skin.
When Elena caught her looking, she didn’t turn away. Instead, they held eye contact while Elena slipped the shirt on tantalizingly slow. There was no way it wasn’t intentional, and Skylar didn’t know what to think about that.
As Skylar drove the boat back to the main dock, she couldn’t keep her eyes off Elena lounging on the stern of the boat. Atlas was stretched out beside her, each drying off from their swims.
How am I going to be able to handle being on tour with her again? Clearly, there are still feelings there. But should I act on them?
Skylar knew the answer, whether she wanted to admit it or not. She shouldn’t act on them. The kiss last night was all that should happen. Elena had broken her heart once, and there was no proof that she wouldn’t do it again. Somehow, some way, Skylar would have to turn off her feelings for Elena.
At least she had time before the tour to figure out how to do that.
After docking the boat and loading up the SUV, they headed back downtown toward the record shop. Skylar pulled the car into the spot behind Elena’s rental and put it in Park.
“I had a lot of fun today.” Elena’s sweet smile told her she was genuine with her compliment. “Even if I am soaking wet.”
“Well, it’s not a day on the lake with me unless you end up wet.”
She instantly regretted the double meaning in her sentence and felt herself blush. Elena’s smile spread wider, letting her know she caught it too. Skylar cleared her throat and turned slightly in her seat.
“So, when are you leaving?”
“I fly out of Portland tomorrow morning.”
“Ahh,” was all Skylar could say.
“Johnny is getting the tour dates nailed down right now. Once we have that, we’ll start rehearsals. I have a studio attached to my house, so we’ll use that. There’s an extra bedroom, so you’re welcome to stay there instead of a hotel if you want.” Elena shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”
But it did matter to both of them. Skylar knew that by the dejected sound in Elena’s voice and the way her own heart sank at those last three words.
