Finny, more excited than I expect, drops his shit and follows Elias’s path of chaos, launching himself into the pool with a backflip. “I get to be the king!”
“I hate you both.” I laugh. The sound builds more and more as Finn nearly takes Elias out with his flip.
The hair on the back of my neck stands on end—the kind of sixth sense you feel when you’re being watched.
Instinct turns my head toward the back door of the house. But no one’s there.
Weird.
Trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling, I kick my sandals off and set my phone next to theirs before going in after them.
“Look out!” is the only warning I give them before I launch myself right where they’re swimming.
“Asher!” Elias scolds, but it’s too late.
I’m already flying through the air and crashing into the water between them.
“Jesus!” Finny mutters, swimming out of the way as I right myself, running my hands over my wet hair to push it outof my face. “Oww. Oww. Oww. You hurt me. I might need compensation for my injuries.”
Swimming upward, I propel myself further out of the water enough to get leverage on Finny, planting my hands on his shoulders and plunging him down under the water.
“Might need it for that too then.”
He resurfaces and flips me off. “Dick.”
I shrug and kick off, wanting to stretch my muscles out with a couple of light laps. I’m aching to the bone.
“God, I love your pool,” Elias mutters when I swim back to them.
I scoff, “Youliterallyhave one.”
“But it’s not nearly as enjoyable as yours,” he groans.
We continue to swim for an hour before we’re all ready to get out, my stomach rumbling like a storm.
I don’t miss the opportunity to towel-whip Finny on our way in. He yips, his back arching violently. Elias busts out in a fit of laughter.
“Fuck, Ash! That hurt like a bitch!” Finny groans, trying to rub the sting away, but it’s in that one sweet spot between your shoulder blades that you can’t perfectly reach.
Chuckling, I rub the towel over my hair, drying it off as much as possible. I wrap the towel around my waist, resting it right below my hips.
A shiver runs through me, shaking my shoulders, and that eerie feeling returns to the base of my neck.
Am I losing it? Am I just paranoid as shit today for no reason?
“I’m starving,” Finny groans as we head back to the house.
“I’m sure Jo has lunch scheduled. I’ll just let her know to plan for two extra plates,” I say while my mind and eyes roam around what I can see of the property, searching for a culprit for the spooky sensation at the base of my neck.
“Give the lady a day off. We can make our own sandwiches.” Finny smacks my chest, pulling me out of my wandering stupor.
“Well, you’d better get in there, Chef,” I tease him.
“I’m a great cook, I’ll have you know.” Finny puffs his chest as we ascend the stairs and walk inside.
“I’m sure you are, buddy. But Jo is probably already prepping at this point and would honestly be offended if I made my own lunch. She’s very protective of her kitchen.”
Quickly, I swing by the kitchen, letting an eager Jo know about the two extra guests.
