Cam was sprawled out, his arm draped casually over my shoulder as if it belonged there, as if this was something he did all the time. And strangely enough, because it didn’t feel awkward, I hadn’t felt the need to twist it into an armbar, or something equally painful. Ihad to admit, despite myself, there was something undeniably nice – annoyingly nice even – about feeling someone else’s warmth next to me. I’d never craved that before.
But now that it was happening . . .
It felt reminiscent of my spa experience. The one I was so sure I didn’t need and was so sure I was going to hate. But the one that after it was done, I realised how much I’d actually needed it.
‘Do you want the last slice?’ Cam asked.
I leaned back and patted my stomach. I was so full that if I ate anything more, I might burst at the seams.
Oh, what the hell. ‘Split it?’
He grinned. ‘How romantic.’
I grabbed the piece of pizza and with zero finesse, and no cutlery, tried to tear it in half. It worked, to a degree, and I passed Cam his share.
‘This is weirdly nice,’ he said, mouth full of food.
‘Weirdly?’
‘You and me. On a couch. Pizza.’
‘Don’t jinx it,’ I said.
‘I didn’t think the logical Lizzy Brown would believe in such things as jinxes. What would the Vulcans say?’
‘I don’t believe in them,’ I said, licking my fingers.
Cam stood up suddenly, and held out his hand. ‘Swim?’
‘Now?’
‘Why not?’
‘Uh, because I’ll probably drown.’ I patted my stomach again.
‘No, it’s exactly what we need to work some of this off.’
‘We’re not going to be doing laps, Cam.’
He laughed. ‘Who says? Maybe I want to do laps. You don’t have to, though, you can just lie there floating away lazily while I streak past you.’
‘Oh really.’ I stood up, ignited by the challenge. He always did this. There was no one else on the planet I so desperately wanted to beat at absolutely everything. Every single thing.
‘I knew that would get you going!’ He sprinted for the door. ‘Beat you there, little girl.’
‘What the fuck!’ I jumped over the couch and chased after him, out the door, across the beach and into the water, fully clothed.
We splashed around like idiots for a while; it was harder to swim in clothes, but there had been no time to take them off. I was too busy trying to beat Cam. Despite our discussion yesterday, we both knew we would always do this with each other. This was confirmed when Cam dunked his head under and came up shaking his hair like a dog.
‘Stop,’ I said, trying to shield my face.
‘Oh please, you love it.’
‘I donotlove it.’
‘You laughed,’ he pointed out smugly.
I splashed him in the face. ‘Shut up.’
