Jackson’s whistle broke through the noise from the water. His eyes were glued to me, and one brow arched in that familiar way, cocky andinterested.
“Damn,” someone muttered behind me.
Rhett stood a few feet away, gaze dragging down the length of my body like he had no shame. “Didn’t realize the lake came with a view.”
Max’s head whipped around. I could feel a chilling crackle in the humid air, like static ready to burst. Max’s eyes locked onto me—dark, stormy—his entire posture stiff. He took a step forward, then abruptly halted.
Why was he hesitating?
I fought a smile as I walked past him, brushing my shoulder against his.
“Problem?” I asked, my voice low, innocent. His eyes flicked down to the curve of my hips and back up again, jaw tight.
“You tell me.” His voice was deep. He waspissed.
The water was cooler than I had expected, sending a shiver down my spine as I waded up to my thighs. Goosebumps prickled across my skin, but I tilted my face up, eyes closed for a second.
Then I heard splashes behind me. I peeked over my shoulder.
Rhett, all cocky confidence, was making his way toward me, and Max was stalking right behind him. The tension followed them like storm clouds.
“Didn’t peg you for a thong bikini kind of girl,” Rhett said. “But I’ve never been happier to be wrong.”
I raised a brow, forcing a casual smirk. “What kind of girl did you peg me for?”
“Trouble,” he said, grinning. “The fun kind.”
I opened my mouth to respond. It was weird that he called me Trouble, Max’s nickname for me. But Max was suddenly beside us, the water lapping at his hips, chest rising and falling like he was trying to stay calm. But the way his eyes looked, as if he were going to punish me, told me everything I needed to know about how he was really feeling.
Rhett didn’t seem to notice or didn’t care. He kept talking.
“You know, I’ve got a late-night dock shift next week. I could use someone to keep me company,” he winked. “You interested?”
Max’s jaw clenched so hard it looked painful.
“She’s busy.”
I turned toward him, startled by the edge in his voice. His eyes weren’t on me. They were locked on Rhett like he was trying to figure out how many seconds it would take to drown him. Rhett didn’t flinch. He just grinned, as if he were too stupid to recognize danger.
“Relax, man. We’re just talking.” His gaze dragged over my body again. “Where’s Heather, anyway?”
Max didn’t blink. “Why would I give a damn about Heather?”
“She said you two were hooking up,” Rhett said it casually, glancing to shore where Heather was shimmying out of her shorts. Her eyes were on Max.
Everything around me stopped. Max went still in that way he only did when he was lying. His jaw was tight, his eyes a little too blank. His gaze never even flicked to Heather; it locked on Rhett like he was the problem.
“What?” Max snapped; his voice so tight it barely made it past his teeth.
“Yeah, she said you guys hooked up tonight at the lake. She’s been talking about it for hours. I thought that meant Mackenzie was now fair game, since you’re done chasing her.”
No, no, no. I knew Max. Iknewhim. Didn’t I?
Max’s eyes went wide, his mouth parting, but he didn’t say anything. He looked shocked, unable to come to terms with what was being said. But he didn’t deny it. He just looked at me. It was the kind of silence that cut deeper than any lie.
I could see every part of his mind shutting down, the light fading as if he couldn’t think anymore.
Heat surged through my chest. I could hear Heather’s smug little laugh in my head, see her body pressed against him. Maybe shehadbeen with him tonight. He had been gone for a while. And they had walked to the lake together. Perhaps I was just some stupid girl he liked to play with. His childhood best friend. He made me think he loved me, while he snuck around with the big dogs.
