“You know what this reminds me of?”
I slam my eyes closed. “Shut up, Kai.”
“The good ol’ days. Bunking down at tournaments. Remember Salt Lake City?”
I remember. Two teenage boys, one uncomfortable hotel bed. Kai thought it’d be funny to fart on my pillow.
A lot.
“I wish I didn’t.”
“Not me. Fond memories.” He sighs.
Another few moments of silence. I relax, slightly, and wonder if I could actually manage to fall back asleep this way when?—
“You know, for someone who was so grateful to be alive a few hours ago, you’re really not acting like it,” Kai whispers.
“Maybe I’m reconsidering.”
Kai says nothing. Then he chortles. “Hey, you made a joke!”
I stay silent. Perhaps there’s a way I can smother him without waking Gwenna up.
“How far we’ve come, is all I’m saying,” he whispers. “C’mon. Can’t we bond over this?” He lifts an arm in my direction. “High five.”
“No.” I will nothigh fiveover this. I’m embarrassed even thinking about it.
Her hand taps against Kai’s.
“High five,” she mumbles.
Now I stare at Kai.Is she awake?I mouth.
“Obviously she’s awake, dipshit,” Kai answers—out loud. “You think she’s slapping me five in her sleep?”
Gwenna’s eyes fly open. “Yes, I’m awake,” she says, head still on my chest, and a small, sleepy smile steals over her face. “You two are the loudest whisperers I’ve ever heard, you know that?”
“I’m so sorry,” I say quickly. “If I could just—” I try to ease out from under her. “I’ll go.”
“What?” The smile vanishes. “Why?”
“Yeah,” Kai mumbles from Gwenna’s other side. “Like I was saying. Not the first time we’ve shared a bed,bro.”
Gwenna kisses my chest. “Stay.”
“Yeah. Stay.” Kai tightens his arm around her waist, yawning noisily. “Or don’t. Whatever.”
“Okay,” I say—to Gwenna, primarily. “I’ll stay.”
NINETEEN
GWENNA
I wakeup to sunlight through the windows, a pounding in my temples, and an empty bed.
Slowly, I shift my weight on the mattress, rolling from hip to back, and groan.
Because my body feels spent. My lips are rubbed raw, my limbs ache. I’m sore everywhere—from the lake, I think.The water.
