Page 92 of You Met Me There

“I didn’t know it was a stick, obviously,” says Natalie, sitting back and draping her leg over my knee. She sips iced tea from a glass.

“Well, it’s a good thing that’s all it was,” her mom says, laughing and shaking her head. “You’ve always been scared of snakes. Imagine swimming with one.”

Natalie visibly shivers. “Mom, don’t say that. It makes me want to throw up. I could have been pulled under and wrapped up like a burrito by some giant anaconda!”

I pat her leg affectionately. “There are no anacondas in PA.”

She glares at me. “It doesn’t make the moment any less scary when I’ve seen the movies, okay? Slippery, scaly reptiles can hide under the water like that. There’s no way any of us could have seen what was under us the whole time we were on the river. The day could have ended like a horror movie.”

“Good thing nothing nibbled on you,” adds Ty. I laugh with him, but Nat shoots us a scowl.

“You’re right,” she says. “I don’t think I’ll ever go back on the river again.”

Everyone giggles, drifting into separate conversations, and for the moment I feel like we’re alone. I rest my hand on Nat’s knee.

Her eyes meet mine, lips pulling into a sheepish smile. “Sorry for tipping the tube,” she tells me. “I guess I … overreacted.”

My hand lifts to her face, curling a lock of hair around my finger. “Don’t apologize. It wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned for our last few minutes on the river, but … I’ll never forget it.” I wink at her. She swats at my arm with a smile on her face, then turns to watch her siblings.

“Would you want to move here?” I ask quietly.

Her head turns back to me. “What?”

I shrug. “You’ve loved being here this summer. Is it something you want to consider? Maybe getting a house here?”

“I—I don’t know.” Her brows pull into a deep V. “I hadn’t really thought of it as an option.”

“Anything’s an option. We can think about it, if you want.”

She looks back at her family. They’re all laughing with one another, Tyler claiming the center of attention after some joke he must have told. Nat’s sparkling eyes come back to mine. “I kind of miss the beach, if I’m being honest.”

“Me too,” I chuckle. “Don’t worry. It was just an idea.”

She smiles warmly at me, leaning her arm against mine.

“All the screaming aside, this was the best tubing day I’ve ever had.” I shoot her a grin.

She lifts a brow, her smile growing. “It was the only tubing day you’ve ever had.”

“I know,” I say, laying a kiss on her shoulder. “And it was the best.”

Chapter 46

Natalie

I’m glad I brought extra clothes to change into. Coming over to Jules’s house wasn’t a part of our day’s plans, but when Luke said Tyler had some kind of surprise for Sandra, I knew I had to be here.

With my leg draped over Luke’s, I lounge back on the patio chair, letting the sun bake me a little more than it already has. I really have missed the Florida sun and all the beaches, like I told Luke, but there’s something to say about the way the sun feels almost as good here in Pennsylvania when I’m by the water. I’ve never been a fan of lakes, opting for salty ocean breezes and fine sand between my toes, but the lake behind Juliet’s house is beautiful and serene. Today the water is a deep blue, framed with freshly mowed green grass and tall sturdy maple trees. The surface of the water, sparkling in the afternoon sunshine, rests perfectly still as the air provides no breeze.

Jules pokes my arm, taking a seat in the vacant chair beside me. “We should do this every summer. You’ll come back for stuff like this, right?”

My eyes soften at the corners as I look at her. I nod. “Yeah. I’ll be back every year for a sibling summer.”

Ty throws a fist in the air. “Sibling summer! Yes, dude!” He claps Luke on the back. “You’re officially a sibling, bro.”

“Thanks, man. I’m glad to be here.” Luke’s blue eyes shine.

I feel guilty that I kept our families apart all this time. Luke slid perfectly into this world, and it’s my fault he never got to know his in-laws sooner.