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When I step onto the deck, a soft breeze floats off the ocean, blowing through my hair. I wish I could stay here. This house is like a palace compared to my apartment.
The zero-gravity pool overlooks the Pacific Ocean, making me feel like I’m at the edge of the world. I dip my toes into the water, relieved that it’s warm. The ocean is usually freeze-your-ass-off cold, so I’ll stick to the heated pool. I wade through the water and sit on a ledge that has jets shooting out from the wall. Closing my eyes, I lean into the sprays that feel amazing on my back as I soak up the sun.
“Having fun?”
My eyes snap open, and I jump at the sound of Dylan’s voice. Where the hell did he come from?
“I was until you showed up,” I quip.
He folds his arms over his chest and snickers.
“I thought you and Sloan were going to a party.”
Dylan shakes his head.
“Where is my brother?”
He moves closer to the pool with his eyes lasered on me. “I dropped Sloan off.”
“Get in.” I pat the surface of the water with my hand. “It’s nice and warm in here.”
He stares at me for a long while before he kicks off his sneakers. I can’t stop looking at him as he pulls his shirt over his head. And when he slides his cargo shorts over his hips, my mouth is wide enough to throw popcorn into it.
He strolls his cute butt into the pool and winks at me. Damn him. Dylan never misses a beat when he’s around me. While I’m busy observing him, he’s studying me like a specimen under a microscope. He glides through the water until he’s a few inches from me. I can feel his eyes on every part of my body, my skin instantly on fire from his heated gaze.
“How come you’re not at the party?”
Dylan rolls his shoulders.
“This is like old times,” I point out.
He inches closer, creating ripples in the water. “How so?”
“All of this started with you ditching a party to be with me.”
“Who says I’m here for you?”
The sparks between us could level the house. I take a deep breath, still holding his gaze, afraid of what will happen if he moves any closer.
“Let me rephrase,” I say. “Why are you here instead of the party?”
“Because I’m not in the mood.”
“You’re such a grouch.”
He runs a wet hand through his dark, curly hair, pushing it off his forehead. “I would be in a better mood if—”
“If I wasn’t here.”
He groans. “Don’t put words in my mouth, Ash.”
“It’s true,” I challenge. “You don’t want me here. You made it crystal clear.”
Now, he’s next to me, leaning his elbow on the edge of the pool. “I don’t adapt well to change.”
“I’m well aware.” A smirk tugs at the corner of my mouth. “You’re afraid that Sloan will find out the longer I live here. Am I right?”
He turns his head to look at the ocean.
“You don’t like me upsetting your little ecosystem. Me being here messes with your head, doesn’t it?”
“You’ve always made my head hurt,” he says, his eyes now back on mine. “You’re the one problem I can’t solve.”
“I’m not an equation, Dylan. You can’t solve me.”
His mouth is inches from mine, the heat from his breath dancing along my lips. “I wish I could, Ash. I wish I knew the right thing to do when it comes to you.”
“You already had your chance and blew it.”
He sighs. “I messed up.”
“What is it about me that bothers you so much?”
He presses his lips together, deep in thought. As he processes my question, I watch him, his mind like a computer that needs to spit out an answer.
Dylan is unlike anyone I have ever known. He’s smart and complicated, brilliant but also stupid. I mean, why else did Dylan let me walk away five years ago?
After the longest minute of silence in history, Dylan’s lips part, drawing my attention to his gorgeous mouth. He’s not hot by Hollywood standards. Hell, he’s not hot by most people’s standards. But he’s still yummy in his ways.
He looks like the boy next door, with his messy brown curls that never stay in place. His blue eyes have always reminded me of the ocean, which is why I love it so much. I love that when he smiles, the cutest dimple pops in his right cheek. I love that when he thinks he makes a fish face. And I love that he’s oblivious to the fact that his looks were never the reason I liked him.
Herein lies the problem…
I’m still in love with Dylan Banks.
The boy next door.
My brother’s best friend.
My super sexy ex-boyfriend.
The one person I should never have had.
“I’m not bothered by you,” Dylan finally says. “It’s… you.”
“Finish that thought.”
He leans his back against the side of the pool, his arm inches from mine. “I like that you don’t give a shit about anything. And I hate that I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you moved into my house…”
