Page 256 of Barinov

“Cade!” Ellie yells over the roar of the boat and the bass. “Remember when you and Cal did that tandem ride off the coast of—”

“We were just saying that!” him and Bella echo back, laughing.

I blink, cutting my glance between them. “Wait. Babe, you can do that?”

Cade lets out a low chuckle as his fingers trace the skin on Bella’s ankle. “Yeah. We grew up on the oceans. Loved all water sports. Dad used to rent out entire private coves just so we could ride without any boat traffic.”

“How come I’ve never seen it?”

“When’s the last time you and I have ever been on a boat together, babe?” he laughs.

“Good point.”

Out on the water, Ty cuts inward with a sudden explosion of speed. He hits the rising lip of the wake and launches into the air, clearing the gap entirely before landing cleanly on the opposite side.

Haley lets out a loud squeal from the back, nails digging into Knox’s arm.

Marisol gasps too, gripping the vinyl edge behind Zeke’s head. “How the hell did he land that?!”

Briggs eases off the throttle a bit, letting the boat settle down into a low rumble. Ty glides up to the side and lets go of the rope letting himself bob in the water.

Briggs dials down the music so he doesn’t have to yell. “Anyone else wanna take his place?”

Bella nudges Cade with her elbow, her eyes bright. “Go on, babe. Show them how it’s done.”

Cade rubs the back of his neck. A rare trace of boyish shyness crosses his handsome face as he looks out over the water. “Nah, I’m good right here. Let someone else have a turn.”

I look at the rope floating in the flat water, then down at Bella’s face.

“Fuck it,” I say, unhooking my arm from Bella’s waist and sliding out from under her. “I’ll try.”

Turns out… I cannot wakeboard.

Although it’s not entirely my fault. I blame the board. And everyone in this boat yelling a million instructions at me all at once.

Lean back.

Let the boat pull you up.

No not like that, you’re trying too hard.

Yeah right.

When I leaned back, the water just rushed straight over the top of my board like a damn tidal wave and dragged my heavy ass under. When I tried to let the boat pull me up, the sudden torque yanked the rope out of my grip. Face-planted so hard it felt like wet concrete.

And when I finally did manage to stabilize my core and stand the fuck up, I rode for maybe ten seconds.

Max.

Next thing I knew, I was doing a violent involuntary-as-fuck cartwheel through the air. Problem was, my feet were still locked tight in those damn boots of the board and bending my limbs in directions they were never meant to go.

Jesus fucking Christ, that was embarrassing as hell.

I drop back into the lake with a heavy splash and cough up a mouthful of water. My sunglasses are long gone. Probably sitting at the bottom of the lake.

When I bob to the surface, the entire Malibu is full of relentless, echoing laughter of the assholes still on board.

Brett is damn near hanging over the side of the boat, slapping the fiberglass. “Yo, Lex! Didn’t know you did gymnastics! That was one hell of a cartwheel.”