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Chapter 10
"Are you and AJ getting in the pool?" Rose asked as I crossed the patio.
"He is," I said, smiling at her as I made my way toward Charlie. "I probably will, too, in a little while."
I faced Charlie again and smiled at him as I approached. I spoke in a quiet, discreet tone as I came up to him. "I didn't know if you wanted to talk about having been out here lately. That's why I wasn't coming up to you, trying to act like we were BFFs or anything. I thought people would know we've been hanging out all this time if we're too buddy-buddy in front of them."
"Yeah, I get it," he said. "And you came here expecting to hang out with AJ."
"I'm hanging out with everybody," I said.
"He's coming up behind you," Charlie said stiffly and quietly. "He's telling me to be quiet so you won't know he's coming."
I barely had time to take in what he was saying and brace myself before I felt AJ grab me from behind. I gave a little squeal from sheer surprise, all the while trying not to cause a scene. Before I knew what was happening, AJ was holding me in his arms, walking me toward the pool. I was still because I knew squirming would make it worse.
"AJ please," I begged, latching onto him and trying to remain calm. He did not have a shirt on, and I put the pieces together about my near future. "Are you planning on jumping into the pool with me?" I asked, trying to remain calm.
AJ didn't answer me. Instead, he made a crazed face and walked toward the pool, picking up the pace as we went that way. I heard other people yelling out at us—yelling playfully at AJ to put me down. But I knew I was going in. At that point, the best I could do was hang onto AJ for dear life and try to make the next few seconds as easy and graceful for myself as possible.
Beau took his brother's lead and pulled one of the Chicago girls into the pool with him. Our fates were sealed, and soon, we were soaked. She and I found each other in the pool right after that and were able to commiserate with one another about everything that had just happened. I didn't have the chance to speak with her while we were eating, and she was a nice girl. Sophie was her name.
Others got in the pool after we did, and we spent the next hour or two playing, talking, and hanging out. It was a gorgeous afternoon, and after we swam, we went out to the lake and watched the sunset.
Charlie was around us all evening, and there were several times when I had to catch myself from saying something too familiar with him. As far as I had heard, the family hadn't brought up Savannah or the fact that Charlie was still mourning her loss. I wanted to be considerate of him, and I thought that a connection between us would only indicate how devastated he had been. I felt for Charlie, though, and I checked on him several times during the evening. He swam some, and he was always talking to someone which made me feel happy.
It was 9pm, and there were only five or six of us still hanging out when I called it a night. "I have to go," I said to AJ.
"Aw, really?"
"I have to work tomorrow."
"It's Saturday," he said.
"I know, but I have to go in for a morning shift."
"I'll walk you to your car," he said.
I nodded. "Bye everybody," I called.
And just like that, AJ and I started walking toward my car. I waved at a few people and hugged Max who was standing by the door on my way out.
"Bye Charlie!" I called since he wasn't looking at me.
He glanced at me and waved. I waved back and walked away, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that Charlie wanted to say something to me. There was something different in his stare. I thought he must've been sad with me for being distant all night, but I told him it was for his own good that I was doing it, and he seemed to agree with that.
"Are you all right?" AJ asked.
"Yeah, why, what do you mean?"
"You're just being quiet. You seem like you're thinking a bunch."
"No, no I'm good. Like I was saying, work has been busy this week, so I've been tired. But it's all good."
AJ reached for my hand as we came close to my car. It was a tell-tale sign of what was to come. He would hold my hand for the next two steps and then pull me into his arms, and… yep.
"AJ, I had fun tonight," I said. I took control of our movements, leaning forward to place a quick unexpected kiss on his cheek before pulling away. "Thanks for walking me out."
"Hey, no problem. I wanted to. Thanks for coming over." He grinned at me and moved in a little, and I wanted to melt. He was a master, and I felt weak in the knees. But I kept seeing Charlie's face in my mind. I kept thinking back to how he looked at me. I kept wondering if it made him sad that I was out there with AJ.
