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I nod. Crunch more lettuce and cucumber, feeling Tessa’s eyes on me the whole time. I sip some water and raise both eyebrows. “What?”
“I just—there’s like this weird energy between you guys.”
I scoff like it’s a ridiculous observation, not spot-on. “Like I said, we’re enemies.”
“So…you’re not into him?”
“No. Of course not.”
Tessa nods. She believes me. She should. I kept my distance from Liam all day. All afternoon, at least. I made a point not to so much as look at him after we went swimming.
“Audrey was asking if you guys had history,” she confides. “I didn’t really know what to say. She’s interested in him.”
I arrange my features into a disinterested expression, followed by a nod. Act like I didn’t notice Audrey looking in the direction I avoided and like it didn’t bother me. I couldn’t gauge how Liam reacted to the attention, and that bothers me too. “Not sure why,” I mutter.
Tessa grins. “Well, like you said at breakfast, he’shot.”
Not a reminder I need. Of what I said or how he looks. I have no idea what came over me this morning. Some ridiculous continuation of last night. He is hot, fine. But telling him is another matter entirely. It was an attempt to explain last night, I guess. To myself—and to him.
I finish dinner and wash my plate. “I’m going to grab a sweatshirt.” After showering earlier, I changed into jean shorts and a t-shirt. Parker mentioned at dinner that it gets chilly out on the water, especially at night.
“Mm-kay,” Tessa responds, looking at something on her phone.
I head up the stairs, not realizing until I’m halfway up that Liam is headed down. We stall in the middle, him staring down and me staring up. The scent of his cologne wraps around me, blown straight in my face by the fan at the top of the stairs. My stomach flips.
He’s wearing a pair of navy swim trunks and a gray t-shirt. I watch as he swipes a hand through his hair, almost like he’s nervous. “I was just…”
Parker thunders down the stairs after Liam, clapping him on the shoulder. “You almost ready, Natalie?”
I clear my dry throat. “Yeah. Just grabbing a sweatshirt.”
“Kay. We should head out soon.”
I nod, moving to the left so they both can pass. Liam’s arm brushes mine as he moves past. So does Parker’s, but my silly heart only reacts to the first touch. ToLiam’stouch.
“Tessa!” Parker calls. “You ready?”
“Yeah,” she responds.
I hurry up the rest of the stairs. For three nights, I seriously over-packed. Rather than grab one of the other two sweatshirts I brought, I pull on my favorite. It’s an oversized, crew neck style. The fleece lining has long since worn off, but it’s been washed so many times it’s just as soft.
All it says on the front isLake. I found it on some random website, but I’ve always associated it with the lake I grew up going to. The one Glenmont and Alleghany—and Fayetteville—all border. Technically, it’s called Fern Lake. There have been multiple attempts to rename it, but all of them have been unsuccessful. Because, of course, there’s no majority between the two towns. Glenmont wants to name it Glenmont Lake and Alleghany wants to name it Alleghany Lake. And Fayetteville—the tiebreaker—is happy sticking with Fern.
I associate the soft material with lazy summers.
Happy memories.
And, now, with kissing Liam Stevens, since I had it on last night.
I tug the sweatshirt down around my waist and then peer in the mirror above the dresser. I didn’t put on any makeup after I showered, not wanting to appear like I was trying too hard. My blonde hair dried with a slight wave, since I didn’t bother to blow it dry for the same reason. There’s a pink tint to my nose and cheeks from the time in the sun earlier.
I can’t recall the last time I went to a party without a full face of makeup and styling my hair. I’m not sure why I don’t feel the compulsion to look perfect in front of Liam.
Maybe it’s because I felt him harden against me when I was in pajamas and bare faced.
Maybe it’s because I saw him visibly lose interest when Tessa asked me about a makeup sale during dinner.
Maybe it’s because I want Liam to get a real glimpse of me and see past the assumptions he’s surely made. Surprise him—the way I did last night.
