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“About as long as you were staring at me, so a while.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Please. I was just trying to figure out who you looked more like, Sloth from the Goonies or The Elephant Man.”
Carson grinned. “Funny.” Then he reached out and tugged on a loose wisp of my hair. “What color is this, anyway? I think I’ve had vomit the same shade.”
I crossed my arms, hugging my fists to my chest. “Nope. I should know. I puke looking at you almost every day.”
“Could you be any shorter?” He raised a brow, staring me down, and I fought the urge to stand on my tiptoes. I would not give him the satisfaction. The hair was a low blow, but I was used to him mocking my height.
“I’m almost as tall as you.”
He arched a brow, sliding his gaze down my body. “You’re standing on the stair above me.”
I harrumphed, ignoring my mistake, and hating the way it felt like he was just checking me out. “How’d you do? Drown anyone in the water today?” I asked, motioning toward his bag and goggles.
He followed my eyes and glanced back up. “You weren’t there, remember? But if you’re so interested, I smoked everyone.” He grinned. “I’ve got State in the bag again this year.”
I nodded wordlessly. Of course he did. Was there anything he was bad at?
Carson took the final step until he stood right in front of me, forcing me to tip my head back to meet his eyes, miles above mine. It was such a disadvantage, being small.
He reached his free hand out toward the bruise below my eye and I flinched. For a moment, I thought he was going to deliver the final death blow. Our rivalry would end right there on his front porch. But instead, he gently brushed a fingertip over the sensitive skin. I swallowed, frozen, and afraid this was some sort of mind game. Just in case, I couldn’t let my guard down an inch.
“Look, Mia, I—”
“Hey, Mia, when’d you get—” Ethan flung the front door open, cutting Carson off.
I leaped away from him so fast, a wave of vertigo hit me, and I stumbled. My head spun. I flailed for balance, trying uselessly to steady myself when a set of strong arms wrapped around me.
Chapter 7
MIA
Thesewerenotthe arms of my best friend.
Nope. I’ve felt those arms—slightly wiry, familiar, comforting. Instead, these were hard and muscled, so long I wouldn’t be surprised if they could wrap around my tiny body twice.That was probably his plan, squeeze me like a boa constrictor until I give.
I quickly righted myself and took a step back as if Carson had caught fire, knowing Ethan was watching, his gaze heavy on the side of my face.
I curled my upper lip. “Ugh. Any excuse to touch me. Who knows where those arms have been.” Likely wrapped around someone like Olivia.
Carson snorted and stepped forward, flicking a lock of my hair, and hovering close to my face like one of those annoying gnats that circle the fruit bowl in the summer. “How cute. You’re still in the boys-have-cooties phase.”
“Not all boys. Just you.”
When Carson laughed in return, I stuck my tongue out at him, basically proving his point. It was terribly juvenile, and I resented him for reducing me to the level of a grade-schooler.
I flashed Ethan a genuine smile, thankful for his presence. “Hey,” I said, running a hand through my hair, composing myself.
Ethan’s silence spoke volumes as he arched his brow and glanced between us. “Everything okay out here?”
“Yeah. Of course. We were just talking about our project. Everything is perfectly fine. Why wouldn’t it be?” I asked, wondering why I couldn’t just shut up.
“That’s funny. I don’t remember us discussing the project just now,” Carson chimed in.
See? Gnat.
“Did I ask you?” I snapped.
