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His short hair is in complete disarray from the wind, and he’s still shirtless, only wearing a pair of black swim trunks. Both his shoulders and nose have a light pink tint.
“You need some sunscreen, Reid,” I tell him as he walks over to me.
He smirks. Whatever was bothering him earlier seems to have been forgotten. “It must have all washed off when I got pushed off the tube.”
I roll my eyes in response. “You started it. Want your shirt back?”
“Nah, it’s fine. I’ll grab one of Josh’s later.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” I grab the hem and pull his shirt over my head, holding it out. Elliot isn’t reaching for the shirt—he’s staring at me. We’re both half-naked: me in a bikini, him in swim trunks. Everyone else has headed to the house. There’s music and laughter and shouts in the background, but also just us.
“Fine. Thanks.”
“Yeah.” I pull my dress back over my head.
“I’m gonna head inside for a sec. You need anything?”
“No. I’m good.”
“Okay.” He starts walking toward the Hawleys’ without another word, leaving me standing here staring after him.
After a minute, I follow. I skirt most of the groups of teenagers hanging in the yard. Aside from Elliot, Oliver, Luke, and Josh—and Annabel, I guess, though calling her out on her behavior didn’t result in anything but uninterrupted silence—there isn’t anyone here I’ve exchanged more than a few words with. Being Elliot’s best friend and former fake girlfriend is a bizarre combination of being “in” and a social pariah. Plus, there’s the fact that I don’t go to school with anyone here. My presence is nothing more than an occasional occurrence, not worth acknowledging.
I end up grabbing a beer and leaning against the low fence that runs the border of the Hawleys’ yard and whoever has the unfortunate fate of sharing a property line with them—unfortunate unless they enjoy watching dozens of tipsy teenagers wander about, which is exactly what I’m doing.
“Should I be worried?”
I glance over at Josh as he stops next to me. “About what?”
“You. Not only are you drinking beer, which I’ve seen you donever, you’ve also got a look on your face like you’re about to wrestle a bear.”
“You’ve seen someone about to wrestle a bear before?”
Josh chuckles. “Yeah—in photos. So?”
I look across the yard. “The blond guy, by the canoe…he’s on the hockey team, right? Jason?”
Josh drags his gaze from me to the person in question, who’s leaning against the side of the tipped canoe by the start of the dock, looking at his phone. “Dammit,” he mutters.
I take a sip of beer. “Is he single?”
Josh leans over me and grabs a beer out of the cooler, cracking it open and draining a healthy—or unhealthy, if you read a study about alcohol consumption—portion in one sip.
“Is he?” I prompt when he swallows and still doesn’t answer.
He sighs. “Just trying to get tipsy for when the shit hits the fan.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Reid isn’t going to like you flirting with another guy.”
“Yeah, well…”That’s why I’m doing it.“We’refriends, right? He should be happy if I get some action.”
Josh snorts and takes another long pull. “I told him this would happen,” he says under his breath. To me, he says, “Why don’t you just tell him how you feel?”
“I’ve given him…”A blowjob.“Chances. He doesn’t feel that way about me. Or at least, he won’t admit it to himself, let alone me.”
Josh doesn’t argue with that. “Joeis single, yeah.”
