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“What?”
“Muscles, Roman!” she cries. “Do you have them or not?”
“Yes,” I rush out, then clear my throat. “Yeah, I have muscles.” Eve chokes on a laugh, and it’s my turn to shoot her a look.
“Do you need help getting out?” Eve asks, but, again, Oli ignores the question.
“Get your ass in here and help me get this little bugger out.”
I just stare at her. There’s nothing to say or do.
“Roman!” I startle at the fierceness in her voice and straighten my shoulders.
“I’m not getting in the water,” I say, my voice final, and her head turns back toward me, too slowly to be anything other than fucking creepy.
“You’re refusing to help me?” she grits out, and my brows raise at her tone. “I’ll tell Chase.” I snort and fold my arms over my chest.
“How about we talk about this with you out of the water?” Eve suggests, but Oli and I stay staring at each other. Well, as much as I can stare at her with the fucking light blinding me.
“Tell him,” I taunt, but it’s empty.
Chase wouldn’t only die for his little sister, he’d string anyone up by their toes and bleed them dry for her, too. I’m not stupid enough to think that being his best friend means I’d get special treatment.
“Just help me,” she says, turning her attention back to the water.
“What is it?” Eve asks, shuffling closer. I almost reach for her, but we’ve already touched too much tonight.
“The Loch Ness monster,” Oli states plainly, making Eve and I freeze.
“The…Loch Ness…” Eve looks at me and I shrug. I don’t know what she’s talking about. “Honey, this isn’t Loch Ness.”
Her head snaps back around. The light pisses me off. It’s too fucking bright.
“Turn off the light,” I snap for the umpteenth time, but she just stares at Eve.
“I’m not an idiot, Eve,” she drawls. “I know where we are. But Ol’ Nessy is right here in Barry.” Eve’s throat bobs as she swallows, nodding hesitantly.
“And…” Eve looks at me again, but I tip my chin down, silently telling her to deal with her friend. “And you’re trying to get…Nessy?” She stumbles over the word and I crack a smile. “You’re trying to get Nessy out of the lake?”
Oli lets out a long sigh, like she’s so put out to explain herself to us. “Yes, Evelyn. I’m trying to bring Nessy home with me. I’ll be his mother. I’ll feed him, and—you’ll let him live in the lake, won’t you? Just until I can figure out if I can get a pool big enough for him?”
“Needs to be a freshwater pool,” I point out, and Eve nearly breaks her neck whipping her head toward me. Oli snaps her fingers, nodding.
“Good thinking, Payne. Knew there was a reason Chase kept you around.” My smile spreads wider. “Now, get that muscley ass in here and help me.”
“I’m not—”
“Yeah, yeah.” Oli rolls her eyes. “You already said you’re not getting in. Let’s just jump to the part where you do what I want, ‘kay?”
“I’m not getting in—”
“Are we really doing this?” she huffs.
“What?”
“This back and forth.” She waves her hand between us. “We both know I’m going to ask a couple more times, then you’ll grumble like the grumpy, emo asshole you are while you get in. Eve will stand there, looking pretty as usual, while you help me take Nessy home.”
Eve giggles, and when I shoot her a glare, she tries to hide it with a cough. But her smile is bright as she stares down at Oli, and the look on her face is like a punch to the fucking gut.
