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I hold on to those two facts like they’re all that’s keeping me afloat.
My eyes slide shut, and I bring my fingers to the bridge of my nose, my nostrils flaring. Nodding, I tell him stiffly, “Okay.”
God forgive me.
I sense more than see him perk up, startled.
Opening my eyes, I reach up, pushing his wet messy hair back. “Okay.”
Something flashes in his eyes—something that looks a lot like the pressure I feel giving way in my chest, speeding up my heart.
Cupping the back of his skull, I bring us even closer, dipping down so I can press our foreheads together. He sucks in a breath.
“On two conditions.”
His tongue pokes out, wetting his lip. So close to brushing mine, but still so far away.
“Next time you feel the need to dive into a body of water to escape your feelings,” I tell him in a rough, restrained voice, “just…find me instead. I’d much rather you throw sand in my face than worry I’m going to find your dead body washed up on the beach.”
Skyler winces, nodding against me.
“Okay?”
“I don’t want to burden—”
“Not a burden. Use me.”
He stills. “U-use you?”
Pulling back, I nod, then start dragging him by our joined hands back to the beach. “When it gets all loud and you feel itchy, like you’re crawling out of your skin, and you feel like you might do something stupid…” I glance over my shoulder. “Find me.”
Skyler’s mouth ticks up.
“I can take it, okay?” I say loud enough to be heard over the water slamming into the shore. We hasten our steps so we don’t get shoved by any incoming waves.
When we hit the beach, I turn, still gripping his hand. “And I’m listening. Whatever you want to say.”
Skyler nods. “Okay, but I…” He looks around, chewing his lip. “I don’t really want to talk right now.”
I huff a short laugh at his honesty and give his hand a tug. Reaching down for my boots, I say, “Me neither. But I really do want to get out of these clothes before it starts chafing.”
Straightening, I cock my head, and arch him a brow. “I’m still recovering from last time.”
He smiles shyly, ducking his head.
He looks ridiculous—hell we both do, I’m sure, drenched and fully clothed.
I jerk my head toward the trees. “Come on.”
“Wait,” he says, quickly running over to grab his flip-flops. He returns to my side and grips my hand once more, trying to keep up with my long strides. “You never told me the second condition?”
Dragging my lip between my teeth, I slow down and cut him a sideways glance, eyeing him up and down as we walk. “The second you no longer feel comfortable with this, say the word and we stop.”
He blinks, nodding. “Okay. But I doubt that’ll happen.”
I shake my head, muttering a quiet curse.
Killing. Me.
