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Jessica has a permanent frown on her pretty face, not even attempting to hide her disdain for me. Her gaze is focused on Zane’s hand, where it’s absentmindedly toying with the string holding my top in place. Anita is quiet, sitting in solidarity with her friend.
“You were so pissed.” Benji laughs, his attention on Zane.
“I would be too,” Wyatt says, “if you switched my music to Celine Dion and messed with my pregame routine.”
Benji is talking about the prank he played on Zane one time before a half-pipe competition. Zane apparently listened to hard-core rap or heavy metal before competitions to psych himself up. Benji switched out his playlist for a mellow one.
“It didn’t matter though,” Benji says proudly. “My boy still whipped all our asses that day. He was standing on top of that podium in the end.”
“I didn’t tell you, but I started listening to that same Celine song before every competition from then on.” Zane smirks.
Benji throws his head back and howls with laughter.
“You’re not superstitious at all, huh?” I joke.
“That was my best competition to date. Can’t monkey with what works.”
“Maybe I should’ve started listening to Celine too,” Benji adds humbly. “I needed something to give me an edge.”
“You shred just fine,” Zane says to his buddy.
I pull my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around them. The air is especially cold when it hits my skin above the hot water. But the contrast feels good.
“I always loved watching you guys compete,” Jessica says, the whisper of a smile on her full lips now that she’s focused onsomething other than me. “It was my favorite thing to do in high school.”
“Other than Zane,” Wyatt quips, that hard glint back in his brown eyes as he stirs the pot.
Jessica freezes. Benji blows out an exhale and runs a hand through his hair as Zane tenses beside me.
“Other than Zane,” Jessica blatantly agrees, her eyes on the man next to me.
She’s staring at him with stars in her expression, making it apparent she’s far from over her ex. As if I didn’t already know that.
“I don’t remember you at our competitions. What I do remember is you hooking up with my buddy?” Zane counters.
When he shifts his dark stare over to Wyatt, I immediately know which friend he’s referring to.
Jessica and Wyatt hooked up. Interesting.
The hot tub is silent all of a sudden, except for the sound of the motor stirring the water, constantly humming in the background.
Wyatt and Jessica exchange a glance before she looks away, appearing guilty. Wyatt looks smug and completely unrepentant.
I wonder if this is when all the problems started between the men. Over a woman. Over Jessica. But if Zane was bothered by it, he doesn’t appear to be anymore. Or maybe he’s just good at pretending. And I’ve never gotten the vibe that Wyatt is interested in Jessica, or vice versa. But that was a long time ago, I guess. Either way, the plot thickens.
“On that note,” Benji draws out. He climbs out of the hot tub and dries off with a towel. He walks over to stoke the fire after throwing a hoodie on.
Zane leans closer. “I’ll be right back.”
I nod and feel the loss as his arm lifts from my shoulders, leaving my skin colder in the night air. I slide lower until more of my body is submerged beneath the water.
Zane isn’t gone for more than a minute before Jessica exits the tub, following him. I try not to watch as she wraps a towel around her torso and retraces his steps into the house. Anita climbs out next, dries off, dresses in warmer clothes, and joins Benji at the firepit.
“There will always be something between those two,” Wyatt says unhelpfully, his voice low so it stays between the two of us.
His eyes are on me while I’m watching Jessica walk inside the house.
“Sounds like you have personal experience with that,” I observe, my eyes still searching the empty living room.
