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cool down. It’s not much cooler out here now than it was during the day.”

“Y-yeah. I mean no.”

Arabella gathered up her blonde mane and twirled it over one shoulder.

She wound it around her hand, the muscles in her arm flexing. Bathed in the

dark, she was the kind of pretty that again reminded June of something

otherworldly. It didn’t matter that she was watching Arabella’s hands or

keeping her eyes on her face. Her mind filled in the rest of the information

for her, including the lush curves and that small yellow bikini that defined

them. The bikini was just a bikini. It wasn’t more or less revealing than any

other bathing suit, but it didn’t matter. On Arabella, it turned into something

extraordinary and apparently the images were burned into June’s mind.

Her mouth went dry, and heat shot from her belly straight to her upper

thighs.

“You didn’t tell Summer,” Arabella said.

“N-no,” June whispered, a little too huskily. She didn’t like what that

note meant in her voice. Her tongue felt heavy and ungainly in her mouth,

which was so, so dry.

“It would have been okay if you did.” Arabella laughed, mistaking that

tremble in June’s voice for a sort of awkwardness. “It’s not a secret. But

thanks.”

“I…” June wasn’t usually one with nothing to say. Even in high school,

when Arabella and her crew were at their worst, she’d always had some

comeback, or when she’d chosen to stay silent, it was because she wanted

to.

“You could stay.” Arabella patted the sand. “There’s plenty of room here

for two. Or did I take your spot again?”

“No. That’s alright. I mean, I wasn’t coming to…I was just going for a

walk.”

“Well, since you’re out here now, we could just relax. Or is it too weird?

I could move down the beach if you want. Leave you alone.”