Page 67 of Trust Again

“Nope.”

“Kaden!”

“What are you going to do, rip off my hand—” He was cut off as Allie turned and slapped Kaden’s chest with both hands. He staggered back, clutching at Allie’s jacket, and both of them fell, landing in the fountain. Water shot up all around us, and I shrieked.

“You guys are out of your minds!” Monica shouted. “Ethan, don’t you dare…”

“Sorry, Baby.” Then he grabbed her around the waist and tossed her into the water with Allie and Kaden.

She came up coughing and spluttering. “I’m gonna kill you, Ethan.”

It wasn’t long before her boyfriend joined them. I couldn’t stop laughing, but Monica looked like she was about to explode, her face was that red. I was about to turn to grab the camera when Spencer grabbed my elbow.

“We don’t want to be spoilsports, do we?”

“Don’t even think about it, Spence,” I said, trying to wrench my arm away.

But Spencer pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me, lifting me up in the air.

“Put me down! I’m going to kill you, I’ll bite and scratch…”

“Your threats are kind of a turn on, Dawn,” he said, undeterred. And carried me right into the fountain with our friends.

Immediately I wrapped my legs around his hips and clung to his shoulders, to avoid touching the water.

“Put me down!”

“I would but you’re choking me,” croaked Spencer. I loosened my grip a bit.

“Don’t be that way,” Allie chimed in.

Of all people, Allie! Traitor.

“I only have one pair of shoes with me, you idiots!”

It was out of the question to let go of Spencer. He was my life preserver in a sea of fools.

“You know you wouldn’t change us,” he said. And let himself fall backward.

I wasn’t prepared for that. As if in slow motion, we landed in the brackish water. From the hips down I was completely submerged. Spencer popped his head up seconds later and shook his dripping hair out of his face.

My eyes were squeezed shut but some drops landed on my chin. “You’re completely out of your mind.”

He laughed and wiped his face. Then he clapped both palms on the water like a splashing child. His eyes sparkled as I wiped the water from my cheeks—it only made everything worse. And out of the blue, I felt a desire to kiss him. All I had to do was bend over, just a tiny bit. That’s all.

“In my opinion, Dawn is still not wet enough,” came Monica’s serious tone from behind us. Another wave of water hit me. Great, now my top was wet, too.

“I don’t think we can let this go unpunished, can we, Dawn?” Spencer asked and his grin got wider.

His smile was real. All the worry had disappeared from his face and it wasn’t a mask: Whatever had been bothering him, our time together had helped distract him. If that was what he needed, I’d do everything in my power to help him.

I leaned on the edge of the fountain and stood up.

“Absolutely not.”

The next moment we were involved in a serious water fight, which got so bad, we were thrown out of the botanical garden for good.

Chapter 23