Page 25

Chapter

Twenty-Two

JONAS

Mom: I miss you! How is summer in Lafayette?

Jonas: Hot

Mom: Thanks, Captain Obvious. That’s exactly what I meant.

Jonas: You’re welcome!

“Dude.” Evan stalks out to the kitchen while I pour a cup of coffee. “It’s as hot as Satan’s butthole.”

Thankfully I haven’t taken a sip yet, or else I would’ve spit it out.

“Did Cooper teach you that expression?” I blink at him.

“Maybe. But irregardless?—”

“Not a word,” I say, but he ignores me and keeps talking.

“Irregardless, it’s hot. I’m melting, and it’s only ten in the morning. The AC can’t handle it.”

“Yeah, I agree, it’s a problem. Got any solutions?”

Grabbing his own mug of coffee, Evan adds cream and shakes his head. “Hadley has been a terrible influence on my coffee habits.”

“Hey, I heard that!” She pops her head out of the hallway, and I force my gaze to stay on her face and not her tiny pajama shorts that show off her long legs. I don’t want Evan to notice me looking. “What are you guys talking about?”

“How hot it is,” Evan says, handing her the creamer, “and what we can do to cool off.”

I get her a cup and fill it, then she adds an obscene amount of cream. I shudder.

“I know what we need.” Hadley snaps her fingers. “A pool day.”

“Yeah, but all the college pools are indoors.” Evan pouts. “It’s not the same.”

“Duh.” Hadley rolls her eyes. “We’ll go to the community pool. Natalie told me about it the other day.”

“Like, for townies?” Evan asks, staring at her over the rim of his mug.

“It’s not like we’re forbidden or something.” Hadley scoffs. “And Natalie said there’s a water slide.”

His eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning. “I’m in. How soon can we leave?”

Hadley laughs at him. “Give me about half an hour to finish my coffee and find my bikini.”

With that, Evan wanders off to his room, and I’m left trying not to picture Hadley in a bikini. Because I need some of the blood to stay in my brain.

I clear my throat. “We should invite everyone. All the guys that are still around this summer.”

Maybe more people will help. If she wants things to stay under wraps, I need a buffer to keep from being totally obvious.

She bounces on the balls of her feet. “Ooh, yes. Send some texts and make it happen, Joe. This is gonna be awesome.”

The bikini is as bad (good?) as I feared.

Tiny pink triangles, strings, and skin. Acres of tan skin, waiting to be licked.

I keep checking my phone for phantom texts, so I have something to glance at other than Hadley.

I can’t embarrass myself in public. Even my mom’s messages about the weather would be welcome right now.

Turning on her lounge chair, she presents her back and holds out a bottle of sun lotion. “Can you put it on for me where I can’t reach?”

I stifle a groan. She knows they make spray sunscreen, right? Then I wouldn’t have to (get to?) rub the sticky, coconut scented lotion all over her shoulders and back, kneading her muscles.

Is there a way to force the blood to stay in my brain? I’m getting lightheaded, and it’s all traveling south. I clear my throat when I’m done, hoping not to embarrass myself.

She spins to face me, lips quirking up in a teasing grin. “Joe, are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

“Uh…”

“Here, have some water.” She hands me a plastic bottle from her beach bag, and I crack it open. I swallow half of it in one go, and I’m tempted to pour the rest over my head like a cold shower. Or over hers for torturing me.

“Slow down, don’t make yourself sick.” Hadley puts her hand on my bare chest, and I pause and stare at it. I’m frozen, like my brain is broken.

She snatches her palm away and stands. “Are you feeling up for a water slide?”

“Yeah,” I manage to croak out. “For sure.”

I finish off the water and Hadley surveys me, hand on her hip. “Did you put on sunscreen?”

Oh no. God, no. Kill me now. “Um, I’m fine.”

She glares and shakes the tube. “No way. Come’ere.”

There’s a part of me that knows she’s right.

I have the ability to tan, unlike two of my sisters and my mom.

They have red hair and fair skin, but I have my dad’s dark hair and complexion that can be in the sun without turning into an instant tomato.

But I freckle and burn if I don’t wear sunscreen.

What’s worse? Being crispy and uncomfortable for days or turned on and uncomfortable for a few minutes?

Sighing, I submit. Walking over, I sit on the lounge chair in front of her. Her long legs frame me, and I take a deep, shuddering breath. I inhale for a different reason as the cold lotion hits my skin.

Hadley giggles, minx that she is. “You’re such a baby.”

“Am not. It’s cold.” The conversation distracts from her hands, rubbing up and down my shoulder blades.

“And aren’t we at the pool because we were too hot?”

“Doesn’t mean I want your ice hands all over me.” Lies. That’s exactly what I want.

She leans into me, and I bite back a moan. Her palms circle my neck and ears, then she runs her fingers down my biceps.

“You’re very thorough.” My voice comes out strained. Can she hear how much control I’m exerting?

“Can’t have you getting fried. You’d be an even bigger baby if that happened.”

Her touch turns feathery, and she tickles my sides. I hop up and round on her, and she gives me a smirk.

I smile back, loving the playful vibe. “Okay, you’re going to pay for that one.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

Taking a step towards her, I point to the tallest water slide. There are two—one is the more traditional tube with a series of spirals, but the second one has three long slides side by side.

“I mean we’re going to race down that slide, and you’re going to lose.”

Hadley laughs and grabs my hand, tugging me with her. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

We race so many times I lose count of who wins. Evan and Caleb get in on the action, plus Mateo and Brody show up, too. We slide through the spiral tube until I’m dizzy from all the twists and turns. Then we float around the lazy river loop.

My fingers dangle off the side of my inner tube, brushing against Hadley’s. She doesn’t seem to mind, and there’s no one around to notice.

Head tilted to the sky, she sighs.

“You doing okay, Hads?” I ask.

“Yeah.” She has on sunglasses so I can’t see her eyes to gauge her response. “I am. This is pretty great.”

“It is, but it feels like you have something on your mind.”

Shifting, she puts her glasses on her head, anchoring her messy topknot, and gazes at me. “This summer has been harder than I expected.”

“How so?” I ask. The waves bump the side of my tube, jostling me, and I reach out to grab her hand so we don’t float apart.

She laces her fingers through mine and holds on tight. “Honestly, I’ve been pretty lonely. Kendall isn’t here this summer, Natalie and Jasmine have both moved away. You’re my closest friend on campus.”

Friend. Right. I’m tempted to drop her hand, but she doesn’t let go. I swallow, and she keeps talking.

“I miss my mom sometimes, which is weird, because we’re not super close.

I guess I miss the idea of her? My dad obviously doesn’t miss me; I haven’t heard from him since I left early at Christmas break.

” She huffs a sad laugh, and a flare of rage heats my chest. How could anyone be so blinded by hockey they would miss out on this awesome woman?

But I shove down my indignation to listen to her.

“These days Hunter is my closest family member, and he’s gone, too.

While I didn’t love being at my dad’s every summer, it was great to spend the months with Hunter.

We’d go to the pool like this, watch fireworks together on the Fourth of July…

” She trails off, forcing a smile. “I guess I feel a little adrift. Ha. No lazy river pun intended.”

I splash her tube, making her yelp and getting her to give me a genuine grin. “That was the worst pun I’ve ever heard. But you know I’m here for you if you need it. And I don’t mean to sound like a wise old oak, but the summer after your freshman year is hard for everyone.”

“A wise old oak?”

“Yeah, like the grandma in Pocahontas.”

She shakes her head. “I love your princess movie obsession. But what do you mean?”

“Maybe it was just my personal experience, but I don’t think so.

I went home to Chicago that summer, after being independent and on my own for a year.

And my parents didn’t know what to do with me.

Give me a curfew? Make me pay rent? It was weird.

” I squeeze her fingers, and she squeezes back.

“I missed my friends and the guys on the team. Things don’t click the same with high school friends, who all had different experiences and grew into different people.

So if it makes you feel any better, it’s a transition time for everyone. Totally normal.”

“That helps, actually. Thanks, Joe.”

We’re quiet for a moment, floating and enjoying the sunshine, when inspiration strikes me.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea.”

I smile at Hadley, and she smiles back. “What’s up?”

“Come on. You’ll like it.”

I maneuver us to the lazy river’s exit and buy her a twist ice cream cone from the snack shack.

“Mmm, this is a great idea,” she says, reclining on her lounger in the sun.

“That’s only half of it.” Digging around in my backpack, my fingers close around my phone, and I pull it out. “You need some girl time.”

Scooting close to her on her own chair, I open the FaceTime app and dial Natalie. Then I give my phone to Hadley.

Her smile gets bigger than when I gave her ice cream.

“Natalie, hi!” she says as her friend’s face fills the screen. Hadley’s posture changes, relaxing, and the happiness vibrates off her.

I wave at Natalie and enjoy watching Hadley while they chat. Her face lights up and her eyes dance. And when she licks a drop of ice cream from her wrist, well, I avert my gaze and mentally recite hockey stats.

Natalie squeals when Hadley flips the camera and shows her the water park. “I remember taking Jace to the splash pad there last summer! It’s so good to see you and everything. Hunter and I are so homesick for you.”

“Yeah?” Hadley’s fingers brush the screen. “I thought you guys would be too busy for that.”

Natalie shakes her head, her long brown curls bouncing. “It’s so weird being here and not knowing anyone yet. I like my job, and I have great coworkers, but it’s not the same.”

“It’s not just me,” Hadley whispers, but I’m the only one who hears her, because Natalie turns to see something outside of the frame.

“Guess who I’m talking to?” she calls, and Hunter appears, smiling wide.

“Baby Sister! Jonas!” Hunter’s voice is full of delight. Evan wanders up behind us and squeezes in the camera view, too. “Evan! What’s going on?”

“Nothing much, trying to stay cool in this heat, man,” Evan says, toweling off. “What’s up with you?”

“Just finished a workout with The Wolves.” Hunter tries to tamp down his grin but he can’t. I’m so excited for him, that all his dreams are coming true. It’s his highest goal to play hockey professionally and an injury last season can’t stop him. Pride rises in my chest.

“That’s awesome!” Evan does a goofy dance for him, making us all laugh.

“Have you asked them yet?” Hunter drops a kiss on Natalie’s head.

“Nope.” She gazes at him, eyes so full of love it almost hurts to watch. “I thought you’d want to.”

Hunter clears his throat. “Would you guys want to come to Chi-Town for the Fourth of July? The Wolves do a family weekend, and Hadley, we always spend it together. I’d love it if Joe and Ev could come, too.”

Hadley bounces in her lounge chair. “A million yesses!”

“That would be awesome!” Evan says, shaking his hair like a dog and scattering water droplets everywhere.

I shove him while Hadley turns to me. “Joe? You in?”

I know how much this means to her. I nod. “Sounds great. I bet we can stay with my family, if you guys don’t have the space in your new place.”

Hadley’s grin stretches from ear to ear. “I can’t wait!”

We say goodbye soon after. Evan flops onto his chair and puts his towel over his head. Hadley hands me my phone back, letting her fingers linger on mine in the exchange.

“Thanks for that, Joe. You always know what I need to cheer me up.”

“Hey, I can’t take credit for the Fourth of July invite.” I shrug, moving back to my own lounger.

“No, maybe not. But regardless?—”

“Irregardless—” Evan mutters, interrupting from under his towel.

“—I’m glad I have you around this summer.”

She smiles, and it’s like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. My heart thuds in my chest. I want to make her look like that all the time.

“It will be so fun to hang out with Hunter and Natalie together again,” she says, fiddling with the pile of hair on top of her head.

Sweat that has nothing to do with the humid weather breaks out all over my body. Having Hunter watch my every move for a weekend with Hadley? Hiding how attracted I am to her? No pressure there.

“So fun,” I echo, not freaking out. Not at all.