Page 105 of Soul So Dark

This is what I get for skipping school to sneak off with my brother’s best friend—drowned in the Hellbranch.

Finally, I wriggle free and a moment later, I’m hit with a splash as something bursts out of the water. When I can finally see again, I come face to face with Alex, grinning at me with his shiny white teeth that pop against his tan skin and black hair glistening with creek water. Unlike me, hecanstand up here.

“You have a lot of work to do before next summer,Angelína.”

I reel back and slap my hand across the water. He turns away from the splash and then reaches out to grab my arm. Before I can do it again, he pulls me close and lifts me to his waist. At least I can rest and catch my breath, as if it’s so terrible clinging to Alex Barrera in the middle of the creek with my legs around his waist.

Shelby would die. Should I tell her? Oddly enough, I haven’t thought about it until now.

“That was dirty,” I chide him.

“I hate to break it to you, Dal, but you knew what this was.”

“Yeah, one quarter of a brain,” I sneer, getting in his face.

Before I can say any more, Alex grabs the back of my head and presses my lips to his, rendering me silent. I wrap my arms around his neck, drinking him in and wishing I didn’t have to leave this frigid creek after all.

“Is anyone at your house?” he murmurs.

“My mom might be. What about your house?” I dip down to kiss his neck. “I haven’t seenyourroom.”

It’s a few seconds before I realize that Alex hasn’t moved. He’s gone still, looking to the side and staring off across the water.

I pull back. “What?”

He shakes his head. “Nothing, I don’t know who’s at my house, either,” he smiles, tilting my head to kiss me again. “But you’ll see it…one day.”

Why not now? But I don’t ask him. I’m too busy being bombarded by dopamine to care about his house or who may or may not be inside it. A few minutes later, we’re both back on the paddle board, having decided to continue the journey down the creek until we can see the overpass heading into town and then do an about-face so there’s no chance anyone could see us.

By the time we reach Alex’s SUV, my hair only feels slightly damp. Maybe nobody will ask why I’m returning home from school drenched in creek water after all. My shirt, however, is a different story.

The sun is much higher in the sky now, so I grab the bottom of my tank top and peel it off over my head. I drape it over the edge of the tailgate and go to retrieve my shorts from the front seat. My pink bra will just have to stay damp.

After pulling them on and returning to the back bumper, I find Alex stretched out in the cargo area. He’s changed into black joggers, reclining against the deflated, rolled-up paddle board with his arm slung over his face. As soon as I climb up and arrive at his side, he lifts his arm, inviting me to come closer. But instead of curling into his side, I swing my leg over his body and settle onto his waist, planting my hands on either side of his chest.

“Why can’t I see your house?”

“You have seen my house,” he smiles.

“Only the outside.”

“Three dudes live there, what’s to see?”

“You’ve seen myroom, andslept in my bed,” I point out.

Alex gently pulls me down to his chest and runs his hand up my back. His skin feels electric against mine and the thought of leaving here sounds more dreadful by the second. He reaches up and gently weaves his fingers through my hair, massaging my scalp.

“That feels good,” I mumble against his chest.

“Later, when you’re allowed to tell me yes, I’ll do a lot of other things that’ll feel good.”

Goosebumps skitter down my back and end in a rush of heat at the bottom of my stomach. All I can hear is his heartbeat against my temple as my eyes start to roll and my breathing slows down.

I don’t remember falling asleep, but when I wake up, I feel Alex’s hands cupping my face as he tilts my head to look at him.

“Hey, Mama.”

I’m still shirtless, draped over his body in the back of his SUV, down by the creek when I’m supposed to be in school. My eyes dart over his face as he caresses my cheeks and neck. For some reason, I thought he would disappear as soon as I woke up.