laced with every insecurity I had. “You're only saying that because you're with me and not them.”
I expected a snicker or a chuckle, but he didn't show any sign of amusement at all. Instead, he nodded and said, “That's right. If I wanted someone like them, I'd have it. But I don't.” He took one step closer and I could feel the heat radiating from his body, as he placed my hand discreetly over the front of his trunks. “You feel that? That's from lookin' at you. You do that. Nobody else. Okay?”
I bobbed my head in a slight nod, both flustered and turned on. He dropped my hand and made a sardonic crack about not wanting to recreate the scene at my parents' house, then without warning, dove unceremoniously into the pool.
The crystal water shimmered beneath the late summer sun as it rippled from the impact, then broke around his body as he resurfaced. He sucked in a gulp of air, then grinned, his olive skin wet and glittering. His hair hung in his eyes, dripping, before he raked it back, smoothing it over the crown of his head, and I thought, this is the stuff fantasies are made of.
“Get in here, Andy,” he demanded, crooking his finger and beckoning me to him.
I laughed, knowing my cheeks were glowing with a magnetic flush. He wasn't the only one in the pool. A couple of Greyson's cousins were batting a beach ball back and forth in the shallow end, while his grandma, Sebastian's mom, lounged on the steps leading into the water. But my attention was only on Vinnie, and for a moment, not even the white noise could distract me.
I didn't jump in, not like him. I sat at the edge of the pool, dangling my legs in the water first, before sliding in. It was amazing to be surrounded by the warm water and I closed my eyes to the feeling of weightlessness. Vinnie swam up to me, pressing his wet chest to mine, and with my eyes still closed, he kissed me. Open-mouthed, his tongue swept against mine and our bodies took on a mind of their own, moving against each other and rippling the water around us. Without even realizing, I had ended my own resolve to not recreate that moment at my parents' anniversary party. But when I felt Vinnie's fingers tracing the edge of my swimsuit bottoms, I unlocked my mouth from his.
“No,” I said, shaking my head.
He nodded, pulling his hand from the water. “Sorry. I didn't mean—”
“Your family would hate me,” I whispered.
Chuckling, he shook his head, wrapping his arms around me. “Sweetheart, they might tell us to get a room, but they would never hate you.”
“You don't know—”
“Whoa, man!” Greyson shouted from beside the pool, looking directly at us and smirking. “We gave you guys a freakin’ room. Go use it.”
I was speechless, as Zach knelt down to whisper, “Yo, if you guys wanna do shit, at least wait until the kids are gone, you know what I'm sayin'? Don't scar anybody for life. But, I mean, if you came out here later, I wouldn’t stop you.” And he reached out, clapping Vinnie on the shoulder as he winked, while my cheeks burned with embarrassment.
Vinnie leaned in, brushing his cheek against mine, and whispered, “See?”
I brought my forehead down to his shoulder and groaned. “God, I wish I was high right now.” He grunted in response, a disapproving sound, and taken aback, I reared my head back to ask, “You don’t feel the same way?”
He glanced around us, to make sure the coast was clear, before answering, “Don’t get me wrong; I love bein’ wasted. But sometimes, I love bein’ in the moment more. And this, right now, is one of those.”
***
The sky was dark and the yard was lit by what must’ve been a million little faerie lights, wrapped around the deck railing and decorating the surrounding bushes and trees. The pool was lit from within, glowing in a blue ethereal splendor. Vinnie and I had found ourselves a floating lounge, big enough for two people, and that’s where we were when Zach clinked a spatula against his bottle of root beer.
“Okay, so you’re probably wonderin’ why we wanted all of you’s up here today,” he said to the crowd of us, speaking loudly for everyone to hear. “Well, I’m sorry to say it wasn’t ‘cause we just love all your company.”
I cuddled my cheek to Vinnie’s drying chest, trying