Devil Incarnate (Boys of Preston Prep #4) - Angel Lawson Page 0,40

what I’m thinking?”

She grins back. “Ceremonial bonfire?”

“Hell yeah!” I glance around the space pensively. “But we don’t want to carry it on us, so until we can set a time…” I rifle around, ultimately deciding on an old, non-descript candy tin—Devil’s Taffy—to tuck it safely inside of.

As we lock up and leave the Tower the same way we came, one at a time, I realize how glad I am that I still have the Devils—even if we have an impossible task ahead. If I’m going to stop thinking about Heston and what happened between us, I’m going to need as many distractions as I can get.

“Haynes,” Heston barks, his cold eyes barely passing over me. “You go to the end of the pool and practice treading water. Adams and I are going to work on the abomination that is his stroke.”

Micha gives me a pleading look, like the last thing he wants to be is alone with Heston. I offer a smile of sympathy in return. Heston hasn’t been the worst today—I mean, not that the bar is very high—but he does seem particularly impatient.

I take the sloping walk down to the other end, slowly getting deeper and deeper. If I thought my brush with drowning the other night might offer me some magical, water-related epiphany, then I’m wrong. If anything, it’s just made me more nervous.

Everything is making me more nervous.

The drowning. Heston being back. Having sex with him. Having unprotected sex with him. Waiting for my test results. Wondering if he’s telling anyone. Feeling ashamed all the time. Jilling off in a suite that has another occupant. The rubber band being virtually ineffective now.

All of this has sent me into a bit of a tailspin, but Vandy is right. I’m only human. Nothing here is unreasonable. I had a weak moment, but who can blame me?

I suck in a breath once the floor is out of reach, flailing around in an attempt to tread water. I can’t help but remember being here before, screaming, aching, sinking. Panic seizes me and I paddle frantically toward the side of the pool, throat suddenly constricted. Once my fingertips graze the cool tiles, I hold on for dear life, panting. I glance back anxiously at Micha and Heston, but luckily neither are paying me any attention. The last thing I need is Heston realizing just how not prepared for this I am. Swimming really shouldn’t be this hard.

A drop of water hits my hand, drawing my attention. I look up, seeing a boy I’ve never met before.

“You need some help?” The guy gives me a winning smile, all sparkling teeth and bright eyes. I’d reach for the rubber band, except then I might sink.

“A little,” I say, wanting to get out of the pool more than anything. He offers me his hand and pulls me out, his bicep flexing in the process. I stumble forward and he catches me, fingers lingering on my waist.

“I’m Jase,” he says. Water runs down his body, and he flings his hair to the side to get it out of his eyes.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

“Hi, Jase. I’m Georgia.”

His green eyes twinkle with the reflection of the water. “You know Gus Meyers, right?”

I tilt my head, trying to figure out if we’ve met. I can’t place him. “Sure. You’re friends with him?” He gives a half-hearted shrug, and my eyes skim the hard, flat planes of his abdomen. Snap! How have I not noticed him before? “Did you get trapped in this freshman hellhole too?”

“Uh,” he blushes. “I am a Freshman.”

Well.

No snap! needed now.

Before I can respond to that, I hear my name echo across the vaulted ceilings.

“Haynes!” My neck pops up and I see Heston storming toward us, scowl firmly in place. Jase drops his hand and lurches away, but Heston ignores him completely. “Since you don’t have any interest in learning to swim today, you can stay after and clean up.” He points to the storage closet and the disrupted shelves and equipment tossed on the floor. “All of this, plus the filters and the locker room. Showers included.”

My jaw drops. “But it’s the last period of the day! I’ll be here until after dinner. Maybe even later!”

“And?” he replies, uncaring.

I had plans to meet with the girls tonight. I did not have plans that included cleaning the black hole of despair known as the Preston locker room showers. What the fuck? “Heston—Coach—I was treading water. I was treading water badly, but I was doing it. You