me a squeeze back, and we shared a sad smile. There were so many things I could’ve said, questions I could’ve asked. But the best way—the only way—to get Charlie to talk was to just listen. I waited patiently, happy to abandon the rest of the afternoon and sit with him as long as he needed.
Instead, his smile widened, and he pulled me toward the pool. He wasn’t ready to talk more about it, and that was completely fine. He knew I was there whenever he needed me. We all were.
I followed Dot’s lead and stripped down to my simple black bra and underwear, not wanting to waste any time hunting for a bathing suit. I was the last one in . . . and apparently a rotten egg . . . because apparently we were all in elementary school again.
We splashed around and joked and then started getting out one by one.
The sun peeked in and out between fluffy white clouds. The heat that had made it just warm enough to be in the water was fading fast, chased away by a cold breeze.
As everyone else ran for the house, shivering, I huddled under the water. If I stayed there, the cold wind couldn’t freeze me to death.
Apart from me, Ethan was the last to pull himself out of the pool, the fire tattoo dancing as his muscles bulged under his weight. Naturally, he didn’t seem to feel the cold.
“You coming?” He half turned to check.
I shook my head and crouched farther, dipping my neck and chin into the water.
He laughed, flashing me a dimpled grin, and launched himself back in.
I screamed and jumped up, trying to avoid getting my head drenched from the tsunami he’d caused with his cannonball.
He swam to my side underwater before emerging, his jet-black hair plastered to his head. “What do you feel like for dinner?”
That boy always had food on his mind. I smiled and waded around, trying to ward off the chill. “What do you feel like making?” I rarely got a craving for a particular food. Whatever he chose to make was always delicious.
He flashed me another brilliant smile, leaning his elbows on the edge of the pool. “I found one of my mom’s Mediterranean cookbooks, and I’ve been wanting to try some more stuff. I really want to do the moussaka, but I’ve never made it before and I’m not sure I have time to experiment, so I was thinking I could do this pasta dish. Now, I know what you’re going to say—pasta’s not really original, and there’s more to Mediterranean food than just Italian, but . . .”
I chuckled as he kept talking. I wasn’t going to say that at all, but he was on a roll, and there was no stopping him from geeking out. I slowly treaded water, watching him.
Light reflecting off the water made his amber eyes sparkle, and his hair was dripping, the droplets meandering down his broad chest. His big shoulders were pushed forward, and the fire tattoo contrasted starkly with the blue water and light tiles. He’d started to tan over the last few weeks; his naturally olive skin soaked up even the meager spring sun and had taken on a golden glow.
He was beautiful.
A fuzzy, overpowering feeling bubbled up in my chest, and I froze, transfixed, almost overwhelmed by its intensity. I wanted to hold Ethan close and never let him go. I wanted to kiss him silly until he was laughing and the dimples became permanent. I wanted to see that carefree, happy look on his beautiful face every day for the rest of my life.
As I realized what this feeling was, what I’d been feeling for a long time but hadn’t allowed myself to examine, I shot through the water and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“. . . the balsamic vinegar can be—” When I plastered myself against his front, he cut himself off, dropping his arms to hold me loosely around the waist.
“Ethan?” I struggled to hold back my smile, a tinge of nervousness mingling with the excitement.
“Yeah, bubble butt?” he half teased, searching my face.
“I love you.” I let the grin break out in full force.
He blinked as all the teasing and lightheartedness left his features, replaced by that rare intense gaze. Then his arms tightened around me, and he pulled me against his chest as the most brilliant smile I’d ever seen crossed his face.
“I love you.” He said it back without hesitation. “I think