When Stars Collide (Light in the Dark #2) - Micalea Smeltzer Page 0,63

leaves.

While he makes the eggs, I handle the toast and pouring of the orange juice.

We set everything out and Rae and Cade join us.

I smile at Xander beside me. I hate that we had a tiff, but I guess it’s bound to happen now and then. No couple has sunshine and rainbows moments all the time. You have to learn to move past things, and I think for our first kinda-sorta fight, we did pretty good.

Go us.

“This looks dangerous for my boobs,” I say, adjusting my bikini top. “If a nip slips out, someone better tell me.” I glare around at my group of friends.

Cade pales. “I’m not going to be looking at your boobs, so sorry.”

I look up at Xander. “You’re in charge of nip duty.”

He chokes on a sip of water and spews the liquid all over the ground. “Um, okay,” he says, wiping the back of his hand over his mouth.

“Whose idea was it to go tubing again?” I ask, gathering my hair up into a messy ponytail.

“Mine.” Jace raises his hand.

I narrow my eyes on him. “If this doesn’t end well, I might never speak to you again.”

I already saw one girl come back soaking wet and covered in mud. I could handle getting wet—you’re going to dry off, obviously—but mud? That would require at least three hot showers to get all of it off and disinfect my body. I don’t have time for that today.

Jace chuckles. “I don’t think that would be a bad thing.” I glare at him. “What?” He raises his hand innocently. “You talk a lot and I like silence.”

“Says the guy who works in a bar,” I mutter.

He laughs and counters, “Maybe that’s why I appreciate the silence.” He claps his hands together loudly and a group of girls looks over. They immediately make googly eyes at him. It’s the tattoos all over his arms. Tattoos make girls do stupid things. It’s a fact.

One of the girls gives Xander an appreciative look and I bristle, making a hissing sound.

Xander snorts. “Did you just hiss at them?”

I hadn’t meant to do that. I square my shoulders and lift my chin, owning my moment of jealousy. “Yes,” I say. “And I’ll piss a circle around you too if I have to,” I joke.

He throws his head back and laughs. “You’re amazing.”

Cade shakes his head. “Are you sure you want to stay married to her? She’s kind of weird.”

Xander laughs and wraps his arm around me. “Yeah, she’s stuck with me.”

Jace picks up his black tube. “Can we talk about the fact that I was the last person to find out you guys got married? I feel the love, guys.”

I laugh. “We haven’t told our parents yet, so technically you’re not the last one.”

He points a finger at us. “You didn’t even tell me. I show up here and you’re both wearing rings.”

“Technicalities.” I wave my hand through the air, dismissing his words.

He chuckles. “Are we going or not?”

“I’m so not ready for this,” I hiss to Xander.

“You’ll be fine.”

We pick up our own tubes and follow our little group to where we get in the water.

There’s a person there, giving us instructions on what we can and cannot do and which way to go when the river splits.

“I hope you were paying attention to that,” I whisper to Xander, plopping my butt in the tube. “Because that went in one ear and out the other for me.”

He laughs and gets in his own tube. “You’ll be fine,” he repeats his words from earlier.

“For some reason, I don’t believe you.”

He grabs onto the rope attached to my tube and holds on tight. “Feel better now?”

“Somewhat.”

We begin to float down the river and I eventually become comfortable enough that I lay my head back and close my eyes. It’s a hot day, but the cool river water helps keep me comfortable. I wasn’t keen on tubing, but this isn’t so bad. It’s actually rather relaxing.

Minutes pass, and I eventually open my eyes.

No one is around us.

“Xander?” I ask hesitantly.

“Hmm?” he hums. His head is tilted back and his sunglasses hide his eyes.

“Where is everyone?”

He sits up at that and looks around. “Shit.”

Panic rises inside me. “Are we lost?”

“Of course not,” he scoffs.

“We’re totally lost,” I cry. “We’re going to get eaten by alligators.”

“This is Colorado, not Florida, I think we’re safe from alligators.”

I look around and around, but everywhere I look, there’s only water and trees. The river is too wide and the current is