Chapter 15
By the time we’re all changed and outside, the sun’s dipping low enough that the water looks like it’s glowing.
The Harringtons don’t do anything halfway.
This pool is ridiculous. Big enough to host a party, surrounded by a high stone wall for privacy, and flanked by a few lounge chairs and a covered deck area with a grill and sound system.
Axel’s the first one in. He runs and cannonballs into the deep end, water splashing high and wide.
“Show-off!” I yell, shielding my face from the spray.
Johnny chuckles beside me. “He’s allergic to subtlety.”
Nik peels off his shirt beside me and holy hell, hello biceps. I manage not to gawk, just barely, and busy myself adjusting my bikini top even though it doesn’t need adjusting. He catches me anyway.
“See something you like?” he murmurs, low and teasing.
“Yeah. Your ego. It’s… massive,” I shoot back with a smirk.
Johnny snorts as he walks past me, tugging his tank over his head, before diving in like a damn Olympic swimmer.
Nik laughs and finally jumps in with a sleek splash. That leaves me standing alone at the edge.
“Come on, Princess,” Axel calls. “Water’s perfect.”
“Don’t call me that,” I grumble, not even meaning it a little. I step to the edge, nerves flickering through me. This is the most exposed I’ve been in front of all three of them—physically and emotionally.
I dive in.
The water’s a shock at first, but quickly turns blissful. It’s cool, clean, and refreshing. Cleansing in a way nothing else has been lately. I come up laughing and flick my hair out of my eyes just as a splash hits me square in the face.
“Really?” I wipe water out of my lashes to find Axel grinning devilishly.
Before he can answer, Nik dunks him, and chaos erupts. The next few minutes are pure mayhem, full of dunking, swimming, squealing, laughing. It’s fun. I’m actually having fun.
Eventually, we all end up draped along the edge, catching our breath. Nik floats next to me, watching me with something unreadable in his gaze.
“You’re different when you’re relaxed,” he says quietly. “I like seeing this side of you.”
I glance at him, uncertain. “What side’s that?”
“The real one,” he answers. “Not the one you armor up with at school.”
That throws me. I open my mouth to respond, but a soft bump against my foot makes me startle. I look over at Axel on my other side, eyes closed, head resting on his tan arms, and his toes brushing against mine under the water.
Is it an accident?
Another brush.
So, not an accident.
Heat rushes up my neck when he peeks one eye open and smirks.
Nik doesn’t miss any of it. His eyes narrow, and then he pushes off the wall, swimming slowly before coming up behind me. Close. I shiver.
“Wanna race?” he asks, voice low.
“To the other side?”
He smiles and nods like it’s a dare. “Loser owes the winner… a favor.”
Axel laughs under his breath. “Now this I’ve gotta see.”
Johnny, now back on the other end of the pool with a soda in hand, calls out, “Just don’t drown her, Romeo.”
“You in?” Nik’s voice is smoother now, almost velvety. “Or are you scared to lose?”
I straighten my shoulders, matching his grin. “Bring it.”
“I’ll count you down,” Axel calls, still lounging at the edge of the pool like a smug Greek god, arms spread behind him. “Try not to embarrass yourself too bad, Lina.”
“You’re the one who’s going to be embarrassed when I win,” I retort, flipping him off.
Nik grins and winks at me, then adjusts his stance beside me in the water. “Ready?”
“I was born ready.”
Axel smirks. “Three. Two. One. Go!”
Nik and I both launch forward, cutting through the water with a splash. I push myself hard, muscles burning, arms slicing. I can feel him beside me, close, but not close enough.
I beat him by half a body length.
I come up panting, water dripping down my face, heart pounding from more than just exertion. “Ha!” I yell triumphantly. “That’s right!”
Nik surfaces beside me, shaking his head and laughing. “Okay, damn, I didn’t expect that. Alright, what’s the favor?”
I lean in, pretending to think. “Hmm… how about you carry my backpack for the rest of the week?”
He groans dramatically. “So cruel. But fair.”
“You get used to her brand of evil,” Axel says from behind me, floating lazily now.
Nik splashes water at him. “Says the guy who cheats at poker and Mario Kart.”
Axel grins and flicks water back with his fingers. “Keep talking, Nik. See what happens.”
Nik narrows his eyes, but it’s playful. The tension between them sharpens. A look passes between them that’s half challenge, half curiosity. Neither of them breaks it right away.
Interesting.
“You two done flirting?” I tease, catching them both mid-glance.
Axel snorts. Nik shrugs one shoulder. “He started it.”
Axel raises a brow. “Did not.”
“Did too.”
“Oh my God, you’re children,” I say, pushing off the wall.
Axel sticks his tongue out at me.
“I’m going to get a drink,” Nik says, climbing out.
Axel moves to climb out too. “Bring me a soda, will you?”
“Get your own,” Nik tosses over his shoulder, but there’s playfulness in it.
The two of them disappear into the house, towels slung low on their hips, still bickering. I can’t help the way my gaze lingers on both their backs.
I turn to find Johnny watching me, eyebrow cocked.
“What?” I ask, floating backward.
“Nothing,” he says with a smirk. “Just enjoying the show.”
I swim over and lean my arms on the pool ledge beside him. “What show?”
“You. Them. That whole… situation.” He takes a sip of his drink, eyes crinkling. “You’re good for them, you know.”
“Them?”
He shrugs. “All of us.”
My first instinct is to brush it off, but I don’t. It feels good to be wanted. Needed.
I roll my eyes, but my voice softens. “Thanks, I think.”
There’s a beat of quiet, the kind that feels easy. Comfortable.
“You’ve had a hell of a week.”
“That obvious, huh?”
“Only to someone who’s been through it.” He glances over, eyes soft. “You’ve been holding your breath since you got here.”
I don’t answer right away. The sun beams down on us, soaking into my skin.
“I’m trying to move on,” I admit. “I don’t want to be the broken girl in this house. Everyone’s already gone out of their way to make space for me. If I take up too much of it, I’ll ruin everything.”
Living with Joe taught me to be small, quiet, easy. Invisible.
“You know what I think?” Johnny leans back, arms lazily pumping to keep him afloat. “You haven’t taken up nearly enough space.”
I swallow around the sudden lump in my throat. I snort. “Tell that to Axel.”
“I’d rather not.” He smiles crookedly. “He’s sensitive.”
I laugh, but it fades quickly. “It’s weird, being seen. You and Ben, Maryanne… Axel. Even Nik. I’m not used to it.”
Johnny hums. “Sometimes being seen is scarier than being ignored.”
I look at him then, really look. His tight jawline. The shadows under his eyes. The quiet weight he carries in his shoulders. “You get that?”
“More than you know.” He’s quiet a moment. “There was a time I thought being tough meant pretending I was fine. Turns out, all it did was make me lonely.”
Something shifts in my chest. “Are you still lonely?”
He meets my gaze. “Not right now.”
I give him a small smile. The silence between us stretches, warm and charged. The kind that buzzes under the skin.
“You make me feel safe,” I say finally, surprising myself. “And seen. And... I don’t know. It’s scary, but it’s good scary.”
Johnny swims closer and perches his arms on the wall next to me, his voice a whisper now. “Then keep showing up, Lina. With all of it. The messy, the scared, the brave parts too. You don’t have to prove anything to me. To us.”
The words hit somewhere deep, and I feel my throat tighten. I don’t respond, but I reach for his hand on the pool ledge and give it a squeeze.
He squeezes back, warm and steady.
“You gonna be okay?” he asks gently.
“Yeah,” I murmur. “I think I am.”
Johnny smiles then. Genuine, proud, soft around the edges. And for a moment, with the water around us and the golden sunset reflecting off the pool, everything feels ok. Better than ok.