Chapter 9
Maddy
We jump back, putting a solid foot of space between us. Thankfully, Lola seems focused on our attire and not on how insanely close we just were.
My sister yanks her phone from her lime green bikini that matches her hair and starts snapping photos of us. “Mum’s gonna shit! Go stand by the pool! Now!”
We follow her somewhat begrudgingly, dazed and very confused by the interrupted moment back there.
“I’m not sure I need to see your mum shitting herself.” Jett makes me giggle.
Mum is slurping down a blended margarita while chatting up Gage and my brother’s friend Penelope, the one he hopes will soon be more than a friend, when Lola drags us to the edge of the pool.
“Mum!” she shouts. “Your new line might as well be sold out already!”
Mum sees us and gasps, “My babies! You look fucking incredible! Jude, bring your best camera!”
Jude and Dad come wandering out to the back deck, my dad dropping his jaw as if anything could shock the man who literally electrocuted himself on stage on purpose more than once.
Jude scrambles for his camera as Dad comes to stand by Mum and Lola. Dad’s not as fast as he used to be, so my brother catches up easily.
“There sure are some pretty fuckin’ people out here, Jude.”
Jude glances a second too long at Penelope, who is far too hot for him with her creamy brown skin and perfectly spiralled, caramel curls.
“Jett and Baby,” Dad says, as if Jude is a total idiot because, well …
Jude nods. A few of my siblings’ other friends, lounging in chairs by the pool, start snapping photos, and Mum yells at them, “No posting anything until after launch day!”
Jude starts snapping as my sister tells Jett and me how to pose. “Put your hand on her hip, Jett! Kiss her cheek, with your hand over a dropped jaw, looking surprised, Baby. Jett, pick her up bridal style!”
Each pose is more intimate than the next, and I soon feel like I need a Valium drip after the insanely unexpected thoughts about someone who calls my parents Mum and Dad. I don’t mean to! But the way his skin sears against mine tears away every last thing I thought I knew about our friendship.
Jett takes one of my hands, drops to his knees, and looks up at me. I don’t know if it’s just for the cameras, but he certainly appears to be silently worshipping me with his soulful eyes as they stare up through dark lashes.
Everyone in the backyard has their phones out now. He takes my hand and presses his pout against my knuckles. It’s like the cameras and family members disappear, like it’s just him and me, and suddenly I wish it were. I’ve never craved alone time with Jett, I mean, I’m pretty sure of it.
“Jude! Video over there!” Jett yells after several minutes of photos, pointing to the far side of the pool, and my brother jogs over there as Jett grasps my hand like a lifeline. “Ready?”
I nod as if I could possibly feel ready for whatever the fuck this is. He counts, “One, two, three!”
We jump in the pool, landing with a splash filled with trust and adrenaline and something else I can’t wrap my head around right now.
We pop up from the water, and Jett shakes his head like a wet dog, but thankfully, I remember to bounce my toes off the bottom so my makeup doesn't get ruined. Then I notice he hasn’t let go of my hand.
Lola instructs her bestie and bestie’s husband, also both wearing Mum’s line, to jump in the pool with us and play a game of chicken.
Lola records the video while Jude snaps high-res images, and I try to look as cute as I can while still trying to actually win.
Lola’s bestie, Nina, locks her fingers through mine as we try to wrestle the other into the water below. She gets distracted, though, looking from me to Jett and back like she’s just had some sort of life-altering epiphany.
“Holy shit, Maddy!”
At first, I think she’s alarmed that I’m going to knock her unconscious or something until I realize what the look is.
Reverence and admiration and shock, like she’d never put two and two together.
Never imagined the two of us as a pair, how we’d look, or the way we’d make an unstoppable powerhouse couple that makes everyone want to stop, stare, and press record.
Well fuck, neither had I. Until I look down and only now notice that my thinly covered vag is plastered against the back of Jett’s head and how warm that point of contact is. Jesus Christ, what is this?!
Then I noticed how firmly Jett is gripping my thighs, and it feels so good that I worry he’ll feel the back of his head getting wetter than it already is.
What is wrong with me? I’m not getting wet for Jett! I can’t be! I don’t feel this way for him; he’s just a family friend … right?
I’m afraid I already know the answer.
Not anymore.
“Do it, Baby!” he shouts and gives my thighs a sharp squeeze. I just about pass out until I notice how many people are shouting Maddy and Baby, and I can’t let them down, not to mention this’ll be on all my socials for months.
“Sorry, Nina!” I holler before shoving her into the pool with all the strength I earned learning how to sword fight in the North. Everyone cheers.
Jett ducks under the surface so I can hop off his shoulders and swim back to the pool’s edge.
He follows me, but I don’t expect to feel his hand on the small of my back or see Gage’s eyes trained on me like I’m the most tantalizing meal and he’s a starved man.
Gage helps me out of the pool with a fluffy black towel in hand.
My nervous system fires on all cylinders, alerting me that Jett’s hand has lost contact with my back. As if that’s some sort of stage four emergency.
What the fuck? I start to spin out, my breathing losing rhythm as Gage leads me to the deck chair next to his, sitting as he hands me my margarita. I’m about to start hyperventilating when the sun hits his eyes, and they light up a beautiful, golden amber.
“That was awesome, Maddy.” He smiles wickedly, chocolate curls falling over his forehead, and oh, there are dimples. And perfect teeth. Perfect abs. Perfect everything. So why am I scanning the yard to see where Jett landed?
In the arms of Dad, of course. They whisper to each other about things only rockstars can understand. I mean, I hope so … hopefully they’re not talking about me. Why would they be? But then Jett turns, finding me with those blazing eyes, and I have to knock back my margarita just to cool down.
I’m supposed to be focusing on this gorgeous guy in front of me, but all I can think about is how I’d give anything to know what Jett’s thinking. If he can feel this bizarre pull between us that decided to materialize today of all days.
“That suit looks amazing on you. What do ya think, is red my color?” Gage laughs, and I notice he has trunks on designed by Mum, too, crimson with sparkling white vampire teeth all over them.
They look incredible against his tanned skin, and if Jett hadn’t decided to put me under some sort of spell, I’d be ready to rip the shorts right off of Gage this instant.
“They’re perfect, you’re perfect. What’s it like being that perfect?”
He grins. “I don’t know, you tell me.”
Mum’s personal chef, Tasha, comes out to announce that lunch is served, and everyone filters into the house.
“Go ahead, go eat,” I urge Gage, “I’m just a little nauseous from all that in the pool. Motion sickness, maybe? Just need a quick rest. I’ll be in in a few.”
“You want me to bring you something?”
I don’t feel like explaining that Dad won’t let anyone eat out here after an incident he had with ‘meat bees’ last summer. I put my hand on my stomach. “Not quite ready for that. I think I just need to lie for a bit longer. Thanks, Gage.”
He nods and follows everyone into the house.
Everyone except Jett, who pretends to follow Dad in and closes the door behind him instead, strutting over to me like he’s Mick Jagger’s grandson.