Chapter 32
Oliver
I was going to fall for Dean Kennedy.
Scratch that. I already was. Maybe I had been for a while.
Did it matter that it had only been a week since we first kissed? Not one bit. I was wise enough to know that time might as well be an illusion when it came to matters of the heart. All I had to do was let go and trust that he meant the things he told me.
Frankly, it wasn’t all that hard once I gave in that night. Dean was an honest, no-nonsense person. He wasn’t afraid, so neither was I.
When I reached the wall, I lifted my head out of the water and took a breath, then I pushed off of it to swim the other way.
A shadow fell over the water as I approached the other side. Immediately, I straightened, setting my feet on the floor. I lifted my goggles, then looked up at the massive figure standing at the edge of the pool. My lips peeled back in a smile I knew must’ve been ridiculous.
“Hey, Broku.”
The stern look on his face made my expression falter. He didn’t say anything, which made me begin to step back.
He crossed his arms, then lifted a brow. “Stop leaving me alone in bed.”
“I didn’t want to wake you.”
“I’m gonna put an ankle monitor on you.”
The thought made me smile again. “Oh?” I lifted my foot out of the water, then lost my balance and toppled backward. His laugh was loud, even with my head under the surface.
“Graceful,” he said when I came back up.
Blowing the water from my mouth, I shook out my hair. “Should’ve chosen ballet, huh?”
“I’m partial to football.”
“I think you just like being contrarian. Besides, football is overrated.”
“Just admit you suck at it.”
I stuck out my tongue before I flopped onto my back and started swimming away from him. Looking out of the corner of my eye, I saw him following along, never taking his eyes off of me.
A loud, melodic voice cut through our connection. “A duck walked up to a lemonade stand, and he said to the man running the stand, ‘Bum-bum-bum. Got any grapes?’”
My sudden laugh made me suck in water. I coughed, trying not to aspirate it, but I still couldn’t stop laughing.
“At least someone appreciates my efforts,” Brooks said, coming up beside Dean.
The latter didn’t look at him like he was a devil anymore, so that was a plus.
Tilian stopped at the edge a second later and offered me a tentative smile. “Looking good.”
Brooks narrowed his eyes at me. “I think he looks like an angler fish.”
“Come on.” I rose to my full height and flexed my arms. “Aquaman is more accurate.”
“Whatever you say, buddy.”
“What are you even doing here?” Dean asked.
“Our mini presentation is tomorrow, so I figured we’d make sure you two weren’t canoodling instead of preparing.”
“We’re prepared.”
Brooks pushed his lips out, making Tilian snort. “He actually came to gloat.”
Casually, I glanced at Dean. “About what?”
Brooks smiled—a little menacingly, if I was being honest—and crouched at the edge of the pool. “What do you think?”
I racked my brain for something to say. He was clearly on to us, unsurprisingly.
“It’s not—”
“Yeah, we’re a thing,” Dean interrupted, taking us all by surprise. “See, Brooks? Being real isn’t all that complicated when you’re not turning life into a series of strategic moves.”
Tilian was suppressing a laugh while Brooks cocked his head. All I could do was stare at Dean. Admiration and pride collided in my chest, nearly stealing my breath as I thought back to what Remi had said about running with it if Dean chose me openly.
Well, screw it. I was pretty damn good at the hundred-meter dash.
After a second, Brooks chuckled. “I’ve got nothing.”
Tilian snickered. “You got checkmated by Dean.”
Turning slowly toward his boyfriend, Brooks lifted his hand to take him by the throat.
It was a strange mix of tender and possessive that made me feel like I was watching a far too intimate moment.
Leaning closer, Brooks trailed his lips across Tilian’s, then said something so softly I couldn’t catch it.
Tilian’s pale skin reddened, and I saw his throat bob.
“Hey, Brooks,” Dean said. “Come here real quick.”
Brooks groaned in annoyance but walked over to him. Before he could do anything about it, Dean grabbed both of his shoulders and shoved him into the pool.
Brooks came up sputtering. “What the hell was that for?”
“Cool off. This is a public place.” Dean shook his head. “Disgusting.”
“Not my fault you’re a prude.” Brooks turned to me with a smirk. “Is he? Bet he hasn’t made a field goal yet.”
Lifting my chin, I stared down my nose at him. “I don’t kiss and tell.”
“And I’m not a kicker,” Dean muttered.
“Ooh,” Brooks crooned. “Is this double entendre?”
“Tilian, I’m going to tackle your boyfriend. Hopefully he’ll break a few ribs.”
“Gonna have to catch me.” Brooks treaded water with a mischievous look on his face.
Dean broke into a grin before he pulled his shirt over his head.
“Hey, you can’t get in like that,” I called, but it was already too late. The asshole passed his phone to Tilian and kicked off his shoes before he leapt in, even though the water wasn’t all that deep. His feet hit the floor quickly, and he shot back up like a rocket.
Brooks swore and started backpedaling. “Oli, help a guy out.”
I snorted. “You got yourself into this mess.”
“Without me, none of us will pass this project.”
“I think we’ll manage,” Dean said before he sped up.
“Fuck!” Brooks shouted. He made a break for the edge, but he wasn’t quite fast enough. Just as he was pulling himself up, Dean grabbed him and yanked him back. He tossed him a few feet away, and I couldn’t lie—it was funny as hell to see him flail for a second.
Tilian crouched at the edge close to me. “Your boyfriend just threw a full-grown man. That’s terrifying.”
“Yeah.” I smiled as I watched Dean mock Brooks, waving his arms in the air with a girlish squeal.
“This caught me by surprise, but Dean looks happy.”
“I hope he is. I mean, I hope I can make him happy.”
“Hey, I’m the only one allowed to be an anxious mess, okay? Don’t go and steal my thing.”
With a laugh, I splashed him with a handful of water. He made a disgruntled sound as he backed away.
There was a buzz, then he looked down at the phone in his hand. His nose wrinkled as he held it away from him. “Dean, it’s doing a thing.”
“What?” Dean shouted from the other side of the pool.
Tilian held up the phone, showing him the screen. “It’s”—he put a finger in his mouth and gagged—“ringing.”
“Can you answer it?”
His eyes widened. “Absolutely not, you psychopath.”
“Well, who is it?”
“Your mom.”
Dean growled and started moving closer. I held my hand out, motioning for Tilian to pass it to me.
“Hello,” I said cheerily into the phone.
“Dean? Is that you?”
His mom’s voice put me on alert immediately. My eyes shifted to Dean, who had started messing with Brooks again after he saw me take the phone.
“Uh, no. This is Oliver. Are you alright, Mrs. Kennedy?”
“Oliver, I’m sorry, but can you get him for me? It’s important.”
“Of course. Dean.”
He looked over at me, the smile on his face faltering when he saw my expression. We met halfway, and he took the phone from me, bringing it to his ear.
“Hey, Mom. What’s going on?”
I wished I could hear what she said, but it would be rude to ask him to put it on speaker. This was a family thing, and I wasn’t part of their family.
Dean pulled himself out of the pool in one fluid movement, then walked toward the locker room. I took in the tight set of his shoulders and his rushed movements. Unable to stand it, I followed.
“How did that happen?” I heard him ask. “How long was he there before—Jesus . . . No, I know. You said that . . . I’ll get on a plane . . . Mom.”
I trailed my hand along the wall as I turned the corner.
Dean was standing in front of the sauna door, pacing back and forth.
When he turned and saw me, my chest constricted at the pained look on his face.
Not sure what to do, I just stood there watching.
After a second, he looked away from me and lowered his voice.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Okay . . . What’d they say? What the hell do you mean you don’t want me to come? He’s my dad!”
I flinched at the outburst. My eyes closed as I listened to him, trying to read between the lines.
“Okay . . . Yeah, okay. Did you talk to Blake yet? I can call him for you . . . No, I don’t want you to do it. Just stay with him, okay? Yeah, I love you too, Mom . . . I promise I’ll be fine. Just update me as soon as you can.”
Something touched my face, making my hand fly up as my eyes opened. He caught it, and I let out a breath.
“Sorry.”
“No,” I said immediately. “Don’t apologize for anything. Will you tell me what happened?”
His nostrils flared. “My dad fell.”
The way his voice cracked was enough for me to jump into action. I threw my arms around his neck and held him tightly as his shoulders shook.
“He got out of his wheelchair to shut the curtains,” he explained. “He’s unconscious at the hospital, but my mom thinks he was having one of his migraines and probably lost his balance.”
“Is he . . . going to be okay?” I pressed my lips to his neck while I waited for his response. I may have been a decent communicator, but I’d never dealt with family issues before. Remi didn’t have one either, so any crises he had were different.
“They said his scans look okay. But with his TBI, it’s riskier for him. Even something small . . .”
“But he’s okay.” I ran my fingers through his hair and kissed behind his ear. “We’ll just have to wait to hear more, right?”
“My mom told me not to come. I don’t think I could even if I wanted to, with the tickets and my job.”
Shaking his head, he pulled back. Reluctantly, I loosened my grip on him but kept my arms around his neck.
“I need to call my brother,” he said.
“Okay. I’ll get your stuff.”