Chapter 8
EIGHT
Looks like the Scotts are on the same page, anyway. Friends? With Ginny?
I can’t stop staring at her lips. That’s not a thing friends do, I don’t think.
When Reagan comes back from the bathroom, I’m disappointed at the prospect of sharing Ginny, but Reagan takes off her coverup and tosses it on the lounge chair. “I’m going in the pool. Anyone want to join me?”
“Really?” Ginny asks and she and Reagan share some sort of look I can’t decipher.
“Only live once. Coming?”
Ginny shakes her head and Reagan heads to the pool
“You know it’s a pool party, right?” I ask when it’s just the two of us again.
She gives me an annoyed look and motions to her chest, covered by the swimsuit, but uh, I might get lost a little too long staring at her chest. Also, not something a friend does.
“Something against swimming?”
“No, I love to swim. But…” She pauses. “Dakota said the pool was where people go to find hookups.”
I try real hard to keep from smiling too big. Sweet, innocent Ginny’s not looking for a casual hookup. I could have guessed that. It shouldn’t make me happy because it also means I won’t be hooking up with her, but for some reason, I’m glad that no one else will be either.
“What do you want to do?” I ask her. “We’ve got people watching which we’re perfectly positioned for now, we could play one of the many party games—flip cup, beer pong—all the usuals, there’s volleyball, I’m still offering up making out in case you want to rethink that one, or we can go to the pool and I’ll swat the swarms of boys away so you can swim without being harassed. ”
She rolls her eyes. “Swarms?”
“I mean, look at you. Yeah, swarms.”
“And you’re going to be my protector?”
“Totally self-serving,” I tell her honestly.
“How’s that?”
“I like spending time with you.”
She glances to the pool, and I can see the longing there.
“Come on.” I stand and take off my T-shirt. Her eyes flit over my chest and abs before she gets up and carefully removes her shorts and sandals.
The light pink suit she’s wearing dips low in the front and cuts up on her hips. Ginny’s thin and her frame is small, but her boobs did not get the memo because they’re disproportionately bigger. Thank fuck for disproportions.
We enter the pool at the shallow end. A lot of people are swimming or hanging out near the edge, but I manage to snag a floatie for her.
She leans her upper body onto it and we go to the middle of the pool.
The water comes up to my armpits and I dip down so it covers my shoulders and I’m at eye level with Ginny.
Her gaze darts around taking it all in, but I see the exact second that she relaxes into the blue floatie and decides to be in the moment with me.
I grab a hold of the floatie and let my legs drift underneath me. Music pumps through the speakers and I close my eyes behind my sunglasses soaking it in. Good tunes and a bunch of people hanging out, talking and laughing. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday. Not bad at all.
“You look pretty comfortable in here,” she says. I open my eyes to see her skim her fingers across the water. “This your typical hang out?”
“Are you trying to ask if I use the pool to find my hookups?”
“Do you?”
“Don’t knock it `til you try it.”
She laughs, her lips pulling wide and flashing her straight white teeth. “Maybe I will. Anyone you suggest?” She lifts her head and glances around the pool.
“Just say the word.” I find myself staring at her lips again. They’re full, the lower one so plump I want to trace it with my thumb and my tongue, and they’re this perfect pink color.
“I’m not dating for a while. Boys suck.”
“Why is it when girls get their heart broken, they go off men entirely? A guy gets his heart kicked in and he moves on to the next. Chicks aren’t like that.”
“Well, women are smarter. It takes you guys longer for your small brains to catch up and be brokenhearted.”
A chuckle escapes from my lips and she smiles.
“I got out of a relationship right before I came to Valley.”
“Might have heard something about that.”
“Ugh. Really? Adam told you about Bryan?”
“Not by name, but he did mention that you’d recently gotten out of something. He’s worried about you, wants me to look out for you.”
Her mouth gapes and her shoulders tense. “Is that why you’re…”
“No. Fuck no.” Her hair is in another braid today and I finger the end and tug it gently. “I thought we established that I like hanging out with you.”
“Same.” Her body melts back into the raft and those perfect pink lips pull apart. “How’d you and my brother become roommates? I get the hockey connection, but you don’t seem like the best of friends.”
“Cheap rent,” I tell her honestly. “I wanted to move out of the dorms but couldn’t afford a place on my own. Your brother and I are cool. We’re not the best of friends, as you said, but we get each other. He’s a good captain.”
It’s hot out and there’s really no escape from the sun in the middle of the pool, so we get out when Ginny’s shoulders start to burn.
Inside the house, we find Adam and his new girlfriend sitting with Maverick and a brunette he introduces as Maddie.
Rauthruss is there too with his phone in hand, no doubt texting his girlfriend.
“Little Scott,” Maverick greets her as we take a seat. She bristles at the name, which I totally get. Since Nathan went to Valley too, I’ve often been called Baby Payne and that shit gets old really quick.
“She has a name, man,” I tell him.
His brows raise slightly, but he nods. “Yeah, I know, just messing around.”
“Do you want something to drink?” I ask her and stand. She nods and I head outside to where we left our stuff.
Dakota and Reagan are sitting in the lounge chairs we abandoned.
“Where’s Ginny?” Reagan asks.
I grab the alcohol and all our clothing. “Everyone’s inside.” I motion with my head and they follow.
“Got a crush on Ginny?” Dakota asks with a tease to her voice.
“It’s not like that.”
“What is it like?” she presses as we walk toward the house.
“She’s cool.”
“Cool? So you don’t want to sleep with her?”
Of-fucking-course I want to sleep with her. She’s beautiful and fun and if I had standards… she’d exceed them.
“She’s Scott’s sister.”
She nods in understanding. “He would kill you. Better get your shit on lock then. It’s written all over your handsome face.”
Inside, Liam has slid into my spot and a few others have crowded around the table. When Ginny sees me approaching with her things, she stands. “Oh, thank you.”
I take her seat while she pulls on her shorts and steps into her sandals. The end of her braid swings forward into my face. Back and forth all hypnotic-like. Reminds me of that movie Office Space and I’m going deeper and deeper, way down into Ginny.
When she’s ready to sit, I crowd Liam and make room for her on half the seat. As she settles in, I wrap an arm around her to keep her from falling off.
She smiles at me all sun-kissed skin and smelling like chlorine and something twists in my gut.
“Heath.”
My name being called draws my attention to a group of girls walking up to the table.
“Hey, Kimberly. How are you?”
“Good, good.” She glances around the table, stopping on Rauthruss for a few seconds longer than the others. He gets real busy staring at his phone. I don’t get it. I get loyalty. I respect him for that, but if he wants a girlfriend, why not find one he can actually see… and fuck?
Kimberly’s stare finally finds its way back to me. “What have you been up to? You didn’t call.”
Ginny giggles quietly next to me and I squeeze her waist playfully as I answer. “School, hockey… the usual.”
“Well, let’s hang out later.”
I give her a noncommittal head bob. “See ya.”
“Friend of yours?” Ginny asks with a smirk when she’s gone.
“Never seen her before in my life.” I wink and she giggles again.
Her face is soft and sincere when she pulls away. “Go, you don’t need to keep an eye out for me just because my brother asked you to. I’m good.”
“I thought I told you—”
“I know what you said, but it’s a party and… we’re friends.” Her insinuation is clear. She and I aren’t happening. “Go.” She shoves at my shoulder playfully.
I stand, though I don’t know why. I don’t want to hang out with Kimberly. “All right, you know where to find me.” I tug her braid one last time and head off to the pool.