✧･Chapter 28 Pool Day
"Come on, Claire!"
Lucas's voice carries across the backyard, loud and dramatic as ever, and I glance up just in time to see him groaning as he drags himself toward the edge of the pool.
He hooks his arms over the side, water dripping from his hair in uneven streams. It's sticking up in every direction, plastered to his forehead in a way that makes him look ridiculous enough that I can't help but laugh.
"I'm good right here," I call back lazily, sinking further into the lounge chair. The sun is warm against my skin, the kind that makes you feel heavy in the best way, and I have no intention of giving that up.
From here, I can see everything - the shallow end where June is crouched in the water with Lucia, both of them half-soaked and laughing about something, and off to the side, Helena pushing Faye on the swing set.
Faye's voice carries almost as well as Lucas's, loudly demanding, "Higher!
" While Helena very clearly debates how much she's willing to risk her daughter launching into orbit.
"It's a pool day," Lucas complains, lifting his head enough to squint at me. "Not a 'lay there and pretend you're in a sunscreen commercial' day."
"For me, it is exactly that kind of day," I shoot back, adjusting slightly so I can stretch my legs out more comfortably. Honestly, I could use the tan. I'm still in my tank top and shorts over my bikini, which should be enough proof that I'm committed to staying exactly where I am.
Lucas narrows his eyes at me, something dangerous. Well, dangerous for me, sparking there. "Don't make me come over there and throw you in."
I snort, pushing my sunglasses up before sliding them off completely so I can look at him properly. "You wouldn't dare."
"Oh, I would," he says immediately, like he's been waiting for the chance.
"Push her in! Push her in! Push her in!" Lucia suddenly chants, her voice high and delighted as she splashes the water in front of her.
I gasp, placing a hand dramatically over my chest. "Lu, you are supposed to be on my side!"
"Please," Lucas cuts in, already shifting his weight like he's preparing to move. "That child has always had better judgment than you."
Before I can even respond, he grunts and starts hauling himself out of the pool, and my entire body tenses.
"What are you doing?" I ask slowly, sitting up straighter now, all traces of relaxation gone.
Lucas doesn't answer. He just stands there for a second, dripping wet, meeting my gaze with a grin that is way too confident for my liking.
Oh, absolutely not.
I'm on my feet in the next second, the chair scraping lightly against the concrete as I back away. "Lucas, don't you-"
He takes one step toward me and I bolt.
"Lucas, no!" I yelp, darting behind the patio table as he comes after me, water still dripping from him as he moves way faster than someone who was just pretending to be exhausted should be allowed to.
I circle the table quickly, gripping the edge for leverage as I try to keep distance between us, but he mirrors every move, laughing now, fully committed to ruining my perfectly good day.
"Get back here!" He calls, reaching across the table like he might actually catch me.
"I will fight you!" I squeak, dodging out of reach as Lucia's laughter rings out behind us and Helena shouts something that sounds suspiciously like encouragement - for him, not me.
Traitors. All of them.
"Lucas, I swear to-" I start, breathless now as I dodge around the table again, my hand slipping slightly against the warm metal as I try to keep distance between us.
"You're slowing down," he sing-songs, way too pleased with himself.
"I am not-"
"Hey guys!"
The voice cuts across the yard, loud and familiar, and for half a second my attention snaps toward the front gate without thinking. August.
And then, laughter. Soft, bright, and so very unmistakable. It hits me before I even fully register it, something in my chest stuttering for just a second as the sound carries across the backyard.
Mae.
That half-second is all it takes, and Lucas lunges. I barely have time to react before his arms wrap around my waist, hauling me backward with a triumphant shout. "Got you!"
"Lucas- no!" I yelp, immediately twisting in his grip, trying to plant my feet against the ground, but it's useless. He's already lifting me, my legs kicking out as I try to wriggle free.
"Put me down!" I laugh despite myself, shoving at his shoulder. "I'm serious, I will actually-"
"Too late," he grunts, adjusting his grip as he hoists me up higher, like I weigh nothing. "You had your chance to get in willingly."
"This is kidnapping!" I protest, grabbing onto his arm as he starts toward the pool. "Helena!"
"Don't drag me into this!" Helena calls back immediately, though I can hear the laughter in her voice.
"Traitor!" I gasp, kicking my legs again as Lucas gets closer to the edge of the pool, the water glinting under the sun like it's waiting for me.
"Last words?" He asks, grinning down at me.
I glare at him, breathless, pushing at his shoulder again even though I know it's pointless. "You're the worst."
"Noted."
"Lucas-"
And then I hear it again, that laugh. Closer this time. It throws me off just enough, my head turning instinctively toward the sound, and Lucas takes full advantage of it.
"See ya!" He calls.
"No, wait!"
He drops me and the world flips for half a second before the water crashes over me, cool and sharp against the heat of the sun, cutting off everything else as I disappear beneath the surface.
For a moment, it's just quiet, then I push back up, breaking through the surface with a gasp, slicking my hair back as I blink water out of my eyes.
"You are actually the worst!" I shout at Lucas as he laughs, already backing away like he knows retaliation is coming.
But even as I say it, my gaze flicks past him, toward the edge of the yard. And this time, I actually look.
And there she is. I don't even realize I've gone still until Lucas splashes into the water with me and I don't react.
Mae stands just past the gate, like she's been there long enough to take in the chaos before stepping fully into it. She's laughing, head tipped slightly back, shoulders relaxed in a way that feels unfair considering the effect it has on me.
She's in shorts and a bikini top, a towel slung lazily over her shoulder like she hadn't planned on staying dry for long. Her hair is pulled up into a messy bun, loose strands already slipping free around her face, catching in the sunlight.
And I forget how to function for a second. Water drips down my face, down my neck, my clothes clinging to me in the least flattering way possible, and all I can do is stare at her like I've never seen her before.
Which isn't true.
But it feels like it is.
My eyes drag over her without permission, taking in the familiar lines of her shoulders, the ink along her arms and torso that I remember too well, the way it curves around her body.
There's something different about seeing it like this - out in the open, in the sunlight, instead of half-hidden or imagined.
It makes my chest tighten in a way that's dangerously distracting. She shifts her weight slightly, adjusting the towel on her shoulder, and her gaze finds mine fully this time.
Not just a glance, a look. And she doesn't look away.
If anything, her smile lingers, softening just a fraction as her laughter fades into something quieter, something more focused. There's still amusement there - of course there is, I just got thrown into a pool - but there's something else underneath it now. Something that makes my stomach twist.
I'm very aware of the fact that I'm standing in a pool, completely soaked, staring at her like an idiot.
And she knows it.
Her eyes flick over me once, quick but not unnoticeable, before returning to my face, her lips pressing together slightly like she's trying not to smile again.
For a second, it feels like the rest of the noise around us fades. The kids, Lucas, Helena - like it all drops into the background, leaving just that look stretched between us.
Then Lucas shoves lightly at my shoulder. "You're welcome, by the way."
I don't even glance at him. "Shut up," I mutter under my breath, still not taking my eyes off her.
Mae's smile finally breaks again at that, smaller this time, but somehow worse. Or better.
Definitely worse.
"Stare any longer and you're going to start drooling," Lucas mutters as he moves up beside me, close enough that his shoulder bumps lightly into mine.
I roll my eyes immediately, dragging my gaze away from Mae a second too late to make it convincing. "I'm not staring," I mutter, pushing wet hair back from my face as I turn to look at him instead.
He just raises an eyebrow, then he laughs. It's not even subtle.
"I'm not trying to put you on the spot," he says, holding his hands up slightly like he's being reasonable, which is already a lie. "I'm just saying. Mae is hot as hell."
My jaw tightens before I can stop it. Lucas glances back toward her for a second, completely unbothered, like this is a normal observation, before looking back at me. That grin is still there, easy and annoying and entirely too perceptive for his own good.
"Please shut up," I say, shoving him lightly in the shoulder.
He barely moves, just laughs again. "I'm just saying, she's-"
I don't even let him finish before I splash water straight into his face.
"Damn!" He sputters, jerking back as he wipes at his eyes. "What is your problem?"
"Nothing," I snap, a little too quickly. "I just don't want to hear it."
He squints at me, water still dripping from his lashes, his expression shifting from amused to confused in a matter of seconds. "What? Since when? You've never had an issue with this before. We used to go to bars and literally rate people together."
I let out a slow breath, dragging a hand down my face. "Lucas," I say, lower this time, trying to keep it contained, "please. Just drop it."
That only makes it worse. His head tilts slightly as he studies me, really studies me now, like he's trying to piece something together that's just out of reach.
Then his eyes narrow.
"Oh my god," he says under his breath, something clicking into place. "Are you... jealous?"
I let out a sharp scoff, shaking my head immediately. "Of you? Please. Get over yourself," I mutter, crossing my arms slightly in the water like that'll somehow ground me. "And no, I'm not."
He doesn't look convinced. If anything, he looks more interested.
"Oh, really?" He presses, that grin creeping back in as his eyebrows lift. "So, you wouldn't care if I, I don't know, looked her over a little more? Maybe pointed out the way her-"
I splash him again, harder this time.
"Oh my-" He breaks off into laughter, wiping at his face again, but now he's fully entertained, eyes bright with it. "You are so jealous. This is insane."
"I am not jealous," I snap back, even though it comes out tighter than I mean it to.
"Yeah? Then why do you look like you want to drown me every time I mention her?"
"Because you're being annoying."
"I'm always annoying," he shoots back immediately. "This is new."
I open my mouth to argue, but nothing comes out right away, and that hesitation is all he needs. He goes still for a second, really looking at me now, and I see it happen in real time - the exact moment everything clicks.
His expression shifts. Not teasing, not joking. Just... surprised.
"You like her," he says, quieter now, like he's testing it out.
I freeze.
Lucas's eyes widen slightly, like even he didn't expect it to land that cleanly. "Oh my- Claire, what the hell?" He says, staring at me like I've just revealed something completely impossible. "You've never liked anyone like this."
My stomach drops, heat creeping up the back of my neck as I look away from Lucas, suddenly way too aware of everything - how long I've been standing here, how obvious I probably look, how much I've been staring in one direction like I've forgotten how to behave normally.
"Please, drop it," I mutter again, quieter this time.
For once, Lucas doesn't jump on it. He just hums, like he's thinking, and I glance back at him suspiciously.
"What?" I ask, narrowing my eyes. "You're actually going to drop it?"
He shrugs, wiping water from his face with the back of his hand. "As much as I love teasing you," he says, a little more casual now, "I can clearly see you're uncomfortable."
That throws me slightly off balance.
"And," he adds, nudging my shoulder lightly, "I'd rather you come to me about whatever this is instead of me forcing it out of you."
I don't know what to say to that, so I just let out a quiet breath instead, my shoulders dropping a fraction.
"Thank you," I mutter, almost under my breath.
"Don't make it weird," he says immediately.
"I wasn't-"
"You were," he interrupts, grinning again, and that's enough to loosen something in my chest that I didn't realize I was holding tight.
I push myself up out of the pool, water streaming down my arms and legs as I step onto the concrete. The sun hits me all at once, warm and bright, and I reach for a towel, dragging it over my shoulders as I glance back toward Mae again.
She's standing near the entrance with August, her towel still slung over her shoulder, hair tied up in that messy bun that always looks like it shouldn't work but somehow does, and her gaze is already on me.
I can tell by the way her mouth is slightly open like she's deciding between laughing and saying something, and the way her eyes follow me like I didn't just get completely ambushed in a backyard pool.
It's been a few days since that night - the night she showed up, the night she stayed, the night everything cracked open and somehow didn't fall apart completely.
A few days since we both agreed on slow. Which apparently includes me getting bodily thrown into a pool in front of her.
August notices me first, of course, grinning like he's already decided this is his favorite place in the world. "Claire!" He calls, loud and cheerful.
"Don't you start," I warn automatically as I walk over, pointing at him with the towel still draped around my shoulders.
He laughs and immediately looks like he's planning chaos. Mae, on the other hand, just watches me approach. Her expression is softer now than it was a moment ago, like the laughter has settled into something quieter, something steadier.
August doesn't even last another ten seconds before he bolts off toward the pool again. "I'm going in!" He yells. "Lucas, you're done for!"
"Absolutely not," Lucas calls back, already bracing himself.
I shake my head, stopping a few steps away from Mae as the noise of the yard rises again behind us. For a second, it's just the two of us again, the same way it keeps happening without either of us really planning it.
Mae glances at the pool, then back at me. "I saw you get attacked," she says lightly.
"I was not attacked," I correct immediately.
She raises an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at her mouth. "Looked like it."
I huff a small laugh despite myself. There's a beat of silence, not awkward, just... aware. Like we both know there's more we could say but we're choosing not to rush it.
Mae shifts her weight slightly, towel slipping a bit on her shoulder before she adjusts it again. Her eyes flick to mine.
"You okay?" She asks, softer.
And for a second, I almost answer automatically, but then I actually think about it. About the chaos, the laughter, the fact that she's here, and I'm here, and we didn't explode when it would've been easier to.
"Yeah," I say finally, a little quieter. "I think I am."
Mae's smile softens just a fraction, like she's relieved by that answer more than she wants to show.
And for a moment, neither of us moves away.