133. Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Two
Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Two
Scarlett
With all of our things gathered under the shade of the trees on the beach, and the wet but now clean-looking clothes hanging over some roughly assembled clothing lines made from spare sneaker laces Riley inexplicably had inside his bag, we decide now is the time to grab a cooling swim in the lake, before the guys start to unload the heaviest things from the jet.
I’m still a little nervous about the plan, but Xane seems confident, so I put my trust in him.
He’s our lead Alpha, and he knows what he’s doing.
He spent time planning it out and going over all the risks.
So, I let my worries drift away as we walk toward the lake.
It’s long past time we had some fun without having to think about how we’re getting out of here.
“It really looks perfect,” Kian admits as we get close to the source of the sound of rushing water.
“It does,” Trick agrees.
I stop and take off my borrowed T-shirt, then I step back and take a running jump into the water.
It feels just as good as it did that first time.
Kian lands beside me, splashing me in the face and making me laugh.
“I knew you’d be the first one in!”
He smiles. “I was halfway undressed before I saw the water.”
Riley’s next, landing at my other side.
Trick is still stripping out of his clothes on the water’s edge, and Xane looks a little distracted as he sets the towels down by the side of the water.
“This place is awesome,” Kian enthuses before he swims away from us.
I look at Riley before we both get moving to catch Kian up.
Trick lands in the water while we’re swimming after Ki.
When I look back at the edge, Xane isn’t there.
I can’t tell where he went.
There are too many rocks piled up high on one side of the lake, and trees shading the other side.
I float in place and wait for Riley to catch me up.
When he does, I point back at the edge.
“Where did Xane go?” I ask.
He looks back, and I follow his gaze.
Trick is swimming toward us, but Xane isn’t there.
“He didn’t even get in the water,” Kian calls out. “What a spoilsport!”
“But where’d he go?” I ask, worrying.
After the last time he disappeared, I can’t help it.
He said he wouldn’t do something like that again.
Trick reaches us. “What’s up?”
“Do you know where Xane went?”
He shakes his head and then pushes his wet hair back from his face. “He said he needed a minute. Maybe he had to pee.”
Relief floods through me.
If that’s all it was, I don’t have anything to worry about.
“He’ll come back,” Trick assures me.
“He’s not gonna get in the water,” Kian scoffs. “No way.”
Riley splashes him. “Tag, you’re it.”
He swims away while Kian’s gasping and wiping his face.
I look at Trick and we both smile before we rush away from Kian.
“Tag? You didn’t even touch me!” He goes after Riley like a shark with the scent of blood. “I’ll show you tag!”
I laugh as I avoid his wrath, keeping out of his way as our game of water tag gets off to a chaotic start. If Trick’s sure Xane’s coming back, I am, too.