𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐀𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐓 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐒
Newly engaged couple Sierra and Nick were eager to graduate college and move in together-finally starting their happily ever after.
But life isn't...
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The rest of the group eventually joins us, and we are about to sneak out of the water after horsing around when Brian swims over.
Waves lightly splash, and I hear him before I turn, finding him visible from the collarbone up.
His voice and movements are quiet and gentle. "I'm sorry about what happened. She swears she didn't mean it like that—but I feel stuck in this weird spot. I can't make any excuses for what she said, honey."
"I'll give you guys a minute," Nick says with a smile before paddling toward Max and Mateo.
Water slowly slips over my fingers like silk as I sway back and forth and twist my mouth. I want to be supportive, but I'm fed up. Just not at B. "Maybe we can talk another time, but I'm not upset with you. I still love you 3,000."
When we weren't speaking, I tried to avoid thinking about Iron Man and loving anybody 3,000. But I still thought about it every few days.
A faint smile tugs at his lips, but they curve down instead of up. Shouts and laughter from our friends echo over the lake in a completely different atmosphere than before. I guess I set the tone when I stripped down and ran to the water.
He growls, running both hands down his face. "SiSi, what happened? I mean, there were, like, dozens of texts you never responded to."
I stop my movements, an uneasy shock zipping through my body. "What? B, I would never ignore you."
"Like, the week after your birthday, there were at least three unanswered texts, and just—"
He stops, blowing out a long breath, and I stare into his puzzled eyes. What he's saying right now is genuine, but also inaccurate.
The balls of my feet stretch to reach the sand as I tiptoe over, gliding through the water over to him, and he easily catches me as I sling my arm around his shoulders. "Let's get together this week, just the two of us. We can talk until we puke."
"You sure know how to party, kid. Okay, let's have some fun this weekend and wade through the BS later."
*****************
Our campsite is not far from the lake, and I am eager to be the first people back. "Still feel like cozying up just the two of us?" I ask Nick, smoothing his hair back while he holds me steady by my thighs underwater.
He bites his lip while resting his forehead on mine, and I lean forward to slowly kiss him, stroking the back of his head. Heads together, arms loosely wrapped around one another, we laugh at our lazy attempts at sneaking away from our friends while shooting down the road back to our tent.
