{WATTYS 2021/2022 SHORTLIST}{Editor's Pick} {Featured Story}
One girl. Two boys. An impossible choice.
Stella LaFever, a theatre student from California, can't wait to spend a summer in Newport, Rhode Island, with her best friend. She is in despera...
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Chapter Song: Come Around Me by Justin Bieber
I can swim naked in a pool...while Spencer also swims naked in a pool.
This thought was pulsing beside a host of others as we walked towards the pool deck after finishing dinner. Our hips knocking together, Spencer's arm draped over my shoulders.
Spencer hadn't been exaggerating—his pool was massive.
A sloping beach entrance. A waterfall grotto that was tall enough to jump off of. A tiki-style swim-up bar. A water slide. All illuminated by neon blue lights that created an undersea feel as the ocean roared in the distance.
And then there was the pool house—which was twice as big as my mom's apartment in San Diego. It was charming and airy, fitted with Bermuda shutters and painted in a breezy coastal blue.
"What do you think?"
I looked around, feeling like I was at a tropical resort. The amount of wealth it would take to build something like this was staggering.
"It's unreal."
Spencer tugged on my hand and pulled me against his bare chest. "You want to check out the pool house?"
"Absolutely."
A soft kiss was pressed to my forehead. "Go on, then. I'll turn on some music and wait out here for you."
My fingers slipped out of his as I wandered towards the pool house, which was decorated like a much more expensive version of my grandparent's bungalow. A chandelier made of seashells hung in the entry, and the floors were shiny terrazzo tile.
I spied a pool table, and a drawing table tucked beside a window. Curious as to what the sleeping arrangements would be, I peered into a few of the bedrooms—all of which were beautifully decorated with white linen sheets, honeyed wood, and pretty blue paint.
Then I opened the door to a room that I was sure was the master suite, and my hand floated to my mouth. "You've got to be joking."
The bed was huge. White canopies hung from a full four-post bed. There was a set of matching supple leather chairs that faced a sliding glass door looking out to the ocean.
My gaze drifted back to the bed, and an idea took shape in my mind. I slipped into the adjoining bathroom—which was all white quartz and blue mosaic tiles—and found a set of folded white terry cloth robes.
Jackpot.
I tore off my cover up and bikini and shrugged into one of the robes.
