Testing The Waters

Chapter Eighteen

"Do you want to play hide and seek?"

It's a few days after my sleepover with Anna. We've been working on our bullying workbook, and I think she's had just about as much as she can take. I sigh and close the workbook.

"Sure," I tell her.

I can't remember the last time I've played hide and seek, but I remember how much Claire and I loved this game when we were kids. I still remember the time she hid in my dad's bathroom shower and scared the crap out of him when he opened the curtain to shower... butt naked.

Poor Dad.

Poor Claire.

Anna claims she wants to seek, so we end up using the magnetic timer on the kitchen fridge to help her keep count. After we make some ground rules to keep hiding limited to the first floor of the house, I bring it into the living room and set it for five minutes, telling her to come find me when the timer dings.

Quickly leaving her in the living room, I find myself looking around for a good hiding spot. It's a bit awkward playing this in someone else's home, even though I'm pretty much acclimated to each room of the house. Seeing that Anna is waiting in the living room, I head to the other place on the first floor I'm most familiar with.

The kitchen.

I quickly glance around the large space looking for the perfect hiding place. I contemplate hiding under the white marble of the breakfast counter but decide against it, knowing she'd see me the second she enters the room. There's a small food pantry on the left, and I quickly make my way there. Opening the door as quietly as possible, I look back and step inside. I shut the door and quiet my breathing so I can listen for Anna.

Barely a minute goes by before I hear footsteps in the kitchen, and the door swings open, startling me. When I see Alex standing on the other side, my heart flutters.

I haven't seen him all day, aside from when I first arrived, but he immediately left me and Anna to our own devices. He's gone back to keeping his distance from me since the night of our swim, neither of us bringing up his admission from that night.

I've thought about it, though.

So, so much.

It's like a broken record playing over and over again in my head.

Because then I would be jealous of a frog.

I take in Alex who is staring at me, brows lowered in confusion. His hair is a frumpy mess, looking as though he just woke up.

It's kind of adorable.

I mentally slap myself.

I mean, stupid. It looks really stupid.

"What are you doing?" Alex asks me.

"Shhh!" I quiet him, looking over his shoulder. "We're playing hide and seek," I whisper urgently.

I can practically see the devilish wheels turning in his head.

"Don't even think about it!" I grit out.

"What?" His smile is far too mischievous.

I silently wave him off. "Go away."

"I want a snack." He nods behind me.

"Come back in 5 minutes!" I grab the handle and attempt to shut the door in his face, but he grabs it, stopping me.

He raises a cocky eyebrow.

"Alex!" I yell in a whisper.

He doesn't move.

I hear a quiet ding indicating that the timer just went off.