Nova Scotia

Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Dallas took me to a lake. We hiked three kilometers on a grassy trail before emerging from the trees and coming face to face with smooth, blue, peaceful waters. The lake wasn't huge, but it was big enough that the trees on the other side of it seemed small and insignificant. The shore was covered in rocks and sand, and the sun was shining as brightly as ever on the water.

"Wow," I said. I didn't move as Dallas started to walk towards the shore. "This is incredible."

"I told you it'd be better than the park," Dallas said, grinning at me. "Are you coming or what?"

"I didn't bring a bathing suit," I said, picking my way across the rocks to his side.

Dallas shrugged. "Neither did I." In one fluid movement, he reached up and yanked his shirt off. He dropped it on the ground and grinned, starting to run to the water. "Last one in is a rotten egg!"

I stared after him and started running, even though I had no intention of going in the water. "Dallas, I'm not going skinny-dipping with you!" I exclaimed, coming to a stop at the shoreline, where the water lapped at my toes. "I'm fine where I am."

"It's not skinny-dipping." Dallas rolled his eyes. "Skinny-dipping would mean we'd have to be completely naked. Besides, you didn't have a bathing suit last night, but you were all for jumping in the water without your clothes."

My eyes widened and my cheeks burned. "Dallas, shut up!"

He laughed loudly. The sound echoed off the trees surrounding us. "Come on, California," he implored. "Do I have to get you drunk to get you to swim with me?"

I crossed my arms over my chest and shook my head. "I'm not getting in," I said firmly. "No way."

Dallas sighed and got out of the water. When I had seen him shirtless this morning, the breath had been knocked out of me. Now that Dallas was shirtless and soaking wet, however, it was more like I'd forgotten how to breathe. My jaw couldn't help but drop ever so slightly. Dallas cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows at me. He was grinning. "What?"

My cheeks were so hot I felt like they were going to melt my face off. "Nothing," I snapped, much too quickly. Dallas' grin widened. "I'll come," I said, feeling annoyed at myself for giving away my feelings so easily. I gripped the hem of my shirt tightly and took a deep breath. I pulled it off and dropped it on the ground beside me. I kept my shorts on and strutted past him, into the lake.

I wasn't ready for how cold the water would be. I yelped and my foot slipped. I fell backwards into the water, submerging myself completely. A large hand gripped my arm roughly and pulled me upwards to the surface. Dallas let go of my arm when I was above the water. He was laughing.

"Are you okay?" he asked me, his grin almost as blinding as the sun above us.

"Fine," I ground out, brushing my hair out of my face. I glared at him. "Don't laugh! You didn't tell me the water was cold. I thought it was fine when you didn't even react after you got in."

"Yeah, because I come here almost every weekend with my friends," he pointed out. "I'm used to it now. Besides," he added. "Why would you think it was warm? We're in Nova Scotia."

"Shut up," I snapped, wringing my hair out. "I'm soaking wet now!"

"Wasn't that the point?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.