Page 26 of Playmaker

Oh no.

No.

No.

No.

“I have training,” I blurt, desperate to get out of this. I refuse to be stranded on a body of water with Ethan and his little sister, whom I made fuckingcomein a closet last night. It’ll be more than obvious, and if Ethan finds out and he’s the one driving the boat?

I’ll be swimming back to shore.

Maddie tries but fails to hide her grin. “That’s a shame. I really wanted to go on the boat. I’m long overdue for a tan, and I have thecutestbikini I’ve been dying to wear.”

Maddie.

Bikini.

Oiled up in the sun.

Kill me now.

There’s a challenging look in her eyes and dammit. I told myself I’d be strict with my routine. I’m not even supposed to be eating the piece of bacon that tastes like greasy heaven on my tongue right now, but cardioispart of my training, right? We could swim for a bit and that can count. I’ll just work out in the gym later tonight instead of this afternoon for muscle endurance. Easy fix.

There’s no way in hell I’m passing up seeing whatever bikini Maddie purchased. Yes, I’ll have to be on my best behavior to ensure Ethan doesn’t suspect something happened between us, but from the teasing she’s doing, it seems like Maddie doesn’t regret last night, either, and that fact alone would make me agree to just about anything if it means the possibility of alone time with her today, even if it’s only for a few seconds.

The stakes are high. I could potentially lose not only my best friend but also Mary and Richard. Over the past six years they’ve become the only real family I have, and by agreeing to this, I risk losing them all.

But when Maddie laughs at something Maya says, I find myself enamored with the sight, and all of those doubts, all of thoserisksdon’t seem that daunting.

Right now, my future has never been more clear.

Challenge accepted, Maddie.

“I’ll move my schedule around,” I reply with a cocky grin. “Lake day it is.”

Eleven

Cameron

The late afternoon sun beats down on my back but the wind on the lake makes the heat tolerable. The scent of seaweed and fish clouds my senses, and it takes me back to when I was younger and my parents would take me camping in this very park. We’d go tubing on the lake for hours, and when I couldn’t stand the heat anymore we’d go back to our camper, where Dad would grill hot dogs and hamburgers while Mom and I played cards or a board game of my choosing. Those moments feel so distant now that sometimes it’s hard to picture my mother’s face in those memories. If it wasn’t for photos and videos of her, I’m not sure I’d even remember what she looked like anymore.

“Cameron.” Ethan elbows me in the side, pulling me back to the present.

“Hm? Sorry, I was thinking.”

The sympathetic expression on his face makes me grit my teeth. He used to come with me on those camping trips, so he seems to know where my thoughts have led me. “I said the water is deep enough here for us to anchor. I need to grab the rope.”

I give him a curt nod, moving to the side to allow him to reach around me. Maya and Maddie quickly took over the deck of the boat not long after we set sail. Music from the radio plays loudly through their portable speaker, though I wish there wasn’t any music at all. I’ve always loved the sound of waves gently lapping the sides of a boat. It’s relaxing.Calming.

Maya comes to stand near Ethan and asks, “How do you know which anchor to choose?” At the shocked expression on his face, she adds, “My dad is into sailing and likes to share some knowledge with me, but I never pay enough attention.”

Ethan makes a point of looking anywherebutat Maya and the bikini she’s wearing when he replies, “Well, this is a fluke anchor, which is pretty standard for any sailboat. It works well for sand and mud, but if we were in an area where the current could frequently change, I’m sure the boat would come equipped with a plow anchor, which is more suitable for—” He cringes, staring out at the gleaming water. “Sorry. I could go on forever.”

Maya flicks her gaze over him and rests her elbows against the railing. “I never said I was bored.”

Leave it to Ethan to win a girl over talking aboutsailing. If he still thinks he doesn’t have a shot with her then he’s an idiot. I’ve never seen him nervous around a girl before, so this is new. The Ethan I knew in high school had all the confidence in the world when it came to women. He was my wingman at parties, but with Maya, he seems tongue-tied.

I refuse to become a cock block, so I leave him alone with her and head for the deck where—

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