Page 22 of Stick Work

“Told you so,” I call out.

She shoots me a glare over her shoulder. “All this time, and I didn’t realize you were one of them.”

“One of them?” I feign confusion.

“A person who says, ‘I told you so’.”

I chuckle. “When I’m right, I’m right, Taylor.”

She rolls her eyes and steps deeper into the pool, wincing again at the chill. “You mean when you’re obnoxious, you’re obnoxious.”

“Aww, I’m sorry. Let me apologize properly.” I spread my arms wide, water dripping off me, and start toward her.

Her eyes widen, and she throws her hands up. “Don’t you dare come any closer, Elias.”

I keep moving, grinning like a fool, and she glares at me, shooting daggers my way. “But I just want to hug it out,” I tease.

“Elias, don’t!” she yells, a laugh bubbling up despite herself. “Okay, okay! I’m getting in.”

Seconds before I reach her, she hurries down the stairs, shrieking with laughter as she dives into the water.

I dive in after her, surfacing beside her. “Nice, huh?”

“Yes,” she admits, flicking water at me. “But I would’ve preferred to get in my way.”

“You don’t like doing things my way, T?” I ask, my voice dipping just slightly. Even to my ears, it sounds way too suggestive.

Her breath hitches for a fraction of a second, and even in the dim glow of the pool lights, I see the spark in her eyes. Christ, how are we ever going to make it through this weekend... or even tonight?

She doesn’t answer me, though. Instead, she dives under the water and swims to the deep end. When she surfaces, she flips onto her back, floating peacefully.

“This is glorious,” she murmurs, her voice soft, almost dreamy. “Did you use the pool a lot as a kid?”

“Every chance I got.”

She smiles, her face turned up to the night sky. “I’m so happy your new house has a pool. It’s going to be perfect.”

I flip onto my back, floating beside her, my gaze drifting to the stars scattered across the dark sky. “Too bad we won’t be able to use it in November.”

We.

Look at me, acting like this is more than what it is. Like we’re really a couple, planning a together for the future.

Our bodies drift closer, and when my hand brushes hers, it’s instinctive—the way my fingers curl around hers, lacing together. Her touch is warm, her hand fitting so naturally in mine, and I swear the pool heats a few degrees from the rush of warmth spreading through me.

For a long moment, we stay like that, floating together in silence, the quiet night wrapping around us.

“Maybe you should get a hot tub,” she says suddenly, her voice playful. “So, we can have winter activities too.”

I chuckle, squeezing her hand. “Not sure I’ll have time to use it much with my hockey schedule.”

“Yeah, but I will,” she teases, laughing softly.

I grin and make a mental note to look into hot tubs when I get home. Because if Taylor wants one, how could I possibly say no?

We stay like that, fingers intertwined, until the cool night air finally wins. Her teeth start to chatter, and I tug her gently toward the edge.

“We should get out,” I say.

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