Page 31 of Rhys: and the girl who was always his

I open my mouth to reply, but a shout cuts me off.

“Cannonball!” Arden launches himself off the side of the pool, soaking the entire patio.

Everyone screams, laughing. I squeal as cold water splashes up my legs.

“Arden, you asshole!” Ella yells, tossing her flip-flop at him.

“Worth it!”

I glance over at Rhys, who’s dripping wet now, dark hair plastered to his forehead. He doesn’t even flinch. He looks at me likethisis exactly where he wants to be.

And that stupid flutter starts in my chest again.

Our group grows as Isabelle comes over with her younger sisters, Megan and Taylah. The girls jump straight into the pool and start playing with Arden and Chase.

Vada and Dylan, our other neighbours, join us, and Dylan makes it her mission to piss off Arden.

“Where are the boys?” I ask Isabelle once she settles into the chair across from me.

“Dom’s at work, and Roman, Grayson, and Taylor will be here soon. They were on their way back from practice,” she explains after she takes a drink of the fruity cocktail Martha places in front of her.

“Brad’s at work as well. He refused to call in dead to play hooky with me,” Dylan says while chasing Arden around the pool with an inflatable pineapple.

Arden’s deathly afraid of pineapples, and when everyone found out, it became their life’s mission to torment him whenever they could.

Megan’s giggles fill the air, and I can’t help but smile.

“There’s someone at your front door,” the robotic voice from Arden’s phone announces. I cannot understand why that’s his doorbell sound.

Normal people just have a ding dong.

Arden’s far from normal.

“I’ll get it,” I say, getting up from my chair and slipping my thongs onto my feet.

My wet shoes squeak on the tiles as I make my way through the house to the front door.

Nothing could prepare me for who was on the other side.

Standing there, looking completely out of place, is Justin. I’ve been ignoring him since the night I left him at Grumpy’s. He’s always known that this was just casual.

He was just there to scratch an itch.

Nothing more.

“Justin, what are you doing here?” I stutter.

“Who the hell is Justin?” Taylor asks. It’s then I realise that Grayson, Roman, and Taylor are standing behind Justin, their jaws practically on the floor as they stare at him.

“That’s Justin,” I answer, waving my hand at him.

“No, that’s Camden, captain of the Neverland Pirates,” Taylor answers, and now it’s my turn to pick my jaw off the floor.

“What?” I ask, confused as hell.

“This guy is a legend at school. Taylor idolises him,” Roman says, pushing past us to go into the house. “I’m going to find my girlfriend,” he throws over his shoulder before walking away to find Vada.

“I’m a big fan, man,” Taylor fumbles before scurrying into the house. Grayson follows him, just shaking his head.

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