Page 87 of Girls Will Be Girls
He laughs louder. “Dark, baby girl.”
I laugh softly. “So you don’t like competitive stuff?”
“I don’t not like it.” He says. “But my parents sort of made me and Otto compete for everything, so it was nice when they let us be on the same team for this.”
I rub his thumb again. “That sounds pretty sucky.”
He lets out one chuckle. “It was a little sucky, yeah.”
Learning something new about him gives me this overwhelming feeling to frantically breathe it all in and ask more, to learn everything I can. Screw savoring something when I can inhale every last bit of him.
“So-” I start.
“I think you’re forgetting the rules, baby girl.” He cuts me off with a playful nudge. “You owe me like three questions now.”
“Oh.” I laugh. “I prefer my version.”
“I bet you do.” I hear the smirk in his voice. “What’syourfamily like?”
“Distant,” I say without thinking. “I mean, they’re fine. Just your typical divorced family with two kids.”
He rubs my thumb again. “How old were you?”
“Fourteen.”
“Rough.”
I let out a laugh. “Mainly rough because of my dad’s second family.”
“What?” He whips his head toward me, losing his balance and sinking in the water a little. “You’re kidding?” He kicks himself back up to float.
“Very much not,” I say. “The kids, my half-siblings, I guess, were two and four when my mom found out.”
“Jesus.” He exhales. “Do you talk to your dad?”
“When I have to,” I say. “We don’t have the best relationship.”
“No shit.” He huffs a laugh, making me laugh too.
“I’m sorry.” He says. “That’s really sucky.” He echoes my words.
I rub his thumb in response. “I don’t really talk about my family.” I realize the thought as I say it. “Not even my best friends know much about them.”
He stands. We’ve drifted further into the shallows, so the water is at his collarbones. He lifts me upright in front of him, wrapping my legs around him like before. His hands hold my waist, as mine go around his neck.
“Thanks for telling me.” He says, nudging my forehead with his gently.
“You’re welcome,” I whisper. “You have one more question.”
His eyes dart between mine, a string of tension coiling around us. My breathing quickens, my chest rising harder. I feel his hands dig further into me as his eyes dip to my mouth.
“Do you think…” He starts quietly. “Do you think if I gave you a five-second head start, you could beat me to the boat?”
I let out a loud cackle, my head dropping behind me. I feel his chest rumbling against me.
“You’re so annoying.” I laugh, wiping at my eye.
“Just for you, baby girl.” He smirks.
