Page 11 of Their Favorite Game

"Is that a bad thing?" I asked, looking out over the water.

Jake squeezed my hand. "No, it's perfect."

My heart skipped a beat as he leaned in closer to me. His breath tickled my cheek. I closed my eyes, waiting for the kiss. But instead of pressing his lips to mine, he whispered in my ear.

"I know you like Matty and Rex," he said, his voice low. "But I want you to know that I like you too. I've liked you for a long time. Everything is complicated with us leaving. Well, I'm trying to say..."

"Look, it's them!" a voice shouted from above. Two men were making their way toward us.

I squinted into the darkness. There was no denying who was coming. Matty's tall, slender frame was silhouetted by the glow of the moon. Rex's massive, muscular body grew with each step he took towards us.

My heart fluttered. Being around all three of these men made my brain turn to mush. How did they suck the air out of my lungs by just existing?

Jake squeezed my hand. I was on a date with him. I had no right to crush on all three of them. Yet, Jake knew I did. Was I that obvious?

Matty and Rex finally reached us, both of them grinning. "So cool you guys are here!" Matty exclaimed, throwing his arms around Jake.

Rex pulled me in for a hug, his massive arms enveloping me. "Hey there, little sis," he said, ruffling my hair.

I was being torn in two different directions. On the one hand, I was enjoying spending time with Jake. On the other hand, I couldn't deny my attraction towards Matty and Rex.

I cleared my throat and kicked at the dirt. "What are you guys doing out here?"

"Just taking a walk," Matty said, looking around the area. "We were bored. Frankie is on a date, and apparently, so is Jake."

Rex smiled, "You guys wanna go for a swim?"

Jake slid his hand into mine. "Actually, we were just about to leave." He gently guided me toward the truck.

"Nonsense." Matty slapped Jake's back. "Come on."

Rex pulled his shirt off. Even in the darkness, his muscles pulsated like he had just bench-pressed a car. "Last one to the buoy loses."

My cheeks burned. There was no way I could strip down to my underwear and bra in front of them. I knew Jake, and I weren't gonna fool around tonight, so I wore a lime green bra and purple underwear. Ugh, I should have listened to Sammy when she told me to always be prepared to get naked. I looked toward the truck. I could always sit and watch as they raced.

Matty was already in his rubber ducky boxers and flexing his pecs at me. Rex bounced from one foot to the other ready to race. These boys loved their games. I didn't have to look at Jake to know he would participate.

Jake blew a kiss at me as he kicked off his sneakers and unbuttoned his jeans. Tingles ran through my body. There was no way I could do this.

"You coming?" Matty asked.

"No, I'll watch." I pointed toward the truck. "I can referee."

"You will do no such thing," Rex gasped. "If we have to strip you and toss you in the water, we will."

"Fine," I sighed.

"Good." Matty kissed me on the cheek and then ran into the water.

Butterflies erupted in my stomach as I undressed. It wasn't as if I had never gone swimming with them. But this time, we were all in our underwear and alone. This was what I wanted. I took a deep breath and expelled all doubt and nerves. I wouldn't let myself ruin this moment.

"Race you to the buoy, sweetheart." Jake winked at me with a mischievous glint, then he turned and sprinted into the water.

I laughed, the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Dashing into the water, the cool liquid washed over my skin. I swam as fast as I could, the rush of the water against my body. I could see Jake, Matty, and Rex up ahead, their arms furiously paddling through the water.

My muscles ached, but I pushed through it. I wanted them to be impressed by my swimming skills. As I got closer to them, they cheered me on. Jake was the first to reach the buoy, his arms raised triumphantly.

Matty and Rex arrived shortly after, all of them panting and laughing. I swam up to them, feeling a sense of pride that I had kept up with them.

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