Page 12 of Lavender Moon

Kaleb spares me any reservations when he tackles me out of nowhere, wrapping his arms around my legs and briskly hoisting me up on his shoulder. I let out a startled shriek as he whips us around in the direction of the water. My heart is flopping around somewhere between my chest and my throat as he howls with excitement and charges down the dock with me over his shoulder.

I try to steady the bouncing by bracing my arms against his bare back. I squeeze my eyes shut but squeal in exhilaration as I anticipate us nearing the dock’s edge. And then sure enough, in the next second, we’re sailing through the night air, Kaleb losing his hold on me as I pitch over his shoulder, and we fall the rest of the way into the water.

The shock of the cold water surging up around me is invigorating as I kick my way to the surface, emerging with a deep gasp of air. I turn, looking for Kaleb, and immediately find him treading water on my left with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Asshole,” I exhale with a grin as I catch my breath.

“Whatever, I know you love me,” he chides, dipping his head back to slick his long hair off his forehead, and before I have time to register the zing that statement sends up my spine, he’s immediately back to our game. “Okay, where were we – oh yes, it’s your turn. Truth or dare?”

“What? No! I just jumped in the damn lake!”

“But it wasn’t a dare. It doesn’t count, remember?”

“Oh my God,” I huff out, rolling my eyes. He’s such a pain in my ass. “Fine, truth.”

“Are you still a virgin?”

My head snaps up as a wave of adrenaline blows through my body. “What the fuck, Kaleb?” I exclaim as he chuckles up at me. He’s never asked me a question like that.

“Hey, we don’t know when we’re seeing each other next, I intend to win this game.”

“Oh… taking it to the cutthroat level are we? Asking me a question you don’t think I’ll answer. By the way, I didn’t miss how you already had that one locked and loaded. How long have you been pondering the state of my hymen?”

“Is this you refusing to answer?” he lifts an eyebrow.

“No, you’re not winning that easily,” I blow out as I drop my head back, soaking my hair in the water. “Yes. Truth or dare?” I quickly fire back before he can give me shit for not drinking and not having sex.

When I’m met with silence however, I peer up and find him treading in the same place, with a small smile gracing his lips. It’s definitely a knowing smile, but it’s absent of any of the cockiness I was expecting. His half-lidded eyes give it a certain fondness, like this information makes him appreciative and he’s proud of me or something.

“What?” I ask, feeling self-conscious.

The moon reflects off the bare shoulder he lifts out of the water in a half-shrug. “Just glad to hear you’re still a good girl,” he winks, confusing me on how I should be taking it.

“Shut up,” I mutter, smiling sheepishly as I look away again.

“Relax, Lu,” I hear him sigh out behind me. “It’s a good thing.”

I know what he’s trying to say, and have no idea why I’m taking such offense. The first thing I can think of is I don’t want to be seen as some proper, boring, uptight girl.

“Right,” I mumble cynically.

“Seriously.”

I feel a hint of irritation flicker inside me and I try to hide it, leveling him with a dubious look. “Well, maybe you don’t know me as well as you think. I’m forgetful and I don’t plan for shit, I fly by the seat of my pants, I’m a B student, I drive too fast, and hell, I made out heavily with my prom date! Hands were everywhere …” I trail off when I notice the way his eyes widen and drift downwards a moment before he seems to blink out of it.

“Hey, I said you were a good girl,” he interjects, raising the eyebrow that’s adorned with the small silver hoop. “I never said you were perfect. Hell, you can’t draw for shit –”

He’s cut off by me dousing him with a whoosh of lake water that I whisk into his face with a sweep of my arm. I feel a breath release from my chest and a grin spread on my face as he sputters and wipes water out of his eyes before looking back at me.

There’s a short pause before he adds, “You kind of suck at basketball too.”

His dumb taunt is cut off by splooshing bubbles this time as I propel myself up and bring my hands down on his head, dunking him under water. And just like that, I’ve forgotten my self-conscious discomfort. How Kaleb has the talent to pull me out of my comfort zone and toss me right back in it is a phenomenon, especially considering how little we see each other.

We splash and shove at each other for a moment or two, slowly drifting back closer to the dock before we both relent and a comfortable silence falls over us. Giving myself a break, I reach one hand up to grab onto the planked wood to steady myself as Kaleb’s face takes on a sort of pensive expression while his green eyes seem to search mine.

“What?” I ask.

His eyes shift downwards in a hesitant moment before glancing back up at me. “What’s so bad about being a good girl?”

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