The Summer Reunion (unedited version)

35| The Under(water)world

I screamed right before we hit the water and used my hand that wasn't holding his to clutch my bathing suit to my chest. I may have jumped off a cliff but I'm not taking any more risks today.

Landing in the chill water was almost worse than leaping off a pile of rocks. Note to self: no more early swims. I floated to the surface and gasped for air. My whole body was covered in goosebumps. 

Grayson let go of my hand and pushed the hair out of his eyes, his smile spread from ear to ear. I squealed as he shook the water out of his hair like a wet puppy. I swatted him away and tried to get used to the frigid temperature. 

I floated on the top of the water with my eyes closed, pushing it back and forth with my arms. There's nothing like a cold swim at eight in the morning to wake a girl up.

Are there any fish in here? Technically this is attached to the lake. I stopped floating on my back, afraid a fish would come to the surface and bite me. The water was deep enough to see the bottom, and I wasn't sure if that was comforting or even more disturbing. It was scary to think of what might be lurking in the depths below. How big a chance is there of a Megalodon hiding in cottage country? My goosebumps reappeared and scattered over the tops of my thighs and arms.

I'm not four years old. I need to stop freaking out over such little things.

At that thought, something grabbed my foot and pulled me underwater. My heart simultaneously skyrocketed and dropped in my chest as I sunk lower in the water. I yelped in surprise and yanked my foot away from whatever was grabbing me. The tug had only submerged me to my chin.

Grayson's head popped out of the water. He was laughing so hard it was difficult for him to keep himself above water. At first I was relieved knowing there wasn't a thought to be extinct animal coming to eat all my limbs. Within a few seconds after the relief wore off, I was angry.

I lunged for him and pushed him under the water. He laughed at my murderous glare even as he went underwater.

When he resurfaced a second later, I splashed him with a face full of water.

"I thought you were a megalodon, jackass!" I pushed against his shoulder to propel myself back.

Grayson wasn't letting me get away. He grabbed hold of my foot and pulled me back to him. "Nope. Just me. Although I would still be careful Andie. I hear the megalodon has a summer house around here."

I rolled my eyes and splashed him again. "This is not making me want to be around you any more!"

Grinning, he reached for my hand. "I'm sorry."

He didn't sound sorry. He sounded very amused with my frustration.

"I'm sorry too," I said.

"For what?"

"This." I jumped on him and wrangled my way around to his back. 

His laugh ricocheted off the wall of rocks and echoed around us. I tried to push him down again, but he was anticipating my move. His hands trapped my own on his shoulders as he sunk us both into the water. I gasped in one last breath before I was submerged again.

I opened my eyes underwater to see he was out of my grasp and in front of me now. The world was no longer sun and trees, but an entanglement of blues and greens. As if we had sunk down far enough to ascend into another world. The pond wasn't very deep and I could see algae covered rocks lying flat at the bottom of the lake. 

I stuck my tongue out at him and he smiled. Bubbles blocked my view of his face as he breathed air out of his nose. I looked up to see them float to the surface, circling around in a race to see which could reach the top first. I watched the small waves we made lap and rippled over and over in small lines om the surface.