𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚 𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐬 ✓

9

One more look won't hurt. I reason with myself as I find myself tearing my eyes away from Reece's muscular arms and what I can see of his sculpted abdomen from above the water of the hot tub. Water droplets slide down his smooth, tanned skin and his jaw stands out more when his head is turned to the side like it is right now as he stares out at what we can see of the ocean.

I should be able to look at my best friend half-naked without drooling. If only I had the nerve to climb in bed with someone to help get rid of these thoughts. That must be it. It's been too long since I've been with someone. Way too long.

Reece has always been attractive as long as I'd known him. A trait I picked up on immediately, but that I would never act on more than some harmless flirting. Reece looks like the cute, surfer boy-next-door with his pearly white smile, corrected by years of braces in his youth, wavy brown hair that is constantly messy in the best way, and his playful smile that always seems to adorn his face. Girls embarrass themselves falling for his charm, but he's constantly turning them down in the most polite way possible. That's just his way.

I blink a few times and when my eyes re-focus, Reece is looking back at me with an amused face. "See something you like?" He asks with a smirk, acting cocky but I know better.

"Yeah, I love when you have pizza sauce all over your face," I lie and Reece's smirk drops immediately, wiping his face with his hands with no luck finding the sauce. "Really brings out the red in your evil eyes."

"Liar," He mockingly glares at me and I put a fake innocent look on my face, batting my eyelashes for the full effect.

"Me? Never," I say and begin to climb out of the hot tub now that the sky is dark, with Reece following behind. A towel is draped over my shoulders seconds later and I smile up and over my shoulder at Reece. We dry off and walk back inside, each of us walking to our own bathrooms to wash the chlorine from our skin.

I stop at my door, finding it nearly impossible to tear my eyes away from Reece's muscular back, still glistening from the water. Opening my door, I force myself to stop picturing Reece in his shower, with the water running down his tanned skin. His muscles flexing and bunching as his arms raise above his head.

Reece is the one guy who has the power to destroy my self-control, and I know it wouldn't take much for him to shatter what little I'm left holding on to.

"What the hell Faye! Just because I moved out doesn't mean you can just stop answering me!" Lexi exclaims as she embraces me tightly to her towering frame. I pout at her as she pulls away because I feel bad about going AWOL this past week. "I wasn't completely―"

"One text about Reece's birthday party doesn't count. You're not pulling away from me Faye. You're stuck with me for life whether you like it or not. Don't answer? I'll just stalk you." She says so seriously that I know she's only partly kidding. I laugh and hug her again, my head resting on her chest because she's a giant compared to me.

I nod slowly. "I know. I've been a total bitch and the worst best friend, but you'll forgive me because I have news." I tease her like a dog with a bone and she practically licks her lips in anticipation.

"Guess who my new roommate is?" I keep her on her toes by trying to make her guess but she's not going for it. Lexi crosses her arms against her chest as she sits down in the chair across from me, giving me an unimpressed look. I roll my eyes. "Fine. Reece is my new roomie." I say casually because it isn't a big deal, but judging from Lexi's expression, we aren't in agreement.

"Reece? That was unexpected. Any specific reason?" She asks, sounding like she has something else to add but I concede. Lexi leans forward, obviously deeming this topic juicy enough to have her full attention.

"No? We're already friends so it makes it a lot easier. I trust him, he buys me food. Perfect dynamic. We were sleeping over practically every―" I cut myself off and Lexi's eyes bug out of her head. "I mean we were togeth―"

"Nope. No. Nope. You're not talking yourself out of that one missy. What the hell do you mean you were sleeping over? Have you two..." She trails off, leaving the obvious question hanging in the air.

"No! No, we haven't. Ever. And we won't." I sigh. "Reece and I have sleepovers. Innocent sleepovers. Just movies and sleeping." I admit. I'm not sure exactly why I haven't ever disclosed this information to Lexi before, but it didn't seem extremely important.

"How often?" She asks, obviously still shocked by my confession. I scrunch my nose and look away.

"Practically every other night since we met," I say again and by now, I might as well just tell her everything. Almost everything. Lexi's mouth drops open. "Reece and I have never been romantic though. It's just sleepovers. I have no feelings for him. I think he's really attractive and sometimes I stare at him, but you can't blame me. He's fucking cut. Anyways..." I fidget with my hands. " I haven't slept with anyone since the first time." I admit and her eyebrows raise.

"Well. You didn't exactly lie... Why didn't you just tell me all of this? Do you not trust me?" Lexi asks, hurt written all over her face and I stand up to walk over to her and sit in her lap with my legs draped over hers and my arms around her neck, hugging her tight.

"Of course I trust you. You're my sister Lexi. I trust you with my life. I'm not sure why I didn't tell you to be honest. I felt like it was easier to let people think what they thought, and I guess that included you, but it shouldn't have." I say apologetically.

"No more secrets." She demands and I nod hesitantly.

The rest of our lunch is filled with more talk of my lack of a love life, and Lexi asking a million and one questions about things that I have let her believe in the past, taking the time to answer all of them because she should have the truth, or at least most of it. We hug goodbye as we always do, and Lexi goes to meet up with her boyfriend, leaving me to return to my new, empty apartment to wait for my other best friend to return home.