Holding Back [COMPLETED]

Chapter 34 - "I did warn you."

Noise built as they headed down the hallway towards the kitchen. Neatly laid out along the kitchen were bowls of chips, snacks, and drinks along with paper plates, napkins and plastic cups. Only a few people were gathered there, the rest were already taking advantage of the heat and the pool outside.

Not hungry at the moment, Haley followed Jace through the back door, past the patio decorated with a fire pit, cushioned metal chairs, and couches to the back yard. A wide, disappearing edge pool took up most of the space with cut emerald lawn surrounding it. The air held the scent of grass and chlorine. Lounge chairs created little semi-circles on either end of the pool. When Jace was yanked into a group of guys, Haley glanced around.

Isaac wasn't there but she spotted Ty and Josie at one end of the pool, stretched out in lounge chairs. As she made her way to them, she realized what she had assumed were just their outfits were actually bathing suits. Ty wore a navy blue tankinis with a zipper up the front and a pair of black swim shorts, while Josie was wearing a modest one piece with a design at the top also with a pair of board shorts over the bottom. The girls noticed her approach and waved her over. The chairs beside them were taken, but Josie curled up her legs. Dropping her bag onto the ground, Haley settled at the bottom.

"I like your bathing suits," she said.

Both girls gave light chuckles.

"What you're saying," Josie said. "Is you didn't expect us to be wearing these types of bathing suits."

Flushing with embarrassment, Haley crossed her legs and held onto her ankles.

"Kinda," she admitted.

Ty sank deeper into her chair, stretching one arm above her head.

"Haley," she said, "you should know by now that I am not just a body to be admired but a mind to be feared."

Unable to argue with that statement, Haley looked to Josie, wondering if her response would be the same. Without being asked, Josie offered up her answer.

"I have a love of ice cream, didn't work out this week because of the stress of the senior project and didn't feel like hating myself. This way I still look cute without trying."

"I guess that makes sense," Haley said, now wishing she had thought of that.

A roar of voices came from the inside of the house and all three girls looked over. A jostling crowd of boys was pouring out of the back door, Isaac in their midst. They all seemed determined to get each other close to the water's edge without putting themselves at risk. What ensued was a pandemonium of shouts and shoving that eventually resulted in four different guys all falling into the water. One of them was Isaac.

Good natured as always, he hauled himself out of the pool, his shirt soaking and his glasses dripping with water. Setting his glasses down on a nearby table, he ran a hand through his hair then he took off his shirt, wringing it out. His hair was a mess and Haley was made all too aware of how good he looked with it shorter and well...shirtless.

"I was not expecting that," Ty said, eyeing Isaac, who was laughing at a comment one of the guys made.

"Didn't you just say something about being more than a body to be admired?" Haley said, arching one eyebrow at Ty, though she had been guilty of the same offense.

"Yes, but the male species has thousands of years of objectifying women to make up for." She gave a careless shrug. "I'm simply balancing the scales."

Haley laughed along with Josie before turning back to the gang of boys. Isaac had decided to leave his shirt off and was trying to drag someone else to the pool.