Lie, Baby, Lie ✔️

chapter ten- mia

"I'm in the mood for a swim," he continues. "There's no better way to blow off steam."

My head perks up. "Well, yeah, I want to go. The problem is, I didn't bring a swimsuit."

"We can buy some down in the lobby," he says. "So, we got a plan?"

My grin is the answer he needs.

***

The gift shop in the lobby has a terrible lack of options. Wade finds swim trunks without any problems. But me? I'm sifting through the rack for what feels like an eternity, desperately trying to find one that isn't skimpy as hell. Thomas keeps me in one-pieces during the summer, and my parents did too. I've never worn a bikini, but it seems like that's all they have here.

Finally, I settle on the least revealing one I can find. It's a little thing, just a plain, patternless shade of black. Wade pays with more of my brother's cash, which is ironic because he would hate that we're spending time together and what I'm going to wear even more.

"Is it sad that I live in LA and don't go to the beach very much?" I wonder aloud in the elevator.

Wade shakes his head. "What's sad is that it's probably not your choice to stay home instead of being out and having fun."

He's not wrong.

We take turns in the bathroom to put our bathing suits on. As I tie the strings of my top in place, I look at myself in the mirror and I feel pretty, natural. My hair is wavy and framing my face. My waist curves softly, and I'm looking at my skin without worrying about covering up or hiding. I feel like a woman, capable of making my own decisions. My breasts look full, cleavage spilling out of the cups of the bikini.

I put my tank-top on over it and wait for Wade on my bed, happy to just be here. The circumstances aren't ideal, but I'm glad to be miles away from Thomas. That alone is a victory.

After we change, I slip my feet into flip-flops and follow him out of the hotel room. We blend in like this. For once, I'm not carrying a gun, not anticipating danger around the next corner. The sand is warm against my toes, and the wind blows back my hair a little.

Another jet ski flies by and I stare at it longingly. "God, that looks so fun."

"I love driving them," Wade says. "The thrill is the best part."

"Thomas would never let me near one," I muse bitterly. "Too dangerous."

"He doesn't have to know about it."

My breath catches. "Are you seriously saying what I think you are?"

Wade's chin moves up and down slowly. "Let's rent one."

I gape at him.

"We're renting one," he decides. "Wait here."

He walks away, leaving me to sit in the sand. After shedding my tank-top and shoes, I let the water lap at my toes, running my fingers through the mud and shaping it into a few figures before it gets washed away. Here, I have no worries. At least not for a little bit. It's nice.

Fifteen minutes later, he rides up into the shallows on one of them, his smirk promising trouble.

That's the moment I realize just how sexy Wade Valdez is.

It's definitely not something I should be thinking.

"You're crazy," I tell him, crossing my arms over my chest. The black bikini I'm wearing is so skimpy Thomas would never let me wear it. It's a good thing he's not here to see it.