Elijah pushes himself out of the pool and I watch him grab a towel. He looks at the ground as he wipes his chest.
Looking at the water droplets dripping down his toned skin, I feel heat between my legs. Quickly, I cross my legs and focus back on highlighting.
For some reason, my eyes keep drifting back to Mr. Know-It-All. Maybe I should come swimming over here more often.
I look him up and down, following the droplets of water. Especially on his hair. He looks so good with wet hair.
I feel my heartbeat speed up and I turn my head to the side to shove a bunch of strawberries in my mouth. I am not a fan of this feeling.
I feel my lounge chair sink and I look over to see Elijah.
"Attagirl, you finally listened to me," he teases.
I can't do anything but nod and stare with a mouth full of strawberries. He smiles for no reason at all while returning my nod before patting my leg and walking off. My skin feels on fire. This better be the fever talking.
I continue highlighting my math book for my exam this Friday. I need to pass. Always.
"Lovey, can you come help me with something?" Harper says, pulling me out of my focus.
I suspiciously look over at her as she floats around in the pool. Slowly, I stand and walk over to her. "Yes?"
Suddenly, I feel arms around my waist as I'm being tackled into the pool.
I land on my feet and an excruciating pain ripples up my right foot, making me groan.
Coming up for air, I jump on my feet and I gasp in pain. Looking over I see Harper and Theo laughing in the water. Theo must've tackled me then.
"Ha ha, so funny," I grumble as I splash them.
I wipe my hair out of my face and limp over to the edge. Pushing myself out of the pool, I sit on the edge and grip my pained foot. I try to twist it but every movement makes me groan.
"Are you alright?" Theo swims up next to me.
"Mhm," I bite my lip to stop a whimper coming out as I stand.
Limping over back to my lounge chair, I sit and pull off my now-soaked knitted cover-up.
I twist my foot in a circle, hoping it'll wear off the injury but I feel like it's just making it worse. I throw my head into my lap, groaning.
I hear a door open and not soon after, a voice. "What happened?" Elijah asks. "Why the hell are you soaked? You're going to get even more sick, Lavender."
I just huff in response, head still in my lap.
"Lav, are you seriously okay? Did I hurt you?"
I lift my head for Theo, giving him a small smile. "It's not your fault," I reassure.
Elijah crosses his arms over his now-clothed chest and eyes the two of us. "You're hurt? What the hell happened?" he begs, getting impatient.
"I pushed her in with me but I think she landed wrong and hurt her foot."
"I'm fine," I insist.
Elijah sighs and kneels in front of me. Shocked, I pull my legs away but a hurt noise leaves my lips, blowing my cover. He looks up at me as he slowly uncrosses my legs and props my right foot on his knee.
"Wiggle your toes for me," he explains.
I roll my eyes and do as he says before scrunching my face up in pain. He nods and stands, "I'll be right back."
I adjust my bathing suit as I wait for him to come back. Harper comes over and eyes my foot. "Ew, it's swelling. ¿Qué pasa?"
"You happened. I'm fine, I just landed wrong. It'll go away."
Elijah finally comes back out with a little first aid kit.
———
I lower myself to my knees in front of her.
"I am so sorry, Lavender," Theo apologizes, dragging out the 'so'.
"It's okay, Theo, I swear. It was an accident, I know. It's a pool, I was gonna have to get in one way or another." She reaches up to grab his hand.
"At least let me help—"
"I got it, Theo." I prop Lavender's ankle up on my thigh again.
I watch as she gives both Harper and Theo a dismissive smile. They walk away and her attention turns towards me.
"Does it hurt up here?" I ask, pressing down on her shin.
She shakes her head no so I go lower, "Here?"
Lav continues saying no until I reach her ankle bone and she lets outs an involuntary whimper. My movements still by the noise. Holy shit, what I would do to hear that noise again. Slowly looking up, Lavender's hand is over her mouth as she furrows her brows at her foot. Quickly forgetting all my dirty thought, I clear my throat.
"It's not broken so—"
"No shit."
"So," I continue, disregarding her attitude, "I'll just wrap, ice, and elevate."
Digging through the small first aid box, I find a wrap. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lavender uncomfortably adjusting her swimsuit. I scrunch my brows and slide my shirt off, handing it to her. She silently takes it and throws it on. "Thank you," she whispers, avoiding eye contact with me.
I nod and carefully start wrapping her foot. I look up at her to see her watching Theo and Lynn. "Do you like him?" I blurt out.
Lavender's head whips my way. "Excuse me?"
"It's just a question, Quinn. Don't take it personally." Please say no.
She relaxes and sighs, turning her head back to him. "Maybe."
My hand accidentally puts pressure on her foot making her gasp and turn to me. "Sorry," I mumble.
Lav sighs. "I don't know. I want to but," she trails off, staring at me from above.
My eyes move down her body. She looks fucking amazing in my shirt. Moving down her thigh, I count her three freckles again. I wonder how many more I could find on her body if only she'd let me.
As she looks down at me, I look up at her only to realize we've been in this position before. In my dreams, with her hands in my hair as my lips kiss up her thighs but sure, it still counts.
Feeling hot, I secure the wrap with the clip fasteners and stand. "I'll be right back, again."
Lavender nods with her pretty hazel-doe eyes looking up to mine and I take the first aid kit and walk inside. Adjusting myself in my shorts, I grab an ice pack out of the freezer, pillows off the couch, and a hand towel.
Taking a deep breath, I walk back outside. I stack the pillows at the edge of her chair and carefully relax her right foot on them. Wrapping the ice pack in the towel, I rest it against her ankle.
"Does it feel better at all?" I ask, sitting beside her leg.
Lavender's eyes don't leave my face as she shrugs. "I can't really feel it as much," she mumbles.
I glance at her foot and adjust the ice pack. Looking back over at her, she's still staring. "What's up?"
Her hair curled up from the water and she looks so pretty.
She opens her mouth to say something but Sage interrupts her, stomping over. "What the fuck? I go away for five minutes!"
I quickly stand like I've been caught doing something bad.
"Relax, Sage. It was an accident," Lav groans.
"Who's accident was it?" He asks, narrowing his eyes at me.
"Theo's." I throw my hands up in a defensive way, throwing Theo under the bus but also saving my own ass.
"Elijah!" Lavender lectures me.
I shrug and quickly walk away to the hot tub where everyone else is. "What happened?" Lynn questions, looking over at the twins arguing.
Sage is gesturing over to all of us while Lavender aggressively talks with her hands.
I sit down at the edge and lean back on my hands. Watching them fight, Lav catches my gaze before her brother tugs at her, or my shirt sleeve. She smacks his hand away and gestures toward me.
Everyone in the hot tub stops looking at them and turns toward me. I give them all confused looks and Harper bursts out laughing.
-
"Carry me over you ignorant toad."
I can't help but smile at her insult. "Ignorant toad?" I laugh. "I've been called many things, Quinn, but a toad is not one of them. Very creative."
"I feel better, please let me go in the hot tub."
I reach forward and feel her forehead as she looks up at me through her lashes.
"Plus I finished highlighting all the material," Lavender adds. "I'm bored."
I release my hand from her face and tilt my head. She does feel a little better, she just looks pale. "Have you been drinking water?"
"I don't know, Rivera. You haven't let me move for a whole hour."
"Fine. But you're drinking the whole bottle of water first."
I tell her to stay before going inside and grabbing a water bottle before heading outside and handing it to her.
I open it for her and she grabs it out of my hand and chugs the whole thing in exactly twenty seconds. I have to admit, that was attractive.
I smile as I scoop her up, 'bridal style' and carry her over to the hot tub. She wraps her arms around my neck which makes me smile even harder. Everyone went inside for a bathroom break so the water is empty. I set her by the stairs so she can grip the bar as she gets in.
I sit next to her and gently drag her foot on my lap. Slowly, I unwrap her ankle and lightly twist it. Watching her face, her lips part in pain. "Still not better?"
"I'm fine." Lavender pulls her legs away from me and sticks them in the water.
"Don't put pressure on it."
"I know that."
I stare at her as she kicks her uninjured foot into the water. I loved playing doctor with her. I would take care of her every single day all the time if she'd let me. Even if she wasn't hurt, I'd be there for her hand and foot.
Watching her made me feel oddly warm not just my body but in my heart. Like I could watch her all day and I would never get exhausted by the way she smiles or how she sticks her tongue out to focus. She's so smart and it makes me weak. Not only am I attracted to her face but to her mind. I want to know every single individual thought that goes on in her brain.
I first noticed her in fourth grade when Harper brought her out of her comfort zone. She had the prettiest eyes and every time she would anxiously walk up to the whiteboard, as soon as she started solving the problem, she would get lost in the work and I admired that about her.
When fifth grade came around, she got even more pretty and I was too anxious to talk to her the whole year besides saying 'thank you' when she would pass out papers.
In sixth grade, I finally got the courage to actually try. Except in math class, we were playing a game of boys vs girls whoever could solve the math question first, we went against each other four times and each time I won because I was quicker. She stared at me a little too long and that's when I realized she was competitive and the only thing to get her attention was to prove I'm better. So that's what I did.
The only person who knows about my crush is my Mom, I would come home from school and tell her how many times Lavender looked at me that day.
Lately, I've been denying it because I didn't want to face how she makes me feel, but here I am, bathing in my feelings. Realizing all at once that I'm not just attracted to her, I can actually envision a future with her.
I think I'm in love with Lavender Lua Quinn.
***