I stare at the water as I wave my uninjured foot underwater. Next to me, I can feel Elijah's eyes. They're so stuck on me that I practically feel like I'm burning. I sit here and pray that someone interrupts soon or one of us might do or say something we'll regret.
Finally, I feel his eyes leave my body. I slightly look over at him to see he's turned looking at the door that just opened.
Harper, Theo, and Sage walk out with a hard seltzer.
"Where did you get that?" Elijah asks.
"Me!" Cameron walks out in his swim trunks holding a whole pack.
"Why aren't you at work?"
"Dad let me out early, he took all my meetings."
All of them surround the hot tub and Cameron takes a seat on the other side of the rail next to me. He hands me the pack of alcohol and I choose the strawberry flavor. Handing the box to Elijah he awkwardly takes it from me and I see him choose the blackberry. He gives it back to me and I pass it over to Cam.
"You guys only get one, it's a school night."
I laugh at his attempt to act like a parent.
"Is your foot better?" Harper questions me.
I open my mouth to say something but Cameron interrupts me. "What happened to your foot."
"Theo pushed her in," Sage scoffs.
Theo's mouth goes wide making me smile. "It was an accident!"
I'm about to open my drink when Harper stops me. "Wait, Lovey, you should show them your party trick."
"It's not really a party trick it's just for fun," I shrug.
"Do it. Do it," Cameron starts chanting and Harper joins in.
I give in and poke a hole in the side of the can with my nail. Bringing it up to my mouth I chug. I hear my friends yell praises at me as I shotgun. I release the can from my lips and scrunch my face up as I swallow the burning fizzy liquid. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and bow when everyone claps for me, even Elijah.
I smile as I pull his shirt off my body before getting in the water with Harper and Lynn.
We all talk about our Halloween plans and the frat party I got invited to. Cameron tells us to be careful because he was once a frat boy and it wasn't pretty. We laugh and he gets a work call so he excuses himself and goes inside.
-
By now, the alcohol has gone to my head. I'm a lightweight and it doesn't help that I chugged it on an empty stomach. I can tell I'm being very loose with my body because Elijah is keeping his distance and gently keeps pushing me over to my side. The boys finally got all the way in too.
"We should 'play put a finger down'," Harper blurts out.
"What's that?" Theo and Elijah say at the same time.
"We all take turns asking a question and if you've done it, you put a finger down. The first one with all ten fingers down loses and has to do a dare."
"Ohhh," they drag.
I rest my head on the edge of the hot tub as Harper thinks of a question.
"Put a finger down if you're scared of clowns." She smirks in my direction.
I roll my eyes and put my pinky down, along with Lynn and Sage.
We go clockwise as Sage goes next. "Put a finger down if you've ever skinny-dipped."
Both Harper and surprisingly, Elijah puts a finger down.
I stare at him as he thinks of a question. "Put a finger down if you've flirted to get something you want." He looks at me and tilts his head, teasing me.
I bite my bottom lip and put a finger down along with everyone else. "If you've ever sent nudes to someone."
Harper and Lynn put a finger down as I look over at them suspiciously.
"Put a finger down if you've ever kissed more than two people in one night." Theo puts his finger down but realizes he did the game wrong. "Oh shit."
Everyone else puts a finger down except Elijah and me.
"Um- If you've ever stalked an ex?" Lynn asks as she puts a finger down. I don't think she gets the point either.
Harper groans as she puts yet another finger down. Along with Theo and Sage.
I look over at Elijah as his finger remains up. He's skinny-dipped but never stalked an ex? I don't believe that. Though, I have never really seen him hang around a specific girl so much. Maybe he's never even had an ex.
It circles back to Harper and an evil smile crosses her face. "Put a finger down if you've ever had a wet dream about somebody in this hot tub right now."
All three of the guys put their fingers down leaving the rest of us shocked. "That's wild," Lynn gasps.
I would put a finger down but I've had wet thoughts about Elijah Rivera, not dreams.
Oh? Okay, I need to drink some water.
We continue going around in a circle until eventually, Harper has all fingers down. I admit, all my questions were targeting her because of her little act earlier.
I dared her to let me crack a raw egg on her head and let the guys throw her into the pool, and that's exactly what happened.
Cameron wanted to watch so he brought out an extra egg. I cracked both on her hair and watched it fall. She screams how disgusting it feels before Sage throws her over his shoulder and body slams her into the pool, not even waiting for help.
We all watch from inside the hot tub as Harper and Sage come up for air, we also try to catch air from laughing.
-
Harper kept complaining about how she needed a shower so Sage took everyone home. Cameron went inside to start an early dinner leaving Elijah and me alone in the hot tub.
For some reason, Elijah's looking everywhere but me.
Feeling bored and bold, I break the silence first. "Where did you learn to do the foot stuff? I know it's common sense but I'm talking about where to apply pressure and stuff."
That makes him look at me, a little shocked but he quickly recovers. "I'm in an online pre-med program."
A small smile appears on my face. "Is that what you're doing after you graduate?"
He nods. "I want to be a surgeon."
My mouth widens. "A surgeon?" I laugh.
"What?" he stresses.
"I'm just picturing you in your little scrubs." I playfully bite my lip to stop another laugh.
"Oh yeah? Why? You like a man in uniform?"
"They're not the worst thing in the world," I note, looking him up and down.
Elijah chuckles under his breath as he tilts his head back to look at me. "What do you want to do?"
I expect myself to answer with ease but when I open my mouth, I hesitate.
Oh?
I scrunch my brows in confusion as I stare at the water. "I," I pause, hoping something will come to mind, but nothing. "Well, I don't know actually."
"You should open your own art gallery," Elijah blurts out.
I stare at him as if he's just confessed to a murder. "What?"
"You're really talented, Lavender. You could make a lot of money off your paintings, whether you decide to sell them or not. I would pay to see those. I feel like I owe you something for even letting me see the garage. I don't think you realize how good you are. I admire the patience and the work you put into them all, it's impressive."
Elijah finishes with a shy smile and I feel like I'm about to cry. I don't know what to do with my mind or heart. They're both pounding. Nobody has ever spoken to me like that before. He didn't even say anything special but he made me feel special and that's what matters most.
I open my mouth to say something but absolutely nothing comes out. He must think I look so stupid staring at him like this.
His smile slowly fades and he starts backtracking. "I'm sorry, did I overstep? I just—"
"No, no. I- thank you." I sigh, frustrated with myself. I wish I could say more.
"I'm just telling you the truth, Lavender."
"But I mean thank you. Thank you for helping me with my foot, for giving me your shirt, for offering to trade seats with me in the car, and for making sure I took my medicine," I list.
This is the 5% alcohol talking right? I hope so.
No, it's not, Lavender. He's actually sweet underneath all that ego and you adore that side of him. Admit it.
I admit it. Elijah Aram Rivera isn't that bad.
***