"Hey, I overheard some old lady moaning about some rowdy, out-of-control teenagers. I had to check it out for myself. I knew it would be you guys."
Alec! My heart rate picked up, and I relaxed my shoulders. I wouldn't be alone for much longer.
Aiden offered him a drink from the cooler, but he declined.
"Can't, mate! Have to drive the brats home in a bit," He slid his sunglasses onto the top of his head, pushing his unruly mop of hair away.
"I thought you couldn't come out to play, Alec?" I asked, beaming up at him.
"They abandoned me. They wanted a day at the lake but disappeared when they saw their friends. So much for a forced sibling day. I was just the chauffeur. I've been sitting on the other side of the lake for ages. Thank god you guys are here." Alec glanced at the water for a second. "Hey, Nattie? Is this another lake trip you didn't invite me to?" He teased, not taking his eyes off me.
"Maybe, but you're here now so stop complaining." I shuffled over and patted the space beside me on the floor. Instead of joining us, he held out his hand for me to take.
"Come for a swim with me, Nattie. I've had no one to join me until now."
"You scared to go in on your own?" I laughed.
Alec gave a sideways glance and grinned. "Never. Not me."
I grabbed his hand so he could help me up, still clutching on to the towel that was covering my body.
"Don't be fooled. Water's freezing. I'm not sure I want to go back in," I warned as we stepped away from the group.
"Come on! Your hair's still wet. Let's go in before you warm up again," he begged as he twisted a strand of my damp hair around his finger.
"What about everyone else?" I whispered.
"So? They can go in if they want. I want you to come with me."
"We see how it is, Hart! Nat comes home and we're not good enough," James joked.
The scowl on Alec's face at James' comment had all the boys laughing. All of them except Max.
They meant nothing by it. They knew very well that Alec and I were merely friends, the best of friends even. It was normal for us to do stuff alone.
He led me further away from them so we could no longer hear their teasing.
Without a word, Alec tugged the vest he was wearing off. The navy blue top not leaving much to the imagination, the fabric pulled taut against his chest muscles. With it off, I had to avert my gaze. Staring at his body with the desire to touch him was starting to feel uncomfortable. I had to keep reminding myself he was just my friend, Sian's words from this morning still ringing in my ears.
My towel fell to the floor, exposing my bright purple bikini. Alec's deep green eyes glinted off the summer rays and fixed on mine. My knees crumbled under his gaze, and it all became too much when he smiled, making his trademark dimples appear. He placed his hand in mine, his warm touch sparking a foreign ache in my chest.
Our toes brushed the cool water as he guided me into the lake.
After walking a few feet, Alec ran, pulling me behind him, until we were submerged to our waists.
"Oh, you're right! That's cold," Alec cried out.
"Told ya so!" I laughed. The sudden freshness was as much a shock as it was the first time.
We both crouched down so our bodies were below the surface, leaving only our heads above the water. Alec came as close as possible and wrapped his arms around me. "Keep me warm, Nattie."
"You big baby! Move around a little and you'll be fine."
"Nah, I prefer cuddling." Alec tugged me onto his lap.
I peered over to the others to check if anyone was looking our way. They were all occupied with what was happening on shore to pay any attention to us.
The boys were back playing beach rugby while some of the girls sunbathed and Max sat off to the side with Jade. I took in a sharp intake of air when I saw them laughing together, their hands all over each other. He obviously had no problem showing his interest in her around his friends.
I rested my chin on Alec's shoulder and traced a finger along his back. "Is there something wrong with me?" I croaked, my voice unsteady.
"No, why?"
"No reason. Forget I said anything."
Alec shifted so my back was to the shore and he overlooked the beach. "I saw Max with Jade. You okay?"
I shrugged.
"That's it, isn't it?" he sighed. "When will you get it in that head of yours?" He tapped on my forehead with his index finger. "You're too good for him."
"It's not that. Well, just that. I don't think this is what I was expecting when I came home. I thought my parents would miss me." Hugging him closer, I laid my head on his chest. "And I stupidly thought now he was done with Joana, he would realise he made a mistake. I don't want to be the mistake."
He grabbed my head in his hands and stared down at me. "You're no one's mistake. You hear me. They're stupid. Your parents don't deserve you either."
I wiped a few stray tears off my cheeks and nodded. "I'm just having a silly moment." He placed a soft kiss to my hair and a swarm of agitated bees invaded my gut. Pushing them down, I scanned the group for Sian. I couldn't risk my friendship with Alec. If he ever thought like them, I'd be lost. It didn't bear thinking about.
"Can you see Sian? Think we should have asked her to join us? I hate leaving her out."
"I honestly didn't see her there. You could've said something," Alec mumbled.
Sian was the furthest thing from my mind when Alec arrived. Did that make me a terrible friend? Sian was probably glad I was no longer keeping an eye on her and James. But I should have asked regardless.
"Has Sian told you about the bloke she's seeing?"
He shook his head.
"You sure? Have you noticed how suspicious she's acting lately?" I continued.
"How would I know? I haven't been around here for a while."
"Well neither have I, but something doesn't add up. Every time I call, she's so vague and I know she's hiding something. I can just feel it."
"Does it matter?"
"Yes, it matters. She's our friend. It must be bad if she can't tell me."
"You're reading too much into it. I'm sure it's nothing." Alec pushed me off his lap and under the water. The murky liquid blurred my vision as I went down.
"What was that for?" I spluttered as I came up for air.
"Looked like you could cool down," he chuckled.
"I'll get you," I shrieked and splashed him in the face.
Under a late June sun, we forgot the once cold water, just like my worries.
By the time we were ready to leave, half the group had dispersed. We set off for the other side of the beach, in search of Alec's towel and siblings, but were stopped when Max grabbed my arm and tugged me back.
"I'll take you home, Nat. After all, you came here with me." Although he spoke to me, he kept his eyes on Alec.
"Take your hand off her arm now." Alec lunged for Max, but I blocked his body with mine.
"It's okay." I swiped his hand off. "Alec is taking me home," I calmly replied. How dare he change his mind now?
"Have it your way. You're missing out," he said, in a singsong voice.
I narrowed my eyes. "Where's Jade?" I asked through gritted teeth.
"Oh, she left a little while ago. You would have noticed if you'd stayed with us."
Unbelievable. Max had paid no attention to what I was doing from the moment Jade showed up, but as soon as she left, he wanted to pick up where he left off. I was getting whiplash from the back and forth. I couldn't let him know his actions hurt me, so I laughed.
Alec slipped his arm around my waist and gave my hip bone a light squeeze.
"Have a nice evening, Max. Come on Alec, we better make sure you haven't lost your brother and sister."
And just like that, I walked away from Max Reed.
***