7. Splash

SEVEN

SPLASH

W alking into the lake is easier than I thought it would be.

I almost chickened out. When everyone else agreed to grab towels, plus our useless phones for flashlights, before taking the thirty minute walk toward the lake, I hesitated on the log as Tommy and Tyler started to extinguish the bonfire. By the time we were ready to go, I'd gotten so sick of Summer's sly taunting expression, daring me not to join them, that I said ‘fuck it' and went.

I drew the lines at skinnydipping. I stripped down to my panties and bra, a facsimile of a swimsuit, and waded into the chilly water before I lost the nerve. Standing on the edge, staring at the surface… that would've been a lot harder than dunking under and swimming out past the point where I found my mom.

Tommy's right there with me. Like me, he kept his boxers on. So did Chase. Surprisingly, Madison went into the water fully dressed. She must've had a tank top on under her hoodie, plus a pair of tiny shorts while we were sitting around the bonfire. Tossing the hoodie to the shore one we arrived at the lake—Chase pulling up the rear as he ogled Madison's—she's playful splashing him in his bare chest as the lake water molds her think tank perfectly around hers.

No bra, I notice, not even a little surprised by that.

Thankfully, my underwear is black. Black bra. Black panties. It looks as scandalous as you can imagine beneath the moonlight, but at least it's not see-through. I'm the kind of girl who will show off for her man. Only her man. With the others nearby, I didn't feel comfortable stripping down.

Vee, on the other hand…

I nudge Tommy as she floats on her back a few feet away from us. Her eyes are closed, black hair fanning out along the serene water of the lake, nipples hard as they point toward the sky. Like Summer, she stripped completely out of her clothes before diving in, her naked body on complete display beneath the moonlight.

To his credit, my boyfriend glances at her, then looks down at me as though he barely noticed she was completely undressed.

"Think she's still pissed at Aaron?" I murmur. "Or is this show for Chase?"

If it is, it's not working. With Madison giving him all of her attention, Chase hasn't said a word to Vee since they stepped off the dock with Tyler.

"Little of column A, little of column B. Or there's a third option."

The most likely one. "Vee just doesn't give a shit what anyone thinks."

"Bingo."

I like that about her. She's never cared, and I envy her ability to just not give a fuck. If none of us had agreed to join her at the lake, I have no doubt we would've find her here like this anyway.

Of the group, Vee's the only one I really consider a friend. Sure, she was Tommy's first, but over the years, we were close. It used to be me and Vee against Summer and Madison, and though she's too busy with running her online jewelry empire these days—turning her small business into one that grossed more than six figures last year—I'm glad she's here. At least, between Vee and Tommy, I don't feel as outnumbered.

We're standing in a shallower section of the lake. It covers my tits, reaching just under Tommy's pecs. I'm glad Vee's on her back. Seeing her face turned up toward the sky makes it easier to remember that she's floating, not bobbing, and that her eyes are closed because she's relaxing and not dead.

Dead.

Dead —

Splash.

I glance over my shoulder, rolling my eyes when I notice what made that splash. While Chase and Madison are flirting openly on the other side of the lake, Tyler and Summer had drifted out a little further in the opposite direction. All the earlier splashes came from the first two. Now?

Summer has her arms over Tyler's broad shoulders. The former running back is even bigger at twenty-eight than he was at seventeen, and strong enough to clutch his slender wife to him, making her ride him while holding her up.

Water sluices down Summer's back as she arches it, letting out a throaty moan that carries over the surface. Tyler's brow is furrowed, concentration in every line of his face as he fucks her.

I roll my eyes and lean against Tommy.

"Couldn't they wait until they were back at the cabins?" That's what we're planning on doing.

"And allow us to deprive them of the chance to show off that they still fuck like bunnies even if they're married?" teases Tommy.

True. I snort. "Please. They act like they're the only ones who know what it's like to have been hitched. I was married too, once."

And I still have the ring on my finger to prove it.

Tommy loops his arm over my shoulder, tucking me into his side. "I bet you and Clay never fucked with an audience before."

He'd lose that bet, too.

Not that I have any intention of telling Tommy about what my love life with his best friend was like, but it's true.

We were in our early twenties when Clay died. Up until the morning he left for work, never to come home to me again, we were banging two, maybe three times a day. When he needed me, I was ready, and it didn't matter where. Someone might see us? That got him even hotter because he loved the idea of everyone knowing that I was his. So though he didn't go out of his way to fuck me in front of other people like Summer and Tyler are doing right now, he wouldn't pull out, either, until he'd finished inside of me.

Despite what she implied earlier, I'm not a prude. I'm also not going to treat Tommy like Clay just to one-up Summer fucking Kaye. He's different. Sweeter. Gentler, too. Clay was so possessive, and sometimes I forget that Tommy isn't like that. He's protective, yes, but if I ended things with him tomorrow, he'd be heartbroken, but be able to move on.

With Clay, it took death to rip him away from me, and even then I can't stop feeling like he's haunting me.

That's why, if it's up to me, I'd never talk about my time with Clay to Tommy. He's gone, and maybe it's not the healthiest response in the world, but it's easier for me to act like he never existed.

But Tommy… he made it so easy for me to give him a second chance. If he'd been the type of guy who couldn't get over my being a widow, this never would've worked. If he held a grudge that I chose Clay over him, I'd have to end it. And if he wanted me to love him and pretend that Clay meant nothing to me…

Never .

That's not Tommy Gillis, though. He's a good guy. Thoughtful, too. He hasn't moved away from my side since the second we approached the lake. Like always, he's my shoulder to lean on.

But I'm okay. Really. And when he ducks under the water, popping back up again a couple of feet away, shaking his soaked curls out and spraying me with the chilly droplets, I don't reach out to grab him closer.

Instead, I watch as all of these people I've known most of my life swim and play and have fun.

New memories, I think to myself.

Madison shrieks as Chase, maybe a little too playful, dumps water on her perfectly styled hair. She pushes the damp strands out of her face, then smacks him in the chest. He grins, grabbing her hand, pulling her close to him so he could kiss her quickly.

She melts against him, and I look away before they decide to pull a Summer and Ty and start fucking.

Group getaway, huh? Too bad Aaron didn't come. Without meaning to, it's turned into a couples' vacation, after all, with everyone pairing up.

To my left, Vee's treading water now, drifting closer to the shore. Summer calls out to her—the same time I hear Tyler's telltale grunts behind me—but Vee ignores her.

I turn slightly to see that Summer is clinging to Tyler, the satisfied, sleepy look on her face making it obvious she got what she wanted from her husband before he did. His hand is rubbing circles on her naked back, clutching her to him as if afraid to let her go.

She's watching Vee while idly running her fingers through Tyler's hair.

I take a few steps closer to Vee.

Tommy catches my attention. He puts his finger to his lips, eyes sparkling with mischief.

He ducks under the water again. From the ripples on the surface, he's heading toward Vee.

Vee crosses her arms over her chest with one arm. With the other, she points toward the shore. "Hey, guys? Did anyone else see?—"

She goes under. It all happens so fast. Her arms go up, her body goes down, and before I know it, she's gone.

I panic. "Vee!"

Seconds later, she resurfaces, hair sticking to her face, eyes blazing with fury. Right next to her, Tommy pokes his head out of the water, keeping the rest of hid body hidden as though he's kneeling in the lake.

"Gotcha," he says, laughing.

He thinks it's funny. Fuck. As I clutch my chest, willing my racing heart to slow, I'm thinking he's the only one.

Vee sputters, slapping her hands against the lake's surface, sending water everywhere. "You asshole!"

Tommy's laughter dies. Luckily, it's the only thing that does. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Your fucking stunt! I'd expect that from Aaron. Not you, Tommy. What the hell?"

"I'm so sorry, Vee. I was just?—"

"Dicking around. Are you serious? With Cyn right there? Did you want to remind her of how her mom died?"

Oof .

Tommy's expression is suddenly horrified. His spins around, soaked curls spraying water everywhere again as he searches for me. "Cyn, you know I didn't?—"

I know.

He's so damn determined to help me forget what happened on the island, he completely forgot how fucking easy it would be to re-traumatize me.

And there's no way any of us can leave until Monday morning.

So I smile at him. It's shaky at best, probably because the rest of me is trembling, but damn it, I smile .

"It's okay," I lie. "But, if you don't mind, I think that's enough of the lake for me tonight."

This time, not a single person tries to make me feel bad for wanting to end the night earlier than the others.

The walk back to our cabins is a lot more awkward than it was when I was dreading reaching the lake. At least, then, I was the only one who was hanging back, staying quiet, holding onto Tommy's hand so that I didn't lose my nerve and turn back.

Now? I know that everyone is remembering what happened to my mom at the lake.

Tommy tried to apologize on three separate occasions. I cut him off each time. He doesn't have anything to be sorry about. He was having fun with an old friend. If anything, it's Violet who's stewing quietly as she marches ahead of us.

She has her phone out, flashlight on as she sweeps it through the trees. There's a couple of worn dirt paths that lead from the camping area to the lake. They've existed for decades, from every local mainlander who came to visit Halo Island over the years. The new owners might have renovated the actual cabins, building an honest-to-God bonfire pit instead of us all relying on some dried wood, a match, and a prayer, but they've left these old paths alone.

It's weird that Vee's searching the woods. The path is clear in front of us, and the best thing about island life is how we don't have to worry about black bears and mountain lines. Most of the wildlife here are small mammals: foxes, mice, squirrels, and skunks. If we don't bother them, they won't bother us.

But when Chase asked what Vee was looking for, she shot Tommy a dirty look, shook her head, and picked up the pace so she could get further away from the rest of us.

I didn't know what that was about. I didn't really care that much, either. I just wanted to get back to the cabin, shower off the lake, and settle into bed with Tommy.

It's been a long, emotional day. Tommy can sense how worn out I am. Instead of offering for us to share the shower—knowing we'll do a hell of a lot more than getting clean if we do—he turns the faucet on for me, getting it to the perfect steamy temp, then heads back into the bedroom while I shower off first.

Tommy insisted, and I gratefully accepted.

He's learned that taking long, hot showers is self-care for me. I can stand beneath the spray for an hour, letting the water run down on me, and lose myself in all of the emotions I struggle with. Throw in exfoliation, shaving, washing and conditioning my long hair, and putting on lotion when I'm done and it's not unusual for me to be in the bathroom for closer to an hour and a half.

I do that tonight. Knowing he's out there, keeping me safe and protected, allows me to wash away the remnants of Halo Lake.

As soon as I'm finally done, my wet hair twisted up in another towel, another towel wrapped around my body, I moved out into the bedroom and notice two very distinct things: Tommy laid out one of my favorite, comfortable sleep shirts on the bed for me—and he's not alone.

"Summer?" I tighten my grip on my towel. "What are you doing here?"