Though now the embarrassment might kill me.
He slices through the water with me against his chest, and I can feel that he’s still in his clothes. His jeans brush against my legs as he kicks. And then he’s depositing us both on the sand of the shore, our feet still in the shallow water.
Eric is breathing hard and so am I, and I let my body release, trying to recover from the cramp. His arm is slung across my stomach where he collapsed with us, and I should move it. But God, I don’t want to. I like the feeling of breathing up into that weight.
“What happened?” he rasps, voice closer than I expected it to be.
I manage to gasp out. “Cramp. I have no idea why.”
“Fuck, Seph.”
My heart grates at that name. At the familiarity it claims after so long. Anger wells up in my chest, and I know that he just saved my life but I’m suddenly livid and I can’t be here. Everything still hurts, but I can move. Sitting up, I shove his arm off me and try to stand. I don’t make it on the first try. “Thank you for jumping in after me.”
“I’d always jump in after you. You know that.” He laughs then. “Guess tackling you in the water does less damage than on land.”
I don’t answer, finally making it to my feet. I push away relieving the memory I went through last night. It’s already too clear in my mind. Suddenly I’m very aware of the fact that I’m soaking wet in a bathing suit in front of him, even if the suit is more modest than what I’d normally wear.
“Are you all right,” he asks as I turn toward the dock to grab my clothes.
“I’m fine,” I snap, glancing back at him. Fuck, I wish I hadn’t. He’s soaked from head to toe, hair disheveled with water, and leaning on his elbow like he’s a sailor washed up on the beach. With that hair and those eyes he looks a little like Prince Eric, and it works for him.
Desire pulses deep in my gut, and I have to control my breath not to gasp at the image in front of me, even with his face painted with hurt.
“Why are you doing this, Seph?”
I swallow. “Doing what?”
“Being cold.”
“I’m not.”
He stands and steps closer. “You are, and I want to know why. What did I do wrong? We used to be close, Seph.”
“It’s Persephone,” I say, drawing a line in the sand. “And you didn’t do anything wrong. That was just a long time ago.”
“We have time now,” he says. “I’d like to get to know you again. And I’d like for you to tell me the truth.”
“I am,” I lie, turning away. He doesn’t say anything else, and he doesn’t follow me.
The truth is something that I can’t tell him, because it still hurts too much, and it will always hurt too much.
Eric Elmore’s mistake was that he made me love him, before I knew that he could never be mine.
6
Eric
Six Years Ago
Swimming is always the best part of the summer. I swear that I spend half my time in the water whenever I’m at camp, but I’m not complaining. It’s only been a few days and it feels more natural to be in the water than anything else. I love the sun on my skin and the way the girls look at me when I’m in the water. It’s an intoxicating feeling, though it’s been a little different the last few days. There’s only one set of eyes I want on my body, and I can’t them out of my head.
So far things have been going well for camp, except for when Mom and Dad show up and try to get me to be ‘more involved.’ When we left to come to the camp, we agreed that they were going to treat me like every other camper, and that they wouldn’t tell anyone that we own Red Rock. I don’t want special treatment, and I don’t want anyone else bugging me to get favors because my parents are the camp directors.
Seems like they’ve forgotten it a little bit when they try to get me to step up and lead stuff, but today they’ve stayed away, and I’ve been having a good time. Michael crashes off my shoulders as Krista and Trevor knock us over in the shallows.
Michael comes up laughing. “I’m done.”
“Come on,” I say. “We need a rematch.”
Chicken is almost a sacred tradition at Red Rock, and any time the lake is open for swimming someone is playing. And I’ve been getting crushed today.
“No, man. I’m tired. I’ll be your wingman tomorrow,” he says clapping me on the shoulder and heading for his towel.
I point at Krista and Trevor. “I will find someone. Stay there.”