Every defense, every wall I’d ever built against this girl was being shattered wide open.
A splash sounded behind us and I glanced over to see Chloe in the water. Miller went next, taking a run and jump as he cannonballed in.
“Come on,” I said, taking her hand. “Z, I know you’re high as fuck, but keep everyone away from the hot tub, yeah?”
Zane glared at me. “Seriously, you’re going to fuck—”
“Talk, asshole. We’re going to talk.”
“Yeah, whatever,” he grumbled.
But I didn’t let his bad mood stop me as I tugged Harleigh over to the hot tub. It was pretty private, only the corner opening out to overlook the rest of the yard, which meant if I pulled her to the back, no one would even be able to see us.
“I’m not getting in there,” she said, a hesitant expression pinching her brows.
“No? That’s a shame.” I hooked my hands into my hoodie and pulled it clean off with my t-shirt. Harleigh’s breath caught as she ran her eyes over my body. I looked good, I knew that. I’d always liked working out, running drills on the football field. I liked the rush of adrenaline, the tingle of exertion deep in my muscles. But it was nothing compared to the way I felt with her eyes drinking me in, running over every single inch of me as if she was memorizing the lines of my body.
“You’re hurt.” She reached out and traced one of the fading bruises from Meathead’s beating a couple of weeks ago.
“I’m fine.” I snagged her wrist and pulled her further under the gazebo. “I’ve been waiting all night to get you alone.”
“You have?” A faint smile traced her lips.
“Yeah. I can’t believe you’re here.” I ran my finger along her forehead and down her nose, painting it across her lips and along her collarbone. Harleigh’s eyes fluttered, soft moans falling from her lips as I touched her.
When they opened again, settling on my face, my heart stuttered against my rib cage.
God, she was beautiful.
I’d never allowed myself to see it before, not like this. Not without all the expectations and consequences of our friendship stacked up between us. But too much had happened to go back to that place.
“You have more tattoos,” she said awed as she reached for my body, tracing the swathes of ink marking my skin.
“I like the pain.”
“I’ve thought about getting one but I don’t think I could do it.”
“Of course you could, B. You can do anything you set your mind to.”
A coy smile played on her lips. “Maybe one day you can take me?”
“I can make that happen.” I ran my hand along her neck and cupped her nape. “Come in the hot tub with me, Birdie.”
Harleigh nodded, stepping back a little. Slowly, she stripped out of her shorts and t-shirt, left standing in nothing but a plain black bra and panties. There wasn’t anything special about it, but on her it could have been expensive lace, she looked that fucking good.
“Look at you,” I drawled, running my hand down her side and drawing her back into me. “You’re so fucking beautiful, B.” Gently, I gripped her wrist and brought it to my lips, kissing the scar there.
Her body trembled as my lips hovered, a silent apology for everything that had happened. “Never again, B,” I said thickly, my heart in my throat. “Never fucking again.”
Tears glistened in her eyes. “I promise,” she whispered.
I knew it wasn’t that simple, knew that mental health wasn’t something to be downplayed or ignored. But it was a promise I planned on helping her keep.
Somehow, I’d find a way to fix everything.
Starting with right now.
Kicking off my sneakers, I loosened the drawstring on my sweats and pushed them down my hips, kicking out of them. Without warning, I grabbed the back of Harleigh’s thighs and lifted her up my body. She wrapped her legs around my waist, shrieking as I climbed the steps to the sunken hot tub and got in, submerging us both.