Give Me a Sign(31)

“What?” Cole asks.

“Say sorry,” Oliver says and signs, putting his extremely limited ASL to use.

“Sorry,” the boy signs, and swims off.

The girls have already grabbed hold of a few noodles and are floating away, but I take a moment to catch my breath at the edge of the pool. It’s good for Blake to have some bonding time with just her fellow campers.

Oliver’s still standing beside me.

“Hey, stranger, didn’t I just see you at the lake?” I smile, shaking my head. “It’s been a day.”

“I’ll bet.” His voice is quieter now that he’s not talking to the camper, but I’ve caught most of what he’s saying on his lips. “Do —— to drink?”

“A drink?” He nods. My mouth is dry. “Good idea.”

I’m about to scooch down the wall toward the ladder, but Oliver takes a few quick steps over to the lifeguard chair and returns with his water bottle. He untwists the cap and hands it to me.

“Thank you.” I gulp down almost half of it.

He sits on the edge and puts his feet in the water, letting out a sigh of relief. “It’s scorching.”

“Come on in, you’ll feel refreshed! Splash around and get your hair wet.”

Ben is walking around the perimeter of the pool. I catch him glaring at us, and Oliver does, too. “I’m supposed to be in the chair, but a quick dip won’t hurt.”

He slides in, running his fingers through his hair as he shoots back to the surface.

“Better?” I ask.

“Much.”

“Thanks for not splashing me when you jumped in. After today, I think I’m half lake water and half chlorine.”

“Oh, you wanted me to splash you?” Oliver sends a few droplets my way.

I smile. “Um, didn’t you mention something about how you’re supposed to be in the chair?”

“If you insist . . .” He sends a few more drops my way before planting his hands at the edge of the pool, easily hoisting himself back out of the water, impressively smooth. He climbs back into his seat.

“Well, if you’re going to be good at your job, guess I should go be better at mine,” I say to him before swimming back to my campers.

I pass Isaac, who I realize has been watching us, treading water in the deep end with his group. I give a sheepish smile, but he ducks under. His forehead still has slight noticeable bruising from last week’s tug-of-war collision. Perhaps that’s why he’s so hot and cold around me.

“Look!” Blake shouts over to me, so I join the girls. “I can do a flip.”

“Ooh, let me see,” I say.

She demonstrates, holding her nose the entire way. “You try!”

“I’m not sure . . .” I didn’t even want to get my hair wet, let alone do underwater flips.

“Please,” the girls chant.

I make sure the area is clear, take a deep breath, and submerge myself. But as I’m halfway through my flip, someone grabs my back.

There’s that kid again, this time holding on to my swimsuit straps. I fight my way to the surface.

“Stop. What are you doing?” I call out. I try to shrug off his hands. But Cole latches on tight, nails digging into my skin.

As I push him away, there’s a tight snap against my neck. My swimsuit straps are ripped from the seams. I grit my teeth, barely managing to keep my composure. My face must be pure rage.

Isaac swiftly swims across the length of the pool over to me. He scoops Cole up out of the water and away from me, making him climb up the stairs and take a seat near the changing rooms.

Honey kicks her way over, laughing.

“What’s funny?” I sign one-handed, making sure to keep my suit secure with the other. “This is not funny.”

“I told you, boy likes you,” she signs. There’s my answer. Honey was telling me that little twerp has a crush on me? That isn’t funny at all and doesn’t excuse his behavior.

“Where are you going?” Blake asks as I move over to the edge.

“I’m getting out now. Ask Mackenzie to come play.” Mackenzie is sitting under the shade on her phone. About time for her to snap back into her perfect counselor mode.

I carefully climb the stairs, where Isaac greets me with his towel. He holds it out, wrapping it around me, enclosing me for a moment in a hug. He starts to pull back, but I’m not ready to move quite yet and rest my head against his chest, realizing too late that maybe this wasn’t meant to be a prolonged embrace. But Isaac immediately squeezes his arms around me tighter. I take a deep breath and let him hold me steady, my knees buckling. Water drips from my hair to the floor, and soon we’re both standing in a puddle. I sigh, then lean back and look up at him.

The concern in his eyes is adorable. “Okay?” he mouths.

I nod and lean back. “Long day. Thank you.” I shrug, gesturing to the towel, though I’m really thanking him for the hug.

Isaac glances back at the pool and sees his campers erupting into chaos. I try to hand back his towel, but he motions for me to hold on to it. He reluctantly steps away and dives back into the pool.

Simone walks over to inspect my swimsuit. “Yikes, girl. I can try sewing this back up for you.”

“You think?” We walk over and take the spot where Mackenzie had been sitting in the shade. I shrug the towel down my back an inch so Simone can glance at the swimsuit.