The Thrashers(15)

“You wanna get wet, Dillon?”

She narrowed her eyes at the dumb innuendo.

He brought a hand to his eyes and winced dramatically. “I’ve never seen this much of your skin. It’s blinding.”

Bringing her arms up to cover her stomach, Jodi clenched her jaw. “What do you want?”

He sat on the edge of her lounge chair. “Do you wanna swim?”

“No.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in the pool.” He flashed her a grin. “Come on.” Her phone was ripped from her hand and tossed into the grass. Before she could blink, two wet arms wrapped around her middle and lifted her clean off the lounge chair.

“Julian!” she squawked, but then she was upside down over his shoulder.

She saw the water. Her muscles locked in fear, and then she was midair, free-falling toward the deep end. She screamed all the way down until the sound of it disappeared and only the slosh was in her ears.

Her limbs froze. Her hair billowed forward around her face as her body sank down, down. The sun sparkled millions of miles away, breaking through the water like crystals, and she knew that was the surface—she did. She knew she could kick up to it.

But how was she supposed to get there with lead on her bones and water in her lungs?

The sun winked at her. Its rays spun outward like golden hair on a girl’s head. The sky was pale blue, like a pair of eyes.





Chapter Five





“How did your mom die?”

Jodi’s fingers froze on the microscope. Her eyes snapped to Emily. She was twisting her golden hair around one finger, watching her. Jodi turned to the next table wondering if she’d been loud enough for others to hear.

Oliver Burns looked away, turning his back on them. Jodi’s neck and cheeks burned hot.

“Emily, that’s really personal. I don’t think we’re close enough for…” Jodi swallowed. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

She changed the slide under the microscope and reached for her notes. A small cold hand dropped on her wrist. She looked up to Emily’s pale blue eyes.

“You can tell me.”



* * *



A sharp stab of air pierced her lungs. Bright sunlight refracted through her wet lashes.

“You don’t know how to swim? Jesus,” a voice panted, inches away.

Waves slapped against her neck, threatening to choke her. She blinked quickly, coming back to her body, remembering she was in water.

Julian was holding her up against the side of the pool in the deep end. Jodi scrambled to grab the ledge behind her. He pushed his hair out of his eyes and stared at her like she was a mutant.

“Jodi, are you okay?” Paige was sliding out of the duck, splashing toward them.

“I don’t like to swim. I told you not to throw me—”

“Can you swim?”

Jodi closed her eyes against the sight of Julian’s hazel ones judging her. She turned into the ledge, crawling along the wall like a three-year-old wearing arm floaties.

“What’s going on?” Zack said, coming out of the house with Lucy.

“Julian threw her in the pool.” Paige reached for her on the other side of the ladder. Jodi inched closer, her breathing coming in quick pants.

“What the fuck, Julian,” Zack said. “You know she doesn’t swim.”

“I didn’t! She’s always such a downer, so—”

“Hey!”

Jodi ignored them as her feet found purchase on the ladder steps. Lucy was there with a fluffy towel when she came out, leading her away from the water’s edge.

Her breath was shaking and she could still feel the water swallowing her. Jodi toweled off and walked away from the group, heading inside to the pool house again.

She felt so useless. All she wanted to do was get out of a swimsuit that didn’t fit her and go crawl into bed.

She was just pulling her shirt back on when she heard the pool house door slide open. She poked her head out of the bathroom and saw Zack sitting on the back of the couch with a tight smile on his face.

“I’m fine,” she said quickly.

“Yeah.” Zack nodded. “I sent Julian home.”

She stopped in the doorway. “You did?”

“I told him he’s gotta leave you alone about stuff. He said he really didn’t know you couldn’t swim, but I called bullshit on that. Everyone knows you don’t swim.”

Jodi wrapped her arms around her stomach, still feeling the chill of the water all over her. “Okay. Thanks.”

She didn’t want to talk about the pool or Julian. She didn’t want to remember that everyone had just seen her on the verge of tears in a bikini of all things.

Zack picked up the remote from the arm of the couch. “Stranger Things?” His deep blue eyes gazed at her from underneath wiggling eyebrows.

Warmth bubbled in her stomach, and something like relief spread through her veins. That was so Zack. To read her mind, to know when to detour. She smiled.

“Don’t you want to swim with the girls?”

“Nah, I’m good here,” he said, slipping down the couch and burrowing into the plush cushions.

Jodi sat next to him, and Zack pulled the throw blanket around her, when he saw her still shivering. He grinned at her, and her chest felt tight with how much she wanted him. How much she wanted him to put his arm around her and tug her into his side.