We ducked under the boom gate and ran past the parking lot. It was so hot and I’d worked up such a sweat, I had guzzled half my bottle already. We raced down the dirt path that led to the lakeside beach and parks. It was completely deserted, but across the river I could already make out lit lake houses with people out front and along the board walks. They couldn’t see us where we were, and I doubted they’d care much either.
Faint music could be heard as we slowed at the beach and kicked off our flops. It was party mix music, and I couldn’t resist swaying my hips to the beat. I loved music. Loved dancing. Loved being a complete goofball, uncaring where I was or how ridiculous I looked. Good music owned me.
Aston laughed faintly as he pulled his shirt off over his head. It caught on his hair tie and pulled it free, making his long hair fall around his shoulders. God, I loved his hair.
“You’re such a partier, El,” he commented lightly.
I shrugged and spun, using this as an excuse to discreetly glance at his upper body. For a freshly turned eighteen-year-old, my adopted brother was jacked. Broad chest, distinct abs, and a trail that led…woo, it led to the Land of Oz. I’d take this boy’s yellow brick road any day.
“Stop dancing and come on,” he pressed, already moving to the water. “The last time this happened, you couldn’t find me.”
I waited for him to wade deeper into the water, and when he faced forward, I slipped off my shirt and jean shorts. In nothing but my pink lace undies and matching bra, I waded in after him. The water was just what I needed, cooling every inch of my heated body. I felt the rocks under my feet, some jagged and painful, and plodded on after Aston.
The massive lake overlooked the mountains and was sectioned off with vertical board walks. Every time you passed one, the water got deeper. It was the perfect way to keep the kids zoned in one area without fear of them drowning or wandering off. It was always a lick of nostalgia wading into this water because it was the very same one I taught Aston how to swim in.
Aston and I passed four sections, swimming with ease before settling in the deepest part of the lake. I stayed close to the boardwalk, wrapping my legs around the column in the water when I got tired. Meanwhile, Aston swam like a fish, diving into the depths and surfacing half a minute later every time. His hair was plastered against his flesh, his lips were pink and wet. I sighed. Just…divine.
“Are you looking forward to leaving?” I asked sometime later when he’d stopped plunging into the water. This was a topic of conversation that had been ongoing between him and Dad.
He ran a hand through his soaked hair before floating on his back around me. “I’m not thinking about it much, to be honest,” he answered.
“Doesn’t feel real?”
“No. It’ll feel real when it’s around the corner, not a couple months away.”
I nodded. I didn’t want to feel sad, so I pushed the topic aside and declared, “I’m looking for a job so I have something to do when school’s out, by the way.”
“Where are you looking?”
“Maybe the grocery store like last year. I saw some for-hire signs out front a couple days ago.”
He gripped the ledge of the boardwalk with his strong arms, settling in front of me, and peered at me with consideration. “I can ask Fred and Cora at the field if you can help out with anything.”
“You want me selling paintballs?” I raised a brow.
“It gets busy on the weekends, and we’re struggling with demand. Fred also has his store, and when the boys are out playing on the weekends, he could have you in there. I don’t know. It’s just a suggestion. Would hate to see you miserable working at a store.”
“Why would I be miserable?”
“Because you’d hate it. You hated it last year. Said the women treated you like a doormat.”
I tried not to show my happiness that he’d remember something that happened so long ago. So I shrugged casually. “And I’d like the paintball field more?”
“You’re a tomboy. You’d love it.”
I frowned. A tomboy? Is that what he thought of me? “I’m not a tomboy.”
He chuckled dryly. “Whatever you say.”
Then he dove back into the water and disappeared from sight, leaving me to question myself. Was I really a tomboy? I wore girly shit. Sometimes. I mean, I liked to go out and wasn’t afraid of getting dirty. I also didn’t wear much make-up, but…A tomboy? And the way he said it, was that a bad thing? Did he think that was gross? Did he like the girly girls? He never talked about girls. Ever. I’d never even seen him check out girls to know what he was into.