“No.” I shook my head. “No, you're good.”
“You sure? Not that you've ever looked particularly happy to see me, but you look like I've just pissed in your prosecco or something.”
“It's fine. You're fine.”Too fine.
He let his shoulders sink beneath the surface of the water without even hitching in a breath at the temperature change. But those eyes of his... they were locked on me, and I suddenly became paranoid about what the hell to say to him.
This was the first time we'd ever been alone where both of us were in a good mood and sober. I had no idea how to act around him without the bravado of the volleyball game or pretending he didn't intrigue me when we were around our friends.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yep.” I nodded, sounding anything but okay.
“Hmm.”
“What’s that noise for?”
“Well, I’m curious about something. I asked you the other day, but you never gave me your answer.”
“To what?”
“Whether or not I make you nervous, Phoebe,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Pft.” I reared back. “Why… why would you make me nervous?”
His arms skimmed over the surface of the water, the small, barely-there waves rocking our bodies as we stood only a few feet apart now. “Because you always look uncertain about something when you're around me.”
“Probably because I never know which version of you I'm going to get.”
Henry huffed out a soft laugh that genuinely lit up his face. “That's fair, I suppose.”
“You suppose? Henry, you're ten different men trapped in one body when you're around me.”
“I know.”
I raised a brow. “That's it? You know?”
“What do you want? An explanation?”
“I mean, it would help a little.”
“Help with what? You trying to understand me, Phoebe?”
“I'm not trying to understand you. I'm just trying to figure out a pattern for your behaviour so I know what to expect from one minute to the next.”
“Always expect inconsistency, then you'll never be disappointed.”
“You're hilarious.” I deadpanned.
“Phoebe Turner.” He said my name like he was tasting it for the very first time, his chin tilted towards the sun. “You're not easy to be around either, you know.”
“Me? What the hell have I done?”
“Existed.”
That one word cut through me more than it probably should have done, but before I could question it, Henry took a step closer and pressed a wet finger to my lips, stopping any response I had to give.
His eyes searched mine, full of light and humour and ease, his touch a relentless burn to my sensitive skin. “Don't get it twisted. I don't mean I never wish you'd been born. I'm very glad you were. All I mean is that you're a complication I didn't need on this trip when I'm trying to be cold, aloof, and distant, which isn’t working because you're kinda perfect, and that's hard to stay away from no matter how well trained in being closed off a guy is.”
