“Don’t,” Mateo growls. “I might be tempted to drown the fucker.”
“Hey,” I warn both of them. “We’re not here to cause harm. Nothing that can be used against us. Got it.”
“Fine,” both Donny and Mateo mutter.
“Here,” Trevor says, taking a seat on the edge of the pool chair I’m sitting on. “Eat this.” He places a sandwich on my plate. “Real food first, sweets after.”
I force a smile, as a niggle of annoyance seeps in, and I feel guilty because I know he’s just trying to take care of me.
“Thanks.” I take a bite of the sandwich.
We all sit and talk, trying to ignore the obnoxious way Missi always is. From the way she talks to her guests, to her stupid laugh.
I hate everything about her. People like her are why the world is the way it is. The rich and powerful can be cruel and evil, while the good people suffer.
I’ve had enough when I see Missi wrap her arms around Lennox and pull him in for a sloppy kiss. “Come on,” I say, anger pooling in my belly. “Let’s go swim.”
“Fuck yes!” Donny whoops.
“Last one in loses.” We all get up, running toward the pool.
“Cannonball!” Mateo shouts, and then we’re all leaping into the water.
The cool water hits me as I start to sink, a calmness settling over me.
The last time I was underwater like this, all I felt was panic.
But now, it’s different. I didn’t know how peaceful it could be under here. A moment out of the chaos that's been consuming my mind for every second of the day.
And for the smallest second, I wonder if I should just stay here. Let the quiet settle over me, shutting it all off for good.
Then someone grabs my arm and pulls me to the top. When we break the surface, all I can hear is Missi’s enraged voice. She’s screaming. What else is new?
Wiping the water from my face, I look over to see that she’s drenched, and I can’t help but grin.
“Lenny!” she sobs. “They ruined everything.”
“Oh, shit.” My eyes widen. “Did we do that?” I ask with fake concern. “We’re so sorry.”
“Sorry?” Missi screeches as I walk toward the pool ladder. “You're not sorry. You did this on purpose. All of you.”
“Oh, come on, Missi,” Donny shouts from where he’s swimming on his back. “It’s a pool party, isn’t it? We’re supposed to swim at pool parties."
“It’s not a pool party!” she screams as Trevor comes over to me and wraps a towel around my shoulder. “It’s a pool THEMED party!”
“So, you never planned on swimming?” I ask, raising a brow. “Was the bikini and everything just for show?”
“Yes!” she shouts. “You don’t think I’d pay two hundred dollars to get my hair done for this, only to get it wet. Are you crazy?”
“Ahh, no.” I laugh. “But clearly one of us is.”
“Get out!” she screams. “All of you!”
“Hey, you invited us here. Don’t get mad at us.”
“I swear to God, if you don’t leave…” Missi takes a step forward, and a rush of adrenaline hits me.
“What are you going to do, Missi?” I taunt, reminding myself not to beat up a fucking pregnant person. But damn, she’s making it hard.
