Chapter Four

I want to tell you I turned around and walked away with some shred of dignity intact, but that would be lying and aura farming.

I just stood there, with my coffee in hand watching Noah kiss the girl with the huge tits. By the time he pulled back and spotted me, I'd slapped a smile on so fast I would later think back on this moment and shudder.

"Izel! Hey!" He waved me over like nothing had happened, because to him, nothing had. I mean it’s not like we were together. "Perfect timing. This is Bree." He said it so easily, kinda like he was introducing me to his favorite food. "My girlfriend."

Girlfriend. I was doing all I could not to scream right there and then.

"Oh! hi," I said, and my voice came out completely normal, which honestly should win me an Oscar. "Nice to meet you." I said to Bree and she smiled at me.

"Actually," Noah continued, "good you're here. I wanted your opinion and I was thinking of doing something for her birthday, you're the artist, you'd know what's cute, right?"

That was it. That was the whole reason he'd wanted to talk to me, not the movie he’d asked me to. Why was he acting like he hadn’t just asked to see a movie with me? I felt like I was going mad.

"Yeah," I said. "Sure. I'll … text you some ideas."

I don't really remember walking away. I just remember my chest feeling like it had caved in on itself, and made it three blocks before I let myself cry, and even when I eventually let myself cry, it was snorty and ugly and I kept wiping it all up with my sleeve.

I ended up at the pier which was not so far from the coffee shop. I don't even remember deciding to go there. I just sat on the edge of it, feet dangling over the water, watching the Ferris wheel lights blur through my stupid leftover tears, feeling more alone than I had in a long time.

I don't know how long I sat there before I heard footsteps behind me.

"Move over." I heard Jace’s voice. He sat down next to me without waiting for permission, and for a long minute he didn't say anything at all, and didn’t make any comment about my blotchy face. He just sat there, staring at the same water I was staring at.

"He has a girlfriend," I said finally. I wanted to say more but I felt my throat close up.

Jace to my surprise didn't respond. Instead, he held out his hand. "Come on."

"Huh? Where?" 

"Somewhere better than here." He wagged his eyebrows, and I found myself smiling and letting him lead me on. I just didn’t have it in me to argue.

He drove us out past campus to this property tucked behind a hedge so tall you'd never know what was behind it. It turned out to be some empty vacation house one of his teammates' families owned. It had tinted windows, nobody home, and behind it was a pool so big it looked more like a small lake.

"We're trespassing," I said, looking around shiftily.

"We're borrowing," he corrected, already pulling his shirt over his head like this was the most normal thing in the world.

We sat at the edge of the water at the pool. "Noah's an idiot," Jace said quietly. "For the record."

"Are you supposed to say that? He’s on your team.” I protested.

“Doesn’t make it any less true.” He countered and something about the way he said it made my whole chest go warm and strange.

Then he stood, and in one motion he dived into the water. I stared at him like I'd never seen him before, which was stupid, because I had, dozens of times, at meets, across kitchens, arguing about towels. But this felt different.

"Are you coming in?" he said, water dripping off his jaw. He looked like one of those models you’re likely to find on the cover of vogue.

When I didn’t answer, he pulled me toward him, laughing, and I was laughing too, and somewhere between the laughing and the water and the ridiculous blue-lit night, I stopped thinking about Noah completely. I was only thinking about the boy in front of me. 

He kissed me first. Or maybe I kissed him. Honestly, by that point I couldn't tell you who started it. My hands were suddenly in his wet hair, as I leaned fully into the kiss. He held me up by one arm while the other hand cupped my breasts. 

I was not thinking, especially when he kissed my neck and went down to my suck on my hard wet nipple. Goodness…hot shocks went through my body even though the water was cold.

“We shouldn’t be doing this…” I heard myself whisper, but I didn’t want him to stop.

Jace murmured something incoherent as his free hand traced my wet body until he found my panties. I was wet, and soaking wet. He didn’t waste time finding my clit. He massaged it slowly while he continued his sweet assault on my nipples.

“Do…Don’t stop Jace.” I moaned, throwing my head as far back as I could.

His hard member was pressing into my pelvis and suddenly all I could think of was having him inside me.

A flashlight beam swept across the water and a man called out to us. “What the hell are you doing in my pool? This is private property. I’ll have you arrested!!”

We rushed out of the pool quickly, leaving wet trails as we grabbed our clothes in full blown panic. Jace held my hand, as we ran to the car half dressed and crazed. By the time he started the car, we were both laughing so hard we could barely breathe.

By the time we got home, I felt better. Our parents were lounging in the ante room, and eyed us dripping wet. Thankfully they said nothing, and I hurried up to my room, blushing furiously.

As I showered, I could not stop thinking about Jace and the way he’d left my body tingling. I was still wet and the flashbacks were not helping. I wondered briefly if Jace was also thinking about me.

But neither of us knew that earlier, as we were dripping and laughing like idiots while we ran to the car, someone from campus had seen us. 

And that was going to bite us in the ass.