“We can also just message each other when we feel like it too.” A softer, huskier version of his voice made my cheeks warm up, and I quickly looked out to sea. I didn’t want him to see my face in case he got the wrong idea, like I was swooning over him. Which I was!

Thankfully, Lisa came over and broke the awkward moment. “I need to pee!” She was crossing her legs tightly. “Now!”

Jake jumped up. “Okay, we’ll leave.”

“Can’t hold it. I’m going to exploooooooode.” She bent over at the waist, contorting her face into a painful-looking grimace.

“You can come to our house.”

Jake looked relieved. “Thanks!”

“Are we going now?” Zac asked and my heart dropped. Getting Zac to leave a place if he was enjoying himself was usually difficult.

“We can come back later,” I offered quickly, but couldn’t believe my eyes when he shrugged and started walking toward the house.

“I’m going to be honest,” Jake said as we all hurried up the steps, “I’ve always wanted to see this place. Hope you’re up for a guided tour.”

“Sure.” I pulled the massive sliding door open and stepped inside. I was struggling to take this all in, though. Hot, popular guy, who had nudged my shoulder and told me we were starting a support coupling, was in my house with his sister.

Could this day get any more bizarre?

9

I stood in the open-plan kitchen, holding on to the big marble island in the middle of it. From here, I had a view into the lounge where Zac was sitting on the sofa watching TV, as well as a view to the door of the guest bathroom, where Jake was. He was standing outside, leaning against the wall in this way that made him look like a male model.

“Remember to wash your hands,” I heard him say.

A voice came back immediately. “Yeeees!”

“Just reminding you,” he replied, and then walked toward the kitchen as if he was on a damn catwalk.

My body stiffened in response to his approaching presence. And the closer he got, the more it felt like my muscles were now made of cement. Everything froze, except for my heart, which was racing. And the closer he got, the more worried I became that he would actually hear my beating heart.

“So?” He reached the marble countertop and placed his hands on it.

It felt like a desert wind had blown in from nowhere and filled my mouth with dry crunchy sand. I tried to talk . . .

“Soooooo,” I returned in a voice that sounded strange and high-pitched. Why was the presence of a hot man making me talk like this?

He grinned. Small, cute, lopsided. And then there was silence. He seemed to be waiting for something, and that was when I remembered.