Noah punches his arm, but it’s a good-natured one. His brow furrows as he looks at me. “That’s what you chose to play pool basketball in?”

“I didn’t exactly have a lot of options. Most of my clothes are still packed. And since I’m here, taking care of everything, I haven’t had the chance to unpack them.”

Noah rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Got one.” Harrison jogs back from the garage with a ball in hand.

I down the rest of my drink and dive into the pool. The water temperature is warmer than the air. I swim a few lengths, enjoying the cool sluice as I glide through the water. The way it offsets the warm rush of alcohol in my veins. Eventually, I flip onto my back and just float, staring up at the dark, star-scattered sky. Splashes alert me to the fact the guys have all jumped in as well.

“You ready, Evie?” Emmett calls.

“Uh-huh.” I stop floating and swim over to the center of the pool.

“Me and Gray versus you all?” Harrison suggests.

“How’d you come up with those teams, Ledger?” Emmett asks, rolling his eyes.

It’s well-established that Gray’s team ends up being the winning one.

“We should make it fair. I’ll play against you all,” Gray suggests, smirking.

“Let Ledger protect his fragile little ego,” Noah replies. “Him and Phillips versus us.”

We start playing. I mostly tread water. I wouldn’t say I’m uncoordinated, but I wouldn’t call myself athletic either. When I lived in Boston, I’d jog along the Charles River on an occassional basis. I prefer swimming to running, but this is the first time I’ve been in my parents’ pool since I moved home. Noah and his friends aren’t only athletic; they’re all competitive. Elbows are being thrown around with insults.

Noah eventually calls me out on my laziness. “Pull a little weight, Evie. They’re killing us!”

I look at Gray. It’s good the rest of the guys are drunk because I don’t think I’ve been all that subtle about the number of glances I’ve snuck his way tonight. Gray grins at me as he spins the ball on one finger. If we were alone, I’d stick my tongue out at him. But as oblivious as everyone else seems, I’m not going to press my luck. I settle for an eye roll instead.