Sean chuckles, but pulls me in for another kiss. “Deal,” he says into my mouth, and I love the way it feels for his breath to mingle with mine. It’s been like this since the showcase, constantly kissing for the past few days, not sure where Sean’s mouth ends and mine begins. I can’t get over the connection. It’s just like when we’re swimming together as a group in Pacifica, our tails brushing and bumping together so often you’re not sure whose tail is whose.

And now I only have four days left to decide which type of connection I like better. Lips or tails. The choice is a lot harder than I ever thought.

There’s movement at the corner of my eye and Sean snaps back. Apparently his coach said swim meets and practice were starting to look like gender-inclusive baby-making sessions from all the action the team was getting, and that if he caught anyone making out near the pool again they’d be kicked off the team. We’re fairly well hidden from view behind Kavya’s car, but I get why Sean doesn’t want to risk it. If it’s Coach walking by, Sean’s going to have a lot of explaining to do.

But when we both look to the side, we don’t see Sean’s coach.

It’s Dominic, Miguel right beside him. When Miguel glances in our direction, he waves and enters the pool. Dominic, however, stops, stares, and seethes.

And somehow, like he’s got magic of his own that I don’t know about, that glare sends heat cascading through my body. It’s not the same as the heat Sean brings out in me. Not heartwarming, goose bump–making, body-tingling heat. It’s angry, it’s got claws; it’s my soul roaring inside my heart.

All kinds of ideas of what Sean and Dominic may or may not have done together while they were a couple flash through my mind. I think of them kissing, I think of their hands locked together, I think of Sean wrapping Dominic up in his big arms like he does to me. And with each new thought, a whole new roar erupts out of this monster inside me. He’s mine! Sean is mine, whether or not this has to end in a few more days.

Holy flicking shit.

I’m jealous. For the first time in my life.

Before I know it, Sean pulls me back toward him and places his lips on mine. It keeps the beast down for a bit, smug satisfaction replacing the anger as I see Dominic’s silhouette out of the corner of my eye, unmoving. He’s watching us. Watching Sean choose me over him, watching Sean’s tongue brush against my lip, his hands covering my back and pushing me closer and closer into the duffel between us.