The food helps, as does the water, but I shake my head when Jonah comes over and offers me another shot.

He hands them off and then plops down beside me. “You know, we were half-convinced he made you up.”

“What?”

“Shaw made you sound too good to be true, and none of us had ever met you.” He shrugs his big shoulders. “I’m glad you two finally got together.”

“Oh, we’re not together. We’re just friends.”

“Really?”

“Really.” It isn’t anything I haven’t heard before. People always assume there’s something else going on between me and Tanner. “Is it so hard to believe that a guy and girl can be best friends?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know. Normally, I’d say it’s totally possible, but the way he talked about you… shit, it was like he’d found his soul mate.”

My insides feel all squishy. “I feel the same about him. He’s the best.”

“But just friends?”

“Yes.”

He looks over to where Tanner’s dancing. “Well, that’ll make all the girls happy, anyway.”

“And what about the guys? They don’t care that I’m single?”

“Oh no.” His expression is serious. “They all know Shaw would kick their ass if they touched you. I’d do it just to get a rise out of him, but I play for the other team, so I doubt he’d care.”

I roll my eyes. “He wouldn’t care regardless. I’ve dated lots of guys and he hasn’t touched any of them.”

Lots is a stretch, but my point stands.

“Well, in that case, do you want to dance?”

I place my hand in his and let him pull me to my feet.

When we get close, Tanner spots me and smiles. We all dance for several more songs before taking a break. A bunch of us jump into the water to cool off. I grab on to Tanner’s back to stay afloat while he sits on a noodle.

The number of times people make some offhanded comment assuming we’re together becomes laughable. I guess since everyone at Valley knows, I forgot how interesting people find it that we’re as close as we are but not dating.

“He’s like my brother,” I insist, although as soon as I say the words, that feels weird too.

“I’ve seen Shaw with Tara. He isn’t like that.” Jonah raises his brows and smirks at Tanner.

“You’re telling me that you two have never hooked up?” Ollie asks.

“We kissed once years ago,” I say as if it meant nothing. Another thing on the list of my self-imposed rules around my best friend—don’t mention that kiss. But the truth is, we kissed and we’ve still managed to be friends after.

I think I’ve pacified them until Ollie says. “Show me. Kiss her, Shaw.”