I hop out first and walk toward my clothes. Tanner follows behind me, cupping himself until he reaches his boxers. I take a seat in the grass to dry off before getting dressed. Once he has on his boxers, he joins me.

The early afternoon sun feels like it’s zapping the water from my skin in seconds. I already want to jump back in. “Maybe I’ll take a nap when we get back.”

He chuckles. “You just woke up.”

“It’s summer vacation.”

“Come with me. Jonah has a great pool. You can swim or you can watch us work out.” He winks.

When Tanner said Jonah had a great pool, he wasn’t lying. It’s huge and has its own lazy river. The house is just as ridiculous which makes me curious as to what it is Jonah’s family does to own a place like this.

We all sit out back next to the pool for a while before Jonah and Tanner decide it’s time to get their workout in.

“You good?” Tanner asks me.

“Oh yeah,” I say, pulling my T-shirt over my head. “I’ll be just fine.”

Jonah tilts his head toward the house. “There’s beer, wine, and some other drinks in the kitchen. Help yourself.”

They disappear inside and I finish undressing and then slather my body in sunscreen, don my sunglasses, and grab one of the rafts stacked up beside the pool. As I’m slipping into the water, music filters out from speakers around the pool. Yep, a lake house just like this is definitely a life goal.

I float around the pool for who knows how long. I’m in that happy state where my brain is turned off and I only exist in bliss and peace. My phone rings and breaks the moment, snapping me back to reality. I consider letting it go, but I’ve already been knocked out of my pool bliss, so I climb out and grab it.

“Hey,” I say, answering with a smile that Emily can’t see but I’m sure comes across in my voice.

“Hey, I was just about to hang up. You sound way happier than I expected for a girl back in her hometown, or have you started drinking already this afternoon? No judgment. I know how much you hate it there.”

“Actually, I had a change of plans and I’m at the lake with Tanner.”

“Oh, that’s awesome. You’re there for the weekend?”

“For the month.”

She’s silent for a moment and then, “What about Amelia?”

“They broke up.” It sort of annoys me that I wouldn’t be allowed to be here if he had a girlfriend like I’m the evil best friend who is trying to steal Tanner away. I mean, okay, I did kiss him, but I definitely wouldn’t have if he had a girlfriend.

More silence.