The noise caught her attention again. Something small hit the window, and she reluctantly got out of bed. A beam of light shot into her room from outside. Lila shielded her eyes as she approached.
Shaking her head, she lifted the window open. “What are you doing?”
Gavin stood on the ground below, moving the flashlight his own direction so she could see his face. He tossed what she assumed were pebbles back to the flower bed along the side of the house. He whisper-yelled up to her, “Checking something off your list.”
“By throwing rocks at my window?” She tucked a piece of hair back, suddenly conscious of how disheveled she must look. “It’s almost midnight.”
“Exactly.” He grinned while she waited for further explanation. When she didn’t say anything, he disappeared and came back carrying a ladder. “Does your screen just pop out?”
“My screen?” she asked as he began to climb.
He reached her second-story window and used the flashlight to look closer. Tucking the light under his chin, Gavin used both hands to unlatch the screen and drop it to the ground. Lila held her breath as his hands left the ladder.
“What are you doing?” She stepped back as he climbed into her room.
“Sneaking you out.” He looked at her with a raised brow, as if it was obvious. He turned on her bedside lamp and switched off the flashlight before moving to her dresser.
Lila ran over, trying to keep quiet. “Gavin.”
He stood upright with a t-shirt in hand. “Weston.”
She took the shirt, grabbed a pair of leggings, and told him to turn around. As she changed, she said, “You know, we could’ve just used the front door. My parents are asleep.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
Lila let out a soft chuckle. “Okay, I’m dressed.”
He turned to lounge against the dresser while she grabbed her flip-flops. “Oh no, you don’t.” He snatched them away and tossed them out the window. When she gasped, he added, “Not until you get down the ladder.”
She nodded and pointed to the window. “After you.”
Without an argument, he obeyed.
Lila felt ridiculous climbing down the ladder, but she smiled. “How are you going to get the screen back in?”
His hand went to her back as she moved down the last few rungs. The cool grass met her feet, and she looked for her shoes.
“Um…” he started as he turned on the flashlight to help.
She laughed again—something she seemed to do more often than usual around him with the truce in place. She slid her feet into the flip-flops and looked back up to him.
“I didn’t think about that,” he said.
“See, it would’ve been much simpler using the door.”
He took a step forward and bent down to her level. “Yes, but then it wouldn’t really be sneaking out.”
“It would’ve if we used the back door or the garage,” she said.
His eyes narrowed before spinning and walking toward his house. “My way is still better.”
She ran after him. “Where are we going?”
Gavin froze mid-step. He held the flashlight out to her without needing to be asked, and her stomach fluttered. He turned with a grin. “How do you feel about going for a swim?”
“There they are,” Dylan shouted as they walked through the gate. He sat in a hot tub with his arms casually draped over the sides.
Upbeat music played from a nearby speaker, and laughter caught Lila’s attention. Three others sat in the hot tub while a few lounged in chairs near the pool. Kaley waved and hopped up from her seat on the ground.
“I’m so glad you guys could make it,” she said.
The sweet smile geared toward Gavin didn’t sit well with Lila. Her hands turned to fists at her sides, and she quickly crossed her arms to hide the reaction. She wasn’t supposed to care who he spent time with, but as he gave Kaley a quick hug, Lila looked away. She walked over to Dylan and rested her forearms on the raised hot tub.
“Love the hair.” He reached up and tugged a red strand.
She laughed, swatting his hand away. They had never been close, but Dylan was easy to be around. She lifted a hand to wave to the couple across from him, Justin and Sarah. Justin was in several of her classes the past couple years, but like everyone else, she didn’t know him well.
“What’s up?” Lila asked the group, trying to hide the uncomfortable twisting in her chest.
“Pool party, of course.” Dylan splashed her with water. “Get in.”
“I don’t have a swimsuit.”
“You didn’t bring a swimsuit to your own party?” Sarah asked.
“I... What?” Lila glanced at Dylan.
“Yeah, my parents are up in Michigan for the week,” Kaley said as she and Gavin joined them. “When Gavin said you were looking for a pool, I told him to just come hang out here.”
“You told them?” Lila whispered to Gavin.
He stepped closer. “That you’ve been dying to get in a pool. It’s your favorite part of summer, and you didn’t know when you’d get another chance.”
His quiet words were just for her. The others had gone back to their conversations.
Except Dylan, who asked, “Seriously, where’s your swimsuit?”
“Seriously, I don’t have one.” Lila narrowed her eyes at Gavin in an overly dramatic expression. “Someone failed to mention this is where we were coming.”
“Wait, then where did you think you were going in the middle of the night?” Dylan asked, raising his eyebrows twice.
Her breath caught as her face heated with embarrassment. Before Lila could respond, Kaley leaned across Gavin to grab her arm. “Come with me. I have one you can borrow.”
Grateful for the distraction, Lila followed her inside. Kaley’s ranch-style home was sleek and modern. The kitchen
