Mamma stops her with an arm on her shoulder, reaching to pull the pants off her foot while Raymond pipes up on the other side of her. “Rosa, you probably don’t need to put the pants on right now, you can try them on later.”
Nodding Rosa helps Mamma pull them back off, jumping up to hug Laney with so much force she almost knocks her over. “Thank you!” She lets go, barreling away from us to yell to the other kids about her gift.
Mamma is shaking her head as she goes back to her spot at the table. Raymond is nodding to Laney who doesn’t see because she’s watching Rosa show off her shirt on the playground. Smiling at him to let him know I’ll thank her for them, I sling my arm over her shoulder as Raymond walks away. “I told you she’d like it.”
“You didn’t even know what I’d gotten her.” She says, still watching Rosa.
“Doesn’t mean I didn’t say it.”
She snorts, pushing my arm off her shoulder as she turns to face me, backing away from me toward a vacant picnic table. “When do we eat cake?”
Laney is cackling with my mamma when I get back from walking Rosa to the bathrooms and I stop behind them, sliding my hand into the back of Laney’s hair to grab her neck, “Mamma, Laney needs to leave, she’s been here for hours already.”
Laney smiles up at me, her tongue brushing along her bottom lip catching all of my attention as she says something to Mamma I don’t bother to hear. She shifts to stand, and I step back, raising my hand to Raymond before dropping to kiss Mamma on the cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Don’t we need to say bye to Rosa?” Laney asks, waving to some of my cousins that are yelling their goodbyes.
“I already told her bye for the both of us. She’s lost on the playground now.”
Laney starts heading in the direction she parked, but I grab her arm, pulling her along with me instead. “I parked over there, Jessie.”
Linking our fingers, I pull her up beside me, smirking over at her frown. “I found something when I brought Rosa to the bathrooms.”
She eyes the keys dangling in my fingers, a dimple peeking at me as her eyes meet mine. “What are those for?”
I lean down to whisper, pretending to look around us for potential eavesdroppers. She laughs, seeing that the area is completely vacant except for us. “We’re going swimming.”
She gives me a disbelieving hum, pursing her lips at me. “You have the pool keys? How did you find those?”
“I have my ways, Laney Girl.” She snorts but doesn’t comment, following behind me into the small covered entryway of the pool doors.
It’s an indoor pool that’s only open during summer hours for swim lessons but maintained year round so that it can be rented out for parties. There aren’t any windows in the building but for the glass doors so chances of us getting caught are slim to none. Unlocking the door, I hold it open for her, winking at her pretend awe. Following after her, I lock the doors back up, running my hands along the wall to find the lights. The whole place smells like chlorine and is silent but for the slight hum of the heaters.
Laney finds the lights first, smiling at me like the competitive little shit she is when I look at her. Walking over to her, I turn all but two of the farthest lights off, smirking down at the look of confusion on her face. “We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves, Laney Girl.”
She nods at my answer, looking at the pool. “So what are we swimming in?”
Her eyes drop to my torso as I pull my shirt over my head, and I smile to myself at catching her wandering gaze. “You can swim naked if you want.”
Rolling her eyes, she looks away from me, hesitating for only a moment before she toes off her sneakers and drops her shorts, leaving her in just her pale blue tee and black panties. She’s in the water before I can blink, head popping up as I drop my own denim.
“Are you getting in or not?” She’s in the middle of the pool, smirking at me before sinking so just her mouth and nose are under the water.
“I’m pretty sure it’s against the rules to do cannon balls.”
Popping above the water again, she shrugs, watching me lower into the pool. “I don’t see a lifeguard.”
Swimming toward her, I grip her ankle, pulling her to me until she bumps up against my chest. “You’re right. I better keep an eye on you then.” She rolls her eyes, but I cut off whatever she was going to say with my thumb. I rub it over a faint mark along her neck that her hair was hiding before. “Is this why you’ve been avoiding me?”
She frowns as I scan the rest of her skin, seeing she’s covered with fading hickeys and lightly bruised bites. It takes everything in me not to grind my teeth at the sight, my gut sick with rage. I know that piece of shit intentionally did this just to fuck with me and damn if he didn’t get exactly what he wanted. It hurts in my chest to look at them. He doesn’t deserve her, but he gets to have her whenever he wants and I’m beyond fucking jealous.
“I haven’t been avoiding you.” She swallows and I feel it against my fingers, locking my gaze with her big browns.
“Yes, you have. You haven’t let me see you in over a week.”
“I’ve been busy.” That’s a lie, and we both know it.
There’s a drop of water stuck on her bottom lip and I watch it until it drips down her chin. I want to trace the path of that drop with my mouth. I
