Dirty little secrets

10

~Ava~

After the movie ended everyone scattered, Mom and Richard heading upstairs talking about some early tee time tomorrow.

Riley grabbed my wrist hard. “Come on. Bedtime.”

“I’m not tired.”

“You’re lying. Your eyes are doing that twitchy thing they do when you’re about to explode.”

I yanked my arm back but followed her anyway because staying down here with Jax and Chloe felt like volunteering for more torture.

We got halfway up the stairs when Chloe said, “I’m gonna quick shower, babe. All that chlorine.”

Jax made some low sound like yeah whatever.

Riley dragged me the rest of the way to my room, shut the door, locked it, then flopped on my bed face-first. “Okay, spill. You’ve been weird since the pool. Weirder than usual.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. You’re vibrating.”

I paced to the window, stared out at the pool lights still glowing blue under the water. “I hate her.”

“You don’t hate her. You hate that she’s perfect and banging your stepbrother.”

“He’s not my… ” I stopped, sighed. “Shut up.”

Riley rolled over, propped her head on her hand. “You gonna survive tomorrow? Because she’s not leaving till Monday morning.”

“I’m gonna fake food poisoning.”

“Your mom will take you to the ER.”

“I’ll say it’s cramps.”

“She’ll buy you chocolate and Midol and make Chloe help.”

I groaned, dropped onto the bed next to her. “Kill me.”

We laid there for a while, Riley scrolling her phone, me staring at the ceiling replaying every single moment Chloe touched Jax today like a highlight reel from hell.

Eventually Riley yawned for real. “I’m crashing. You coming or you gonna brood all night?”

“I forgot my charger downstairs.”

“Liar.”

“I’m serious. My phone’s at twenty percent.”

She gave me a look but didn’t argue, just pulled the blanket over her head. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“No promises.”

I waited until her breathing evened out, then slipped out of the room quiet as I could, barefoot down the stairs because socks make noise on hardwood and I didn’t want anyone hearing me.

The house was dark except for the kitchen stove light and the pool lights outside bleeding through the windows.

I waited until I heard Chloe’s footsteps disappear down the hall toward Jax’s room, then I muttered something about forgetting my phone charger and slipped back downstairs because there was no way I was sleeping yet, not with my brain on fire like this.

The kitchen was dark except for the light over the stove, and I was rummaging through the junk drawer for literally nothing when the fridge door opened behind me and I knew without turning around who it was.

Jax.

He didn’t say anything at first, just grabbed a water bottle, cracked it open, took a long drink while I pretended to be super interested in a random phone cord that wasn’t even mine.

I could feel him watching me.

Finally I turned around, arms crossed. “What?”

He leaned against the counter, shirtless now because of course he was, just those same board shorts riding low, hair still damp from the pool earlier. “You’ve been avoiding me all day.”

“No I haven’t. I’ve been avoiding everyone. Big difference.”

He smirked. “Sure.”

I rolled my eyes and tried to step around him to leave, but he shifted just enough that I had to brush past him to get out of the little corner by the drawer.

And that’s when it happened.

His hand came out like he was steadying himself on the counter, but it landed low on my back, fingers spreading for half a second, pressing just enough that heat shot straight through my shirt and down my spine and everywhere else.

I froze.

He didn’t move his hand right away.

Then he leaned in, voice low right by my ear. “You’re staring, princess.”

I sucked in a breath, shoved his arm away, but my voice came out shaky. “Go enjoy your girlfriend.”

He didn’t back up. Just stayed close enough that I could smell pool water and whatever body wash he uses, and his mouth curved into that smirk that made me want to slap him and kiss him at the same time.

“Jealous looks good on you.” Instant flush, instant rage.

“Chloe’s in the shower.”

“Cool. Great. Thanks for the update.”

He laughed under his breath. “You’ve been pissed all day.”

I found a cord that might work, yanked it out, turned to leave.

He didn’t move out of the way.

I tried to step around him and that’s when he shifted, casual like he was reaching for something on the counter, but his hand landed low on my back, fingers pressing just above the waistband of my shorts for half a second.

Long enough.

Heat exploded everywhere.

I froze mid-step.

My face burned.

Then he kissed me. Mouth cold from the ice cream at first, then hot, tongue pushing in, hands sliding to my waist pulling me against him.

I kissed back before I could stop myself, hands fisting in his wet hair, angry and desperate and stupid.

He groaned low into my mouth, lifted me onto the counter easy, stepped between my legs.

My phone buzzed loud on the counter next to us Riley probably woke up wondering where I was.

We broke apart fast, breathing hard.

He rested his forehead against mine for a second.

“f**k,” he muttered.

“Yeah.”

Footsteps upstairs.

We jumped apart.

I grabbed the ice cream, he grabbed his water, and I bolted for the stairs while he ducked toward the pool house door again.

I made it back to my room, slammed the door quiet, dove into bed.

Riley sat up. “Where the hell were you?”

“Ice cream.”

“You were gone forever.”

“Couldn’t find the spoon.”

She stared at me in the dark. “Your mouth’s swollen.”

“Brain freeze.”

“Liar.”

I pulled the blanket over my head again.

She laughed. “You’re so dead tomorrow.”

I didn’t answer.

Because she was right.

And I didn’t even care.

Jealousy looks good on you.

Yeah.

Maybe it did.