Soaked By Him

Wearing His Clothes

Priya had barely made it three steps from the pool when she heard her name."Priya! Wait!"She kept walking.Her sneakers squelched with every step, and her soaked white tank top clung uncomfortably to her skin. She was cold, humiliated, and dangerously close to losing the last of her patience.Behind her, Maya and Charlotte hurried across the wet grass."Where are you going?" Maya caught her arm."Home.""It's midnight!" Charlotte protested. "We have no car, our phones are almost dead, and we're not exactly sober enough to drive.""Then call someone.""With what phone? Yours is practically swimming!"Priya glanced at the dark street beyond the gates. She had no ride, no money for a taxi, and no intention of walking home alone.She hated that Jayden's party had left her with no choice."Fine," she muttered. "But I'm staying as far away from him as possible."The girls returned to the house.Music thundered through the living room, and laughter rose above the crowd. Priya was about to head upstairs when she noticed someone through the patio doors.Jayden.He was kneeling on the tiles, gathering scattered plastic cups and decorations. His hair was still wet, and water trickled down his shoulders as he worked in silence.Tyler stood nearby, shaking his head."Man, leave that. It wasn't intentional.""Yeah," Marcus added. "You didn't know she was behind you."Jayden ignored them.Then he looked up.His gaze found Priya immediately.For a second, neither moved.She hated the strange flutter in her stomach. She hated that he looked genuinely troubled. Most of all, she hated that a part of her still remembered how tightly he'd held her when he'd pulled her from the water.She looked away first."Maya," she whispered, "I need dry clothes.""Annie said we could borrow something."Upstairs, the noise faded into a distant hum.Annie, Jayden's younger sister, emerged from her bedroom wearing pajamas."What happened? I heard someone fall into the pool.""Your brother nearly drowned Priya," Maya said bluntly.Annie winced. "That sounds like Jayden. Come on, you can borrow something."She pointed them toward the hallway and explained that they could find spare clothes in her room.A few minutes later, Maya and Charlotte went downstairs to look for blankets, leaving Priya alone.She studied the hallway. Four doors stood along the corridor, and one was slightly open.She assumed it belonged to Andrew, Jayden's older brother.At twenty-four, Andrew seemed to possess everything Jayden lacked: maturity, patience, and the ability to think before acting. Priya had liked him since she was fifteen, although she had never found the courage to admit it.She knocked softly."Hello? Anyone here?"Silence.Believing the room was empty, she stepped inside.It was neat and surprisingly inviting, with a large bed, books arranged on a desk, and basketball posters on the walls. A black T-shirt and matching shorts lay folded at the foot of the bed.Andrew's, she assumed.The clothes were dry, and that was all she cared about.Priya changed quickly, pulling the oversized T-shirt over her head and stepping into the shorts. The fabric was soft, warm, and long enough to make her feel less exposed.Finally, she could breathe without shivering.She gathered her wet clothes.The bedroom door suddenly slammed against the wall.Priya spun around.Jayden stood in the doorway, a towel in his hand. His expression shifted from irritation to disbelief as he took in the sight of her wearing his clothes."What the hell are you doing in my room?"Priya stared at him."Your room?""Unless I've accidentally walked into someone else's bedroom, yes.""I thought this was Andrew's!""Why would Andrew's clothes be in my room?""I don't know, Jayden! I was looking for dry clothes!"He glanced at the shirt hanging loosely around her thighs."Those are mine."Priya's face heated."Well, congratulations. You can have them back when my clothes stop dripping.""You could've asked.""Your sister said I could borrow something!""From her closet, Priya. Not mine."They stared at each other, both too stubborn to back down.From downstairs, Maya called, "Priya? Did you find anything?"Before Priya could answer, Jayden stepped inside and pulled the door nearly shut."That's my favorite shirt," he said."And this is my favorite night ruined by your stupidity."His mouth tightened."You really don't know how to say thank you, do you?"Her expression hardened."Thank you for saving me. Now, thank you for nearly killing me. Would you like me to say it again?"For a moment, his expression changed.Then he looked away."No. Keep the clothes.""How generous.""But you owe me."Priya let out a disbelieving laugh. "I owe you? You're unbelievable.""You're the one who called me a pervert in front of everyone.""Because you were staring!""I was trying to make sure you were okay!""Then perhaps you should stop giving me reasons to think the worst of you."Before he could respond, Annie appeared in the doorway carrying a blanket."Why are you two shouting?""She walked into my room and stole my clothes," Jayden complained.Annie looked at Priya, then at the oversized shirt."She needed something dry. It's not a crime, Jayden."She handed Priya the blanket before turning to her brother."And put on a shirt. You're making this awkward."Jayden snatched the gray T-shirt she tossed at him.Priya adjusted the borrowed shirt, suddenly uncomfortable beneath his gaze."Andrew wouldn't have made such a big deal about this," she muttered.Jayden stopped pulling the shirt over his head."Andrew?"She lifted her chin. "At least he's mature."A humorless laugh escaped him."Right. You still have a crush on my brother.""That's none of your business.""He's twenty-four, Priya. You're seventeen.""I'm almost eighteen!""And he still sees you as his little brother's friend."The words landed harder than she expected.Jayden noticed the hurt in her eyes, and his expression shifted."Priya, I didn't—""Forget it."She pushed past him, leaving her wet clothes in his hands."Wash these," she snapped. "And I'm keeping your clothes until mine are dry."She marched downstairs without waiting for his reply.Maya's eyes widened when she saw her."Girl. Is that Jayden's shirt?"Priya folded her arms."I thought I was in Andrew's room."Maya's expression transformed into a knowing smile."Oh, this night just got interesting.""Don't start."But Priya's attention drifted toward the staircase.Jayden stood at the top, watching her.Their eyes met.He should have looked away. Instead, his gaze remained fixed on her, his expression unreadable.Then his phone vibrated.He glanced at the screen, and whatever amusement he might have felt disappeared.Priya couldn't read the message from where she stood, but she saw his jaw tighten.He looked at her once more before turning away.And for the first time that night, Priya wondered whether the boy who had spent two years ignoring her was hiding something far more complicated than dislike.