Page 80 of Liam

I chuckle.

“Why is your goofy ass smiling like that?”

“I’m justhappy.”

“I’ve never seen youthishappy.”

I walk backwards, away from Lachlan, and toward the end of the dock, where I lazily fall backward until I’m submerged in the water. Even beneath the surface, I can hear Lachlan yell, “How the fuck do they do that?”

I take my time swimming to the part of the dock where the cooler is and pull myself up and out. I’ve barely even made it to the cooler before Leo asks, “So, what’s the deal with you and Addie?” His police cruiser is parked by the fire pit, but he’s stripped out of his uniform and changed into board shorts.

I grab a soda, sit down and take a sip, then shrug. “Nothing.”

“That hug sure didn’t look like nothing,” Lucas teases, and, obviously, I knew this was coming. If a simplehugcan bring this on, imagine what a kiss would’ve done.

Linc’s back is to me, feet in the water, and he twists at the waist to glare at me. “What hug?” he asks, looking up from his phone. He’s still pissed at me about the whole firing Knox thing. To be fair, he’sstilldealing with the cleanup.

I shake my head, don’t respond.

“Wait.” Leo again. “Whatkindof hug?”

I scoff. “Does it matter?”

“Oh, it matters,” Logan pipes up.

Lachlan climbs out of the water and onto the dock, sitting right opposite me.

Now I have all sets of eyes on me, waiting for… I don’t even know.

Logan sighs. “Did she have her arms around your middle or your neck?”

I stay quiet, so Lucas answers for me. “Neck.”

“Hell yeah,” Logan says, offering a fist bump. I bat his hand away. Linc’s already focused on his phone again, and Lucas and Leo stand, facing each other, mimicking Benny’s dance moves from earlier.

Lachlan looks just as confused as I feel, and I ask him, “What the fuck is happening right now?”

“She’sflirting, Liam,” Logan says.

I think we’re beyond that, but that’s not the point. My eyebrows pinch. “You can tell all that from a hug?”

Logan grabs Luke’s arm and forces him to be his demo dummy. “Arms around the waist before you’re together,” he explains, doing exactly that with Lucas. “It’s cutesy. Screams friends. Now, arms around the neck—” He doesn’t get far in demonstrating this version before Luke pushes him away. He waves a hand over his chest. “Titties are the focus. Shewantsyou to know they’re there.”

I roll my eyes. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Maybe so,” Linc chimes in. I’m surprised he was listening at all. “But those neck hugs are the best kind.”

“False,” Logan says. “I mean, correct when you’re at the flirty stage, like Liam and Addie.”

“We’re not flirty,” I convince no one.

Logan clucks his tongue. “Man, shut your big booty ass up!”

I chuckle. “Has everyone been talking to Lucy?”

“It’s her phrase of the month,” Leo informs. “Benny said it the other night.”

“Anyway…” Logan continues. “Flirty stage, neck hugs,great. But after that, the best ones are around the waist, and they want you to hold their little head while they rest it on your chest.”

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