Page 226 of Something Rad
I give him a knowing look as I point to whereRobbie Summersis written boldly in permanent marker across the name rectangle below the Bay View Bears logo on both the shirt and shorts. “You really expect me to put this on to walk out of this house?”
Robbie shrugs. “I mean, I could carry you out of the house if walking is too difficult. I know you had some trouble with swimming. And breathing.”
My spine steels, my brows pulling together. “Hilarious, really.”
“Thanks, Cooper. Now could you get dressed?”
“Oh, sure,” I say, nodding with enthusiasm. “Did you want to pee on me first?”
Robbie nearly chokes. “Excuse me?”
“Because that’s basically what you’re doing by having me wear these out there,” I tell him, pointing towards the door. “Marking me as your territory. Claiming me.”
Robbie is quiet for a few moments, his eyes darting between mine before he takes a step closer to me, tilting his head. “Is there something so wrong with that?”
My lips part, but any words that may have had a chance to come out are quickly drowned out by knocks banging against the bathroom door.
“Okay, Sara, I’m becoming concerned!” Alice calls out. “Are you still in there?”
I take a shaky step back from Robbie, blowing a breath out before I answer her. “Yes, Alice, I’m in here. I’ll be out in just a second.”
“Is everything okay? Are you being held captive in there?” she asks, chuckling uncomfortably.
“Um…yes,” I respond, not clarifying which question I’m answering. “Just a sec.”
I walk past Robbie, grabbing a second towel off the rack before I start peeling my dress off my body and replacing it with the most ridiculous option for dry clothes I could imagine. I glance up at the mirror in front of me as I do so, expecting to catch Robbie at least attempting to steal a peek. But he doesn’t, keeping his back to me and not uttering a word the entire time. I’m not quite sure what to think of that, his silence making the voices sounding off in my head suddenly deafening.
When I’m finished, I clear my throat once to catch Robbie’s attention before I open the door for Alice, bracing myself for whatever her reaction might be. I’m honestly not sure after she let Robbie throw me over his shoulder and drag me out of the pool.
Actually, now that I’m thinking about it…
Should I be mad at her?
She definitely broke some form of girl code by letting that happen. She absolutely should have allowed me to freeze to death in the pool so I wouldn’t be forced to swallow my pride, especially for Robbie.
God, it still feels like I’m doing something wrong when I let myself think his name after so long. It’s so weird how natural it’s coming to me now. It’s even weirder how naturally I allowed myself to say it out loud once the floodgates burst.
God, I missed hearing you say my name
My face heats, my lower belly tightening at the reminder of all the things that just happenedafterI said his name.
Yeah…those things definitely didn’t feel wrong. And absolutely were not weird.
Realization hits me that, in a way, I guess I have Alice to thank for those things.
Dammit.
I blow a strand of hair out of my face before resigning, reaching for the door knob.
When I pull open the door, Alice startles in front of me, her fist raised like she was just about to knock again. She lets out an exasperated breath, running her hand over her face before dropping it to her side.
“My God, Sara. There you are. Are you okay–”
Alice’s voice abruptly cuts off at the same moment I feel a wave of heat against my back. Alice’s gaze trails up and over my shoulder, and I don’t have to turn my head to know that Robbie has joined me in the doorway. I take a deep breath, holding it in as Alice’s eyes flick from Robbie to me, then down to the new clothes I’m wearing with his name all over them.
Back up to Robbie. Down slightly, I’m sure to the new outfit he’s sporting. To the open shower curtain behind us. To the puddle covered linoleum floor. To our original clothes rumpled in heaps to the sides of the puddles. Back up to my face. Back to Robbie. Back to me.
“Oh,” she utters.
