Page 103 of Hypothetical Heart
“And out of the country,” Jameson adds.
“Man, shut up, you got almost as good of a score,” Luke says. “You and Genevieve are responsible for driving up the average, which makes people like me look bad.”
Luke got a score in the 1400s, and so did Winnie, Eloise, and I. The reason for our scores likely has something to do with theGenevieve Alderidge SAT Boot Campshe put us all through.
“I’m not going to lie, when she said 1580, I think my heart skipped a beat,” he replies.
“Be honest. Do you have some type of kink for smart girls?” I jokingly ask, and all Jameson does is shrug.
“I can’t lie. That girl is gorgeous.” A smirk grows across his face.
Winnie looks over at me, smiling mischievously like she knows something the rest of us don’t. I make a mental note to ask her for the rest of the details later.
Meanwhile, I point a finger at Jameson. “I don’t care what you do with Gen. She’s her own person and is clearly intelligent enough to make her own decisions. All I’m going to tell you is don’t fuck with her.”
Jameson looks taken aback like he didn’t realize how much Genevieve really means to me. “I got it.”
“Good,” I say. “Because that girl is smarter than you, and I’d hate to see how she’d get away with your murder.”
“Yikes,” Luke winces. “It is true, though. Gen would hide your body better than the best serial killers.” We all laugh.
The bonfire crackles behind us as most of the crowd has started to thin out, leaving just a few of us lounging on the beach, soaking in the final moments of the evening. I glance over at Winnie, who’s sitting next to me in the sand, her eyes fixed on the horizon where the water meets the stars.
She shifts beside me, brushing some sand off her legs. “You know,” she says thoughtfully, “there’s something kind of magical about tonight.”
I raise an eyebrow, intrigued. “What makes you say that?”
She shrugs, a soft smile playing on her lips. “I don’t know. It’s just… nights like this remind me that even though everything changes, there’s still this.” She gestures toward the sky. “The stars, the lake, us. It feels like no matter what happens, this will always be here.”
I nod, understanding what she means. But it’s not the stars or the lake that have me feeling like I’m standing still in time—it’s her.
Winnie pulls her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. “It’s stupid, I know,” she murmurs, almost shyly.
“It’s not stupid,” I say softly. “I get it. Some things feel like they never change, even when everything else does.”
She gives me a sideways glance, her hair glowing in the firelight. “Like us?”
I feel a lump rise in my throat. “Yeah,” I say, my voice quieter than I meant for it to be. “Like us.”
There’s a beat of silence, and the only sound is the distant pop of a firework from another party down the lake and the soft lapping of the water on the shore. Then, she suddenly sits up straight, a spark in her eyes.
“I have an idea,” she says, standing up and dusting off her shorts. Without waiting for me to ask what, she grabs my hand, tugging me to my feet.
“What are you doing?” I ask, amused.
She pulls me toward the edge of the water, kicking off her sandals and laughing as the cool waves wash over her feet. “We’re going for a swim!” she announces.
I laugh, shaking my head. “You just got out of the lake an hour ago!”
“And now I’m getting back in. Come on, Logan, live a little,” she teases, her crystal blue eyes bright with challenge. She takes a few steps into the water before turning back to face me, walking backward, and holding out her hand.
I hesitate for a second, but when she gives me that look—the one that says,you can’t resist this—I sigh dramaticallyand pull off my shoes. “You’re lucky I trust you,” I mutter as I follow her into the lake.
The water’s warmer than I expected, gently lapping against my legs as we wade in. Winnie’s already up to her waist, her blonde hair spilling over her shoulders as she turns to face me.
“Come on,” she calls out, splashing water toward me. “Don’t be a chicken.”
“You’re impossible.” I laugh, walking toward her, feeling the sand give way beneath my feet. When I’m within reach, she darts forward and pulls me under with a sudden splash, her laughter ringing out over the lake.
