Page 33 of My Heart to Keep
Tessa greeted us at the outdoor kitchen area and shoved two red cups at us. “Drink.”
I arched a brow at my former enemy. “Does that have any liquor in it?”
She rolled her dark eyes. “Are you for real? Of course it does.”
I shook my head. “Not drinking.”
She stuck her hand on her bare hip. Tessa was sporting the tiniest bikini, and she looked fab in the red fabric, which barely covered her boobs. “It’s a rite of passage. Just sip it. Don’t pour it down your throat like you did at your party.” She talked to me as though Celia and I were in Liquor 101 class.
Dustin Lane waltzed up, his swim trunks resting low on his hips. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, showing off his six-pack abs. He ran his long fingers through his thick, wet black hair. “Quinn, how’s Maiken?”
I growled low under my breath. I didn’t want to talk about Maiken. “Good.” I swiped the cup from Tessa and drank a mouthful, then choked. “This is straight alcohol.”
Tessa laughed so hard, she cried.
Dustin kissed her neck. “Babe, that wasn’t nice.”
I snarled at Tessa. “Do you want a repeat of your Christmas party?”
Dustin cocked his head at his girl. “What happened?”
“The water isn’t cold,” Tessa said, still sporting an evil smile. “So do your worst.”
Celia snagged a red cup from Tessa and dumped it in the small sink. Then she took mine and did the same. “We’re not drinking. Come on, Quinn. Let’s mingle.” After Celia’s two-day hospital stay with a severe concussion, I didn’t think she would ever drink again. I couldn’t blame her either.
Dustin wrapped his arms around Tessa from behind and began nibbling on her ear. “You don’t have to be such a witch.”
“Oh, come on. It’s fun to see Quinn get all feisty.”
I stuck my middle finger at her. “Do you really want to revert back to enemies? Because if you do, bring it on.”
Tessa rolled her eyes before she twirled in Dustin’s arms, and then the two began sucking face.
I joined Celia, who was lingering around the packed pool of kids drinking and talking. Outside the pool, more kids lounged on chairs or blankets while a group of boys putted on the makeshift green on the other side of the pool.
Celia tapped me on the arm as we dodged a group of girls huddled together as though they had a huge secret. “Who’s that?”
I oriented my vision. “Who?”
Celia leaned in. “He’s sitting on the edge of the pool. Black hair, sun-kissed skin, flowered swim trunks. And he’s staring in our direction.”
My gaze bounced around until I found the guy she was talking about. “He looks like Dustin.” I couldn’t see his eyes all that well, though, with the late-afternoon sun beaming directly at him.
“Yum,” Celia cooed.
Dustin was a hottie. “I wonder if he’s related to him?”
A hefty boy threw a girl into the pool, and the impact caused a tidal wave. Water went everywhere, including on Celia and me.
Normally, I would get mad, but the water felt nice on my sticky, heated skin.
Celia tore off her sundress, exposing the tiny bikini covering her curves and big boobs. “Let’s go in.”
I was usually the shy one who didn’t like to show off too much skin, but I was becoming braver with age. Maiken had had a lot to do with increasing my self-esteem. Besides, we were there to have fun.
When I removed my dress, Dustin’s lookalike was suddenly in our faces.
Celia straightened her spine. “Hi.” Her tone rose in pitch.
