Page 73 of The Vacation Mix-Up
Pissed, I throw the ball at them, deliberately aiming just shy of where they’re standing, sending a spray of water into their faces. “Your serve.”
Brittany frowns, wipes her eyes, snatches up the ball, and serves it back. I spike it with force, but she returns it.
I hit it again.
She returns.
Repeat.
Repeat.
“Stop hogging it,” Ben says as he crosses into my space and hits it back.
“I’m not.”
“Classic Jordan.”
Riley pops the ball up, so I spike it, hard, watching as if in slow motion as it slams into Brittany’s shoulder and ricochets into the side of her head.
Oopsies.
“My eye!” she cries, covering her face with her hand.
Subduing a revengeful giggle, I call out, “Sorry, Brittany! I forgot how good my spike is.”
chapter twelve
RILEY
“Ow! It stings,” Brittany whines.
I wade closer and pry her hand away from her face. “Let me see.”
“Is it bad?” she asks, her spidey lashes damp, the skin around her eye angry and red.
Wincing, I dip my head and gently wipe the pad of my thumb over her eyelid, when her eyelashes break free and stick to my hand.
I stare at it.Da fuck?“Uh… your eyelashes just came off.”
She blinks her good eye and collects the creepy thing from my fingertip. “They’re fake.”
“Fake?”
“Yes, they’re false lashes. They’re glued on.” She glares over my shoulder at Riles. “Or they’re supposed to be.”
I try to make sense of gluing something to your eyelid, when Riles swims to a stop by my side.
“Are you okay?” she asks. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to?—”
“I’m coming, princess!” Ben hollers like an idiot, sendinga tidal wave crashing into us as he dives forward and scoops Brittany into his arms. “I’ve got you.”
She groans and slaps his chest. “Put me down!”
“You okay, Brit?” Whitney calls from her lounge chair as she flips a page of her magazine.
“No. I can’t see.”
“You should probably see the nurse,” Riles says, her thumbnail clamped between her teeth.
