Page 66 of Broken Ties (Rixon High 4)

Poppy

The summer before ninth grade…

“What are you doing all the way over here?” Sofia asked me as I sat on the edge of the Bennets’ pool, swirling my toes through the water.

“Enjoying the view?” It came out more of a question than an answer.

Sofia frowned. “Is everything— oh.” She noticed Aaron among the group of girls splashing him at the other end of the pool.

“He’s got quite the fan club.”

“Yeah.”

“I told Mom and Dad I didn’t want to invite Staci and her friends but they ran into her parents and mentioned the pool party. I guess they felt obliged to invite her or something.”

“It’s fine.”

It wasn’t but whatever.

Sofia and I didn’t hang around with Staci Caulson and her friends. They were the popular girls all the guys at school went gaga over. She and Aaron were friends. At least, she acted like they were.

Her laughter danced in the air as Aaron tried to dunk her, and everyone laughed with them.

A streak of jealousy went through me. She looked like a seventeen-year-old in her bright pink bikini that showed off her ample curves, and I barely had boobs or an ass.

“Want to go get them?” Sofia flashed me a conspiratorial glance.

“Who? Staci?”

“No, silly. Aaron and Cole. We owe them for the other week. I still can’t believe they got us.”

I smiled. That had been a fun day. Me and Sofia had been sunbathing out by the pool when Cole lured us over to look at something on his phone. But it was a decoy. Aaron had appeared out of nowhere, picked me up and chucked me in the pool while Cole got Sofia.

Obviously, it was war now, and we were waiting for the perfect moment to strike back.

“I don’t know. They seem kind of busy.”

“Seriously? This is my pool too, Pops. If I want to break up their little flirt fest, then I damn well will. Come on.”

She slid off the pool edge and motioned for me to follow. With a little huff, I dropped into the water and dived down to chase Sofia. When I resurfaced she was already sneaking up on Cole so I made a beeline for Aaron. He was distracted by Staci and her friends, trying to act all cool, running his hands repeatedly through his damp hair and telling them all about his big plans for high school.

I rolled my eyes, creeping closer. Sofia caught my eye and nodded with a grin before leaping out of the water and straight onto Cole’s back. The two of them went down in a huge splash, the girls shrieks filling the air.

“What the—” Aaron spluttered as I jumped on his back and yanked him off his feet.

We crashed under the water, my heart pounding in my chest. I could only imagine what Staci and her friends were saying but I didn’t care. Not as Aaron managed to turn around and circle his hands around my waist as we cut through the surface.

“Sneaky, sneaky.” He grinned, still holding me.

“Seriously.” Staci protested. “You soaked us through.”

But Aaron ignored her, his attention fully on me. “You know this means war, right, Poppy Star.”

“Bring it on.” I smirked, warmth spreading inside me.

I loved it when it was like this between us.

“Aaron,” Staci cried. “Oh my God, a little help.”

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