Текст книги "Fusion"

Автор книги: Tessa Teevan

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Текущая страница: 19 (всего у книги 21 страниц)

THE MONTHS LEADING UP to the reunion both dragged and flew by. They dragged because I was anxiously awaiting the moment Jace and Lexi would be together again. They flew by because, by the time we were boarding the airplane, I couldn’t believe we were finally on our way. Nerves twinged in my belly as I wondered if I’d made the right decision. When I glanced next to me and saw my sister, I knew I had.

Ever since the phone call with Jace, there’d been a lightness around her. As if some weight, even if the littlest amount, had been lifted from her shoulders. Maybe there was even some hope deep down in there somewhere. I was feeling hope by the bucketfuls. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what had changed in her, but something had definitely shifted. The old Lexi was starting to emerge, and I hoped that, after this weekend, she’d be back in full form.

“Guess what, Aunt Lexi?” Ava’s excited voice broke me from my thoughts. Sitting next to Jeremy, she leaned across the aisle to get closer to my sister.

“What’s that, Ava?” Lexi asked, looking around to make sure Ava wasn’t in anyone’s way.

“I get to spend the night with Gramma and Grampa!” she exclaimed.

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I’d told Jeremy that we should’ve kept that to ourselves.

Lexi gave Ava a smile before turning to me. It faded as she raised an eyebrow. “Gramma and Grampa?” she repeated.

I wasn’t sure how to play this, so I just waved it off. “You know how the Banks clan can be. Jay and Lydia were really excited about it being Ava’s first time at the beach, so they decided to spend the week in Navarre playing golf and visiting old friends.”

Lexi’s mouth dropped open. “So you don’t need a nanny?” she asked.

“Not tonight, but I’m sure they’ll be busy the rest of the time.” I put my arm around her shoulder and squeezed. “That means you can come hang out and see all the old gang tonight!”

“Great,” she muttered. Then she shook her head and stuck her nose back in her book.

She pretended not to care, but her cheeks flushed pink, giving her interest away. Lexi was going to see Jace again. I couldn’t wait.

Lexi’d been quiet ever since we’d landed at the airport. I had a feeling she was reeling from the change of plans, and a twinge of guilt crept in the back of my mind. But hey, why not rip the Band-Aid off, right? The sooner she and Jace broke the ice, the better. And I was sure it’d melt in two seconds flat.

By the time we made it to the condo, Ava was exhausted from the trip. I wanted to hit the beach; Jeremy wanted to see some old teammates. Lexi yawned and feigned sleepiness. Instead of trying to force her to go to the beach, I let her stay in while Ava napped.

The second my toes curled in the white sand, I released an appreciative sighed before closing my eyes and inhaling deeply, allowing the saltwater scent to invade my senses, reminding me of all the amazing memories I had here. A sense of peace washed over me. God, I loved this place.

When my eyes opened, I was greeted with a gorgeous sight. Just ten short feet away, there he was. Jace McAllister, in all of his glory, appeared to be napping on a beach towel, soaking up the sun's rays. Not that he needed them. When I approached, I nearly whistled at the tan, muscular, tattooed sight before me. If Lexi didn't hit that, she was crazy.

“Well, if it ain’t Jace freakin’ McAllister?!” I squealed as soon as I was standing over him. Probably a little too enthusiastically, but I couldn’t help myself.

I smiled at his groan. He used his arm to shield his eyes from the sun then sat up and came face-to-face with me. When he saw that it was me, he sprang to his feet.

"Hey, Sierra," he mumbled, looking past me, his eyes searching and seeking.

My heart dipped and I couldn't help but laugh, knowing exactly what he was doing. "“You haven’t changed a bit. She’s not down here, so you can stop the search party your eyes are currently on.” Before he could respond, I gave him a big hug. "It's so good to see you, Jace."

He returned my hug then pulled back. There was no masking the disappointment on his face. “Good to see you, too, Sierra. And, for your information, I was looking to see if Jeremy was with you."

Sure he was. “Whatever. You never could fool me, and you’re not going to start now. Jeremy went to see some of the guys from the football team. Lexi and Ava are up in the condo, taking a nap. The flight wore them out."

“That’s cool she could come so you guys can join in on all the events this weekend. Hopefully I get a chance to meet your daughter. I can’t imagine Jeremy as a dad." His grin was gorgeous. Seriously.

“Trust me, you’re not the only one, but he’s the best. Ava’s the ultimate definition of a daddy’s girl, and he’s just as hooked. Anyway, his parents decided to come to town, and they’ll be taking her for the night." I raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Oh, I didn’t know they’d moved.”

I explained just as I had to Lexi. Then I took great pleasure in informing him that Lexi would be at the bar with us that night. The smile that formed on his lips was even more beautiful than before. He was excited to see her. That much was obvious.

“Ah, um, yeah. It’ll be good to see her, too. Hopefully we can catch up.”

“I think you’ll have plenty of time for that this weekend.”

“So, umm, a couple of months ago, I saw online about her husband. How is she?”

“Jace McAllister, were you Facebook stalking?” I teased.

He didn’t have to nod his confirmation. We both knew the truth.

“I didn’t even know you used it anymore. You hardly ever add anything on there. Anyways, she’s doing okay. For a while, she wasn’t eating and she’d barely leave the house, but over the past few months, she’s started coming out of her shell a little bit. She still has dark circles under her eyes, so I don’t think she’s sleeping well, but for the most part, I think she’ll be okay. It was just…a lot to take in. For all of us.”

He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled slowly. “Man, I hate that. It makes me even angrier at myself for letting our friendship go. I wish I could’ve been there for her.”

I placed a soothing hand on his arm. “Jace, you can’t worry about that. You didn’t know. How could you have? All you can do is be here for her now. I don’t know that she’ll open up to you about it, but be patient with her, okay? She’s been hurting for a long time. I think you may be exactly what she needs to heal.”

“You always knew, didn’t you?”

I rolled my eyes then gave him a warm smile. “Everyone knew. Except for the two of you. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen two people be so oblivious to the other’s affections.” Then I cocked my head. “I know something happened before you left, but Lexi wouldn’t ever tell me. Care to spill?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mrs. Banks." His lips quirked up in a smile even though he’d tried to keep a straight face.

I had known that it wouldn’t be that easy. “Right. You always had a shitty poker face. Fine. Don’t tell me. I’ll wait until tonight when you’re full of alcohol to get it out of you. I’m gonna head back in and rest up for tonight. I can’t drink like an eighteen-year-old anymore. See you tonight, Jace."

With one last hug, I walked away, a permagrin planted right on my face.

I was still cheesing when I entered the condo. All was quiet, and Ava was sound asleep when I poked my head into her room. I did the same to Lexi's only to find it empty.

It didn't take me long to find her on the balcony. She was crouched down low on a lounge chair, pretending to be lost in a book. I knew in an instant that she'd spotted me with Jace.

"Why does it look like you're hiding?" I asked, trying to hide my grin and failing miserably.

She barely acknowledged me. "Just lounging and reading," she replied.

I laughed. "Right," I said, taking a seat next to her. "You look extremely uncomfortable. I'm guessing you saw who I was talking to?"

Lexi's shoulders shrugged. "I may have seen you talking to someone, but I couldn't tell who." She feigned indifference. I didn't buy it.

I decided to put her out of her misery—or at least out of that uncomfortable-looking position. “Well, don’t worry. He couldn’t see you, either. But he did ask about you. Said he was looking forward to seeing you.”

She sighed and lowered her Kindle. “Sierra, don’t push it. Please. I agreed to come out tonight, but please don’t make it uncomfortable for me.”

My eyebrows rose. “Since when has being around Jace made you uncomfortable?”

Her face reddened, and she sat up quickly. “Oh, I don’t know, since I offered my virginity to him and he walked away from me!”

Oh.

My.

God.

What had I done? I shook my head. Oh no. I had no idea… If I had, I never would've pushed. Oh my God. I was such an asshole.

Lexi gasped, and I couldn't help myself.

“You did what?!”

"Nothing. Forget I said anything."

She hastily stood and tried to go back inside, but I stopped her.

“Alexa Leigh, sit your ass down and tell me what happened. Now! You can’t say that and not elaborate.”

Fortunately, Lexi exhaled and plopped down beside me. “The night of the graduation party, Jace told me that he had feelings for me. He went down on me, I offered my virginity, and he stopped, said he couldn’t do it, and walked away. I literally threw myself at him until he agreed to be my first. And then he left the next day and I never heard from him again!” She spoke so fast that I nearly asked her to repeat herself.

Instead, I replayed her words in my head.

Lexi and Jace. Jace and Lexi. Graduation night. He had taken her virginity?

That's when it hit me. Oh. My. God. We'd been doing it at the same time!

I couldn't help myself. I burst into laughter.

She glared at me. “I’m so glad you find this amusing. Now you know why I never told you!”

My laughter died down, and I reached for her hand. “I’m sorry. I really am. I just can’t believe it. Everyone but you knew that he was insanely crazy about you and he chose to tell you on his last night here? Then he left you with blue lips but later came back and he took your virginity after you tackled him?!”

She groaned and placed a hand on her cheek. “Oh my God, you did not just say that. Blue lips? Is that even a thing?”

I should've stopped before she killed me, but I was on a roll. “Yeah, you know, like blue balls. Maybe blue clit would be better?” I squealed, falling into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

“What the hell’s so funny?” Jeremy asked.

I glanced up in surprise. I hadn’t even heard him come in. He was watching us curiously, a sleepy Ava in his arms.

“Jace gave Lexi blue clitoris!” I exclaimed without thinking.

Lexi's eyes widened in horror as she smacked her forehead. I bit the inside of my cheeks to keep from laughing, shaking my head when Jeremy gave me a curious stare. Lexi'd endured enough. I'd fill him in later.

Instead, she did it for me.

“No, he didn’t," she explained. "He just tried to, but I wouldn’t let him walk away.”

The pity on Jeremy's face was both genuine and absolutely endearing. His next words? They had me rolling.

“No way! No wonder you didn’t talk to him for so long. The summer before sophomore year, Mandy Simpson went to give me a hand job but chickened out halfway through. She said it was taking too long or something. I spent the rest of the night with a hard-on and it fucking hurt! I never spoke to that tease again.”

I nearly choked on my spit. When I slapped him on the arm, he simply grinned and leaned down to kiss me on the nose.

“What? I’m just telling Lexi here I understand her pain. Jace will never live this down!”

Lexi jumped up, shaking her finger in his face. “Oh, no, no, no. You cannot say a word to him. Nothing. I mean it, or so help me, Jeremy, I’ll…kick you so hard you’ll wish you only had blue balls!”

Horror crossed Jeremy’s face as he twisted to shield himself from her. “That is not something to joke about, woman! Fine. I won’t say anything. I need to protect the Banks family jewels.”

She walked towards the door, and just as she was about to go inside, she stopped and glared at him. "Just remember that when we’re around Jace, got it?”

I was cackling when he stood up straight and gave her a mock salute.

“Yes, ma’am!” Then he looked back at me. "What exactly did I miss?" he asked and handed Ava to me.

I leaned in close. "Remember our first night on the beach?"

His eyes lit up and he squeezed my ass. "Remember it? Baby, it was one of the best nights of my life."

I grinned wickedly. "Well, apparently, we weren't the only ones with that idea," I informed him.

His eyes widened as he glanced back into the condo. "Seriously? This may be easier than we thought." He draped an arm around my shoulders.

When I peered up at him, he was smiling down at me.

"I think this may just be a home run," I said.

At least, I hoped like hell it would be. Only time would tell.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” my sister hissed.

She was cowering behind Jeremy’s tall frame. We’d just pulled up to Helenback after having coaxed my sister out of her room at the condo. She’d tried hiding until we were gone, but Jeremy and I were having none of it. It was probably awful how secretly thrilled I was at her nerves.

“Blue clit,” I whispered in her ear, causing her to scowl at me.

She still hovered behind Jeremy. It was actually nice to see that she was so nervous. It made me believe Jace still affected her, and I was pretty sure she affected him, too.

I laughed as we entered the bar, stepping aside and anxiously awaiting the moment they’d see each other. Lexi was going to like what she saw.

Jace was even more handsome than he’d been in high school. As my eyes raked over him longer than they had on the beach, even I appreciated how he’d filled out. Lean, baseball-machine Jace McAllister had grown some muscles in the Army. Even with my eyes on him, however, he had no clue I was in the building. Nope, his eyes roamed over my baby sister, who stiffened the moment her gaze locked on him.

I elbowed Jeremy and leaned in close. “Holy sexual tension, Batman.”

He gripped my hips and pulled me in. Then he bent down and nibbled on my earlobe. “This was the best idea ever,” he whispered in my ear.

“Oh, yes,” I breathed.

Over the next few hours, we watched the former best friends reunite with rabid fascination, keeping my fingers crossed that Lexi’s night would be amazing.

By the looks of things when Jace and Lexi left the bar, I was pretty sure it was.

Just as I had known it’d be.

The rest? Time would only tell.

MY EYES BLINKED OPEN just in time to see Jeremy walk into the room. I went up on one elbow and admired the sight before me. Jeremy had been in my life for over twenty years, and my mouth still watered at the sight of him.

He took a sip of coffee then let out a moan. “Nectar of the gods, baby. Nectar of the gods,” he said, handing the mug to me so I could get a taste.

“Is she here?” I asked, anxious to talk to my sister about her time with Jace but also secretly hoping she’d spent the night with him.

The grin on Jeremy’s face widened, and I knew the answer before he even said a word.

“Nope,” he said, popping the P for emphasis.

It wasn’t long before Lexi did her walk of shame into the condo.

It was glorious.

I kept my mouth shut as she trudged down the hall and to the coffee pot.

I kept my mouth shut when she sat down at the counter.

I kept my mouth shut when I saw the whisker burns on her neck.

But I sure as hell squealed on the inside.

“Aunt Lexi?” Ava’s curious voice had her lifting her head from her mug.

“Hey, sweet pea,” Lexi greeted her. “What’s up?”

“Daddy said you had a sleepover last night.”

Jeremy stilled behind me. Lexi’s eyes lifted from my daughter to my husband, shooting him daggers. He rested his palms flat on the counter and shrugged.

“She asked where you were when my parents dropped her off this morning.”

When Lexi’s glare didn’t lighten up, he gasped in horror.

“What did you expect, Lexi? That I’d lie? To my daughter? That’s just shameful!”

Lexi’s eyes softened a little. It didn’t last long, thanks to Ava chiming in.

“Daddy said you were sleeping with Jace.” She scrunched her cute, little nose. “Do I know that guy?”

My sister gaped at Jeremy. “You told her that?” she asked, incredulous.

Ava giggled, and I gave her a stern look.

“Were you eavesdropping on Daddy and me again?”

She huffed and rolled her eyes in exasperation. “I can’t help it when you’re so freakin’ loud,” she responded, completing the complaint with a hand on her jutted-out hip.

My eyes darted to Jeremy, who was laughing.

“She’s definitely your daughter,” he said. “That right there? The whole hip, attitude thing? That’s alllll you, babe.”

“You two are absolutely ridiculous. I don’t even know why I agreed to this,” Lexi said, rising from her stool, setting her coffee mug in the sink, and pushing past Jeremy to go down the hall towards her room.

“It’s not her time of the month, is it?” Jeremy asked in a hushed whisper.

I shot him a warning look. “Don’t you dare even think about asking her that.”

“Mmm,” I murmured as Jeremy’s head lifted from between my thighs.

He crawled up the bed and settled in beside me, taking my hand and entwining our fingers. We were both post double orgasm, and I could’ve stayed in bed the rest of the day.

It was the last day of the reunion. Things seemed to be going well with Jace and Lexi, so Jeremy and I had decided to spend our final full morning making love to the sound of the waves. It was incredible.

“I love vacation sex,” I informed him, stretching and wishing we could stay here forever.

“You just love sex, Sierra,” he said, his cocky grin widening. “And you love my dick.”

I rolled my eyes, and he rolled on top of me, pressing his still-semi-hard erection in between my legs.

“Say it,” he beckoned.

“Mmm mmm,” I refused, shaking my head.

My hips arched of their own volition when the now rock hard length of him pushed into my core. I whimpered as soon as he withdrew, then plunged back inside.

“You don’t get it if you don’t say it,” he warned with a leisurely rhythm that was both calculated and electrifying.

Jeremy knew exactly what he was doing. He was bringing me to the brink, then retreating just enough for my orgasm to dissipate. Over and over again until I was writhing beneath him with pulsating need.

“I love your dick,” I panted, rising up to meet his urgent thrust. “I fucking love your dick, Jeremy. Fuck.”

I couldn’t help it. He was right. I loved his dick, and when he rolled to his back, I rode it hard and fast until I was coming again.

“Okay, now that you’ve successfully quenched my thirst, let’s go get Ava so Jace can do the same for Lexi.”

He gave me a quick peck. “Love you, babe. Love your sister. But I don’t want to think about McAllister’s dick when mine’s inside you. Not a good mental image here.”

I laughed then gripped him. “I guess I better replace it.”

A little while later, we took a break from our sex filled morning to join our family at the pool. As soon as Jeremy and I stepped onto the patio, I stopped in my tracks. I released a sigh, practically melting at the sight before me.

Jace, Lexi, and Ava were splashing around in the pool.

Correction. Lexi and Ava were ganging up on Jace, and he was taking the brunt of it in perfect stride.

“Huh,” Jeremy said beside me.

I looked up at him through my sunglasses. “Huh, indeed,” I replied. I gripped his arm and laid my head against his bicep. “I think we did good.”

He grinned down at me, his glasses falling just a bit so I could see his eyes. “From the looks of things, I’d say we did great.”

They didn’t even notice us. Ava was hooting and hollering. Lexi was laughing in a way I hadn’t seen her do in so long. And Jace? Jace was smiling wide. He looked like a man in love.

I was pretty sure that’s exactly what he was.

As Jeremy laid our towels out, I tore my cover up off and scampered across the pool, splashing the three of them with a cannonball.

Jeremy was laughing his ass off at the drenched trio. He held his hands up in Jace’s direction. “I’m glad they’ve found another man to torture. So much so that I think I’ll sit this one out.”

“Daddy, come in the water so we can play!”

“Sorry, baby, but Daddy’s staying out of the water this time,” he said, causing her to frown from Jeremy to Jace. “You’re no fun! I need you to come in here and play sharks with me. Jace tried to but he didn’t make a very good one. He was kind of slow.”

I couldn’t help my snicker. “Getting slow in your old age, eh, McAllister? I’ve heard you’ve been having issues with…your speed.”

Lexi, having heard me, shut me up with a splash of water to the face. Ava decided that it was time for another water war, so the three of us went at it. I barely noticed Jace make his escape because Lexi’s smile was so bright that I was nearly blinded. She was radiating happiness, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride that I’d helped put it there.

I was still laughing when Jace joined me on the patio. The girls were up in arms, splashing each other incessantly. I couldn’t miss the happiness radiating from Lexi. Happiness I hadn’t seen in nearly two years.

“I don’t know how you do it, man. Those three are crazy,” he said.

I couldn’t really argue, so I nodded, all the while smiling widely. “Dude, they’re a handful, but I couldn’t imagine my life without them. It’d be so boring. They’re my girls and I love ’em.”

Jace continued to stare after them while we sat in silence, watching as the girls continued playing.

“So, how’s everything going, man? Sierra’s pretty excited you and Lexi have been hanging out so much.”

He tore his gaze from the pool and glanced at me, trying to figure out what to say. How much to say. “Things are going really well. It feels like nothing’s changed, like we weren’t just apart for so many years. We’ve been able to catch up on the last decade of our lives, and it’s just been great to be around her again.”

“That’s good to hear. We always wondered what the hell happened, but she’d never tell us. I know Sierra planned out this whole thing so you two would have to interact again. I have to admit I was nervous because I wasn’t sure if Lexi was ready. But I gotta tell you, man. I haven’t seen her this happy in a really long time.”

So I was embellishing a little. I hadn’t been nervous at all, but I wanted to gauge his reaction. Which was a huge smile—and it told me all I needed to know.

“It’s nice to hear you say that. She seems like she’s been happy, and that’s all I want for her.”

He returned his gaze to the pool, and I knew that that was all he was going to give me. So I switched tactics.

“Good. Now, Sierra told me you haven’t hit it yet. What gives?”

He choked on the water he’d just downed. “Seriously, Banks? That’s your sister-in-law.”

“Come on, man. She was married for seven years. I know she’s no virginal flower. Speaking of…” I couldn’t help myself. I gave him a bro-tap on the shoulder. “You freaking dog. We had no idea you took her virginity until the beginning of this trip. That. Is. Awesome.”

Jace’s mouth dropped open, so I quickly continued.

“I mean, everyone knew you two had a thing for each other. We had bets on how long it was going to be until you guys started making out at the lunch table. I didn’t think you’d make it past junior year with the way you followed her around like a lost puppy.”

He protested even though it fell on deaf ears. “We were best friends who hung out all the time. That’s natural.”

I laughed and slapped him on the back. “Whatever you say. All I know is that I’m glad you’ve reconnected. She needs a good man in her life again, and I know Ty would approve.”

I wasn’t lying. No man wants to think about his woman moving on after he’s gone, but I had known Ty. Lexi’s happiness had been everything to him, and he’d be thrilled if she found it again. Then I cursed under my breath. Had I spoken out of turn?

“Has she talked to you about that at all?” I asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, we’d actually just finished talking about it when you two came back last night,” he said.

The night before Jace and Lexi had spent the night in our condo, watching Ava while Sierra and I were at the bar. When we got back, I’d found them out on the balcony and it’d looked like they were in a pretty serious discussion. Apparently, that’d been about Ty.

“Damn,” I muttered, and Jace’s mouth quirked into a half-smile.

“She was really open with me about him. Look, I know you probably know that I’m going to try to pursue some kind of relationship with her. Whatever she’ll give me. But also know that I’ll never ask her forget all the years she spent with him. I’m not that kind of guy. I want her to have those memories and to cherish them. In a way, I’m thankful that he was there to love her and take care of her. She deserved that. She still does, and I’m going to try my damnedest to be that guy if she’ll let me.”

If Sierra had been there, she would’ve sighed, swooned, and possibly melted. As Lexi’s brother-in-law, I was ecstatic for her. As a dude, I wasn’t up for the tug of the emotional heartstrings.

“Okay, dude. Now, you’re just getting heavy with me, and I’m not the best person to talk to about this chick shit. Just be there for her like you’ve been and it’ll all work out. Oh, and one piece of advice. Don’t let her leave here without getting laid.”

He threw a water bottle at my head.

“What the hell, man? That’s good advice! You need to lay claim to that and, you know, actually come back this time.” I sobered up at the end, joking but still meaning every word.

That’s when Jace leaned in and told me his plans.

Lexi was well on her way to finding her sun. I just hoped she didn’t get burned.

After my talk with Jace, I felt more confident than ever that Sierra had done the right thing. Watching the two of them together, after they’d gotten over their initial nervousness, was amazing. It was like nothing had changed, and for the first time in over two years, Lexi was finally smiling. Real, true, genuine smiles. It was obvious they both still harbored feelings for each other, and there was no way in hell I was allowing the two of them to go another day without admitting it.

“What was that about?” Sierra asked when I walked back to where she and Ava were playing.

“Just wanted to make sure they were on the same page,” I told her.

“And?” she prompted.

“They’re not only on the same page, but they’re in the same freaking sentence.”

Sierra’s grin grew wide, and we both watched in silence as Jace joined Lexi in the pool. Without hesitation, he grabbed her hips, pulled her in close, and laid a big one right on her lips.

I turned back to my wife. “See?”

“Well, I’d say our work here is done,” Sierra said, and I nodded.

We high-fived, and when Ava climbed up on my lap, the three of us snuggled together.

“Daddy?” Ava called just as I was on the verge of sleep.

“Yeah, baby?” I asked, squinting one eye open.

Her nose wrinkled and she chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. “Why does Jace keep kissing Lexi? Are they boyfriend and girlfriend now?”

Sierra laughed.

I perked right up. “That’s a great question, Ava. You should probably go ask.”

She slid off my lap. “Okay,” she said, scampering across the pool to where Jace and Lexi were.

“You’re awful,” Sierra told me.

“Hey, look what happened last time I told you we should stay out of it. They were apart for ten years. Plus, it’s Ava. She’s adorable and can get away with it.”

She snuggled up against my chest, both of us watching Ava approach them. Jace’s face lit up as soon as she asked her question, but when Lexi’s eyes widened, he simply shrugged, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and swam away, leaving her there to sputter on her own. He climbed from the pool and took Ava’s hand, and even though they were across the pool, I heard her squealing about seashells. Sierra gave him a thumbs-up.

The entire time, Lexi's eyes were unblinking, her lips set in a tight line, even though her cheeks had flushed pink from Ava's question. At first, I was worried Ava had gone too far, But when Jace was out of sight, a smile crept onto her face.

Yeah, Lexi was ready.