Taken While I Slept by My Stepbrother and His Friends novel · Chapter 8 of 24

Chapter 8: After Hours

"I'm not stealing your pills, Mom."

"I know you don't mean to." She stroked my hair off my forehead. "Nursing school is so hard, baby."

"Everybody uses something. Dwight knows a place in Sedona. Very private."

"Mom."

"We won't tell anybody," she said. "We'll say it's a spa."

She stood up, swaying, and kissed the top of my head exactly where Dwight always did.

Then she walked out with her robe inside out and left my door open behind her.

I sat on my bed until the sun came up with my phone in both hands.

At 2:31, Torin texted me.

I saw her go in. He opened his office door and watched her the whole way. I'm sorry, Laine.

I didn't cry.

I wanted to save it for something that would help.

The next night at eleven, Kipp's Jeep idled at the curb with the top off.

"Get in," he said. "I'm stealing you."

"From what?"

"From a house where your mom thinks you're a pill addict. Get in the Jeep, Kessick."

I got in the Jeep.

He drove to the city aquatic center where he was captain of the lifeguards.

He let us in through the staff gate with a key on a lanyard.

The fifty-meter pool lay black and still under the stars.

He hit one switch, and the underwater lights came up.

The whole pool turned the color of a gas flame.

"Kipp."

"I know," he said. "I'm a genius. You can say it."

"Is this legal?"

"Is anything you've done this week legal?"

I was already pulling my shirt over my head.

I'd worn the red bikini under it.

He saw it and walked straight into a lane rope.

We raced.

He gave me a body length on the fifty free, because he was a coach and that was his idea of manners.

I beat him by a hand.

He came up spitting water and yelling that I'd jumped the start.

"You gave me a body length!"

"I gave you a body length because I thought you'd be slow!"

"You talked about my butt through a wall and still underestimated me?"

He went under in shame and came up laughing.

We did backstroke next, and he won, and he swam a victory lap with his fists up while I booed him from the wall.

Then we did breaststroke, and I won, and I made him sing the ASU fight song from the high dive.

He did it.

All of it.

Both verses.

By midnight we were hanging on the wall of the deep end, side by side, breathing hard.

His platinum hair was plastered to his forehead.

He wasn't grinning anymore.

"Can I say a real thing?" he asked.

"You've never said a real thing in your life."

"I know. Let me try one." He looked at the water instead of at me. "That stuff through the wall."

"I started it. Gage was wasted, and Zane was sad about his ex, and I thought it would be funny."

"I said things about you to three guys like you were a picture on my phone."

"I liked it," I reminded him.

"Yeah, and that's your business, and it's hot as hell." He finally looked at me.

"But I didn't know you were listening. So I didn't say it for you. I said it to show off."

"And then I walked into your room with them at three in the morning, while you were supposed to be drugged."

"And I didn't stop it."

"You asked if it was okay," I said. "In the dark. You said it felt bad."

"I said it felt bad and I stayed." His jaw tightened. "I'm sorry, Laine."

"For the wall, and for the room. Not for wanting you. I'm never going to be sorry for that part."

The pool lights moved on his face.

Nobody had apologized to me all summer.

Not once.

Not even the people who'd done the most.

I slid my hand along the gutter until it met his.

"Apology accepted," I said. "Now say something stupid so I don't cry in your pool."

"I've been thinking about your mouth since the popsicle thing," he said instantly.

I laughed so hard I swallowed water.

Then I kissed him.

"I'm awake," I said against his lips. "I'm sober. I want you. Here. Right now."

He went still with his hands on my waist under the water.

"Yes," Kipp said. "Yes. God, yes. Absolutely yes. Sorry. Yes."

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