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"I want to see you dripping wet"

She raises a brow, daring me to expand

I don't have it inback I' her

I' until I'm completely spent

"You'll tell me what Preston said?" she asks

"I proh to make my head spin

Briar givesonce-over, then she turns and dives into the pool

She does it with grace The practice of a girl who greith Southern California summers

She was on the swih school She didn't want to get up early

I played water polo and swae

I finish e of the pool, dive in after her

Cool water surrounds erous Warm and cold Enclosed and free

I surface Take a deep breath

"You're still pretty good" She swilass

"You too"

"I know" She turns to me "What happened?"

"Preston"

She o on

"He really likes you, that's all"

"And that upsets you?"

Fuck, how can I explain it without betraying his secret? "He said he hopes we get married soon So he can walk us down the aisle"

"Why soon?"

Shit I' to London Remember?"

She doesn't buy it

"'Cause Sionna kill h school crush et to the courthouse by Friday"

"He won't"

"You sure about that?"

"He ht kill you, but it won't be for that"

"No?"

"No" She moves closer "He plays fair"

"You sure about that?"

"He'll only kill you if you've earned it"

"I've definitely earned it"

"Twenty-seven years of torturing hih, her fingers brush my chest "Would you let him walk you down the aisle?"

"Are you proposing?"

"Hypothetically"

"Who else will do it?"

"Trish" She mentions our housekeeper

"Both of them maybe" Trish was like a mom to me

"I always thought… well, I never thought you'd get ured Simon would be the one"

"Simon would walk me down the aisle?"

"He is your older brother"

"Thank fuck I' married"

"Ever?"

"You know me"

"You appreciate your freedoht too You do things a hundred percent One day, you'll meet someone, fall in love, marry her the next day"