𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞

R E E D

I can't help looking back over my shoulder in the direction of our spot on the beach, but Maddison turns my head back towards the ocean with a finger on my chin. Biting my lip, I give her my best apologetic look. "I'm sorry for dragging you along on such short notice."

"You apologized like six times on our way to Farris's. I can't believe you picked me up first, he's your damn neighbor." She grumbles, but I can see the sympathy and understanding in her eyes, whether she wants me to or not.

"I know but—"

"Don't make me change my mind and leave you to deal with him on your own. Good luck having a conversation looking like that. Not to even mention him."

I make a face. "What do you mean?" I ask, looking down at myself and cringing at the sight of my extreme cleavage. My bikini top might as well be a bra, and while it may be supportive, it's not exactly subtle with its display of my assets. I don't know what I was thinking. "Okay nevermind."

"At least you're not oblivious. Give the guy a break, he has no idea and he looks like a damn puppy, trying to get your attention." She looks back at him with the same look that she gave me and I begin to feel bad for my behavior. "If you want space from the guy, why are we here? Why wear that? I know you don't do anything without thinking it through." She raises a perfectly arched eyebrow and I turn away to collect my thoughts.

"I don't know. I really don't. I always think things through, and yet..."

"It's different when it's him." She says matter-of-factly and I nod, feeling so small.

"Am I doing this all wrong? I just don't know how to do this, how to separate myself without pushing him away too far." I cry out and Maddison takes a step closer in solidarity.

"I can't tell you how to do this, but in my opinion, keeping him in the dark about everything isn't the way to do it. I'm not saying you tell him everything, but you could always stretch the truth. Tell him your relationship is just getting to be too much for you to handle. If you started dating, that would be a good excuse, because no guy is that secure."

"We've never done anything," I say defensively.

"You can't tell me if you were in a relationship, you would be comfortable with them acting the way you do with Farris, with someone else." She says and I don't need to think about it to agree, knowing just how right she is.

"What does that say about me? After what happened with Garrett, I stopped dating because Farris just became...everything." I sigh.

"We'll continue this later," Maddison says, her eyes focused over my shoulder and I know why, I can feel him. My stomach muscles contract a moment before his hand brushes against mine, and then he's there in front of me, grinning mischievously.

"I was beginning to feel like you lovely ladies forgot about me," Farris says flirtily and I have to fight not to play along, settling for a small smile directed towards him.

"Forget you? I could feel your ego all the way over here." Maddison retorts and Farris splashes her, his eyes not lingering on her body for even a second. My eyebrows furrow, because even I have trouble drawing my eyes away from her beautiful curves and dark features.

Pulling me out of my head, Farris splashes me as well and laughs when Maddison and I team up against him in a water war. My hesitance is washed away with the saltwater soaking and splashing me, the three of us dissolving into bursts of playful laughter.

Farris's eyes dart up to my own, and I blush at the fact that his eyes were focused on my chest, for however long. Maddison's smirk tells me that it was long enough that she noticed as well, and when she looks from the beach to me with a question in her eyes, I nod even though my heart is racing at the thought of being alone Farris, not to mention the talk that needs to happen.