Every Summer After(19)

Sam’s face scrunched up and his eyes darted to mine.

“Sorry,” I mouthed, then grabbed Delilah’s arm and pulled her toward the car as she giggled.

“Can you come over later?” Sam asked after we finished unloading. “I’ve got something I want to show you. It’s updates one, two, and three.” The way he spoke, like Delilah wasn’t there, filled my chest with helium.

“You haven’t told her about the boat yet?” Charlie asked. Sam rubbed his face and pushed his hair off his forehead in one movement of controlled agitation.

“No, it was going to be a surprise.”

“Shit, sorry, man,” Charlie said, and to his credit, he sounded like he meant it.

“Well, fill us in,” Delilah piped up, her hands on the racetrack curves of her hips.

“We fixed up Dad’s old boat,” said Sam in a baritone of pride. His voice would take some getting used to.

“And he means old,” Charlie added.

“It used to be our granddad’s, and Dad fixed it up and kept it going until . . .” Sam’s sentence hung there.

“It’s just been sitting in the garage,” Charlie cut in. “Mom always promised I could use it once I turned sixteen, but it needed a bunch of work. Granddad helped repair it this spring when they got back from Florida. Even got this guy helping out.” Charlie bumped Sam with his elbow.

“You’ve got to see it, Percy,” said Sam with a crooked smile. “It’s classic.”

Delilah tossed her hair behind a pale shoulder. “We’d love to.”



* * *





“OHMYGOD, PERCY!” DELILAH squealed as soon as we took our suitcases up to my bedroom. “Why did you not tell me how hot Charlie is? I would have worn something way cuter than this!”

I laughed. Delilah had become seriously boy crazy over the past year.

“Sam’s not as good-looking, but he’s cute, too,” she said, staring up at the ceiling as though in careful thought. “I bet he’ll be just as hot when he gets older.” The taste of jealousy was bitter on my tongue. I didn’t want her thinking Sam was cute. I didn’t want her thinking about Sam at all.

“He’s okay, I guess.” I shrugged.

“Let’s pick our outfits for when we go over this afternoon!” She was already opening her suitcase.

“It’s just Sam and Charlie. Trust me, they don’t care how we’re dressed,” I said, but now I wasn’t entirely sure that was true. She looked at me skeptically. “I’ll be wearing my bathing suit and my shorts if it makes any difference to you,” I added.

We changed into our swimsuits after unpacking our things. Delilah put on a black string bikini, impossibly held together with flimsy ties, and wiggled into a pair of fresh white denim cutoffs so short the smile of her ass cheeks grinned out the bottom.

“What do you think?” She turned around, and I tried not to stare at her chest, but it was kind of impossible, considering the ratio of breast to bathing suit.

“You look insane,” I said. “Good insane.” I meant it, but the acid burn of envy was spreading down my throat. Mom refused to let me wear a string bikini, but she had allowed a two-piece—neon orange with wide buckled straps on the top. I thought it was cool at the store, but now I felt childish, and my jean shorts seemed entirely too full bottomed.

We padded down the stairs to the lake. The sky was clear and the water was blue-blue, rippling from a breeze coming from the southeast.

There was a bright yellow motorboat at the Floreks’ dock, and the tops of Charlie’s and Sam’s heads were visible as they poked around inside.

“Nice boat!” I yelled, and they sprung up like meerkats, both shirtless and bronzed. The perks of living by the lake.

“I can see Charlie’s muscles from here,” Delilah shrieked.

I shushed her. “Sound carries easily on the water.” But she was right. Charlie had filled out, and there was more definition to his arms, chest, and shoulders.

“Wanna come see?” Sam yelled back.

“Do we ever,” Delilah purred, and I elbowed her and raised my hand in a thumbs-up.

We cut through the trail between our properties, emerging from the woods a few meters from their dock.

“Isn’t it great?” Sam beamed at me from the boat.

“Isn’t she great,” Charlie corrected.

“It’s awesome!” I said, and meant it. The boat had a rounded nose with brown vinyl benches in the front and room for six more in the back.

“Totally retro,” Delilah enthused as we walked onto the dock.

“Whoa, whoa, Pers.” Charlie held his hands up. “Your bathing suit plus this boat? I was going to take us for a drive, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to see.” I scowled at him.

“Hilarious,” Sam said, then ran his eyes over me. “That suit’s really cool. Matches the orange in the bracelet. Hop in.”

Sam reached out his hand to help me, and a hot current of electricity buzzed from my fingers to my neck.

What was that?

“We call it the Banana Boat, for obvious reasons,” Sam said, unaware of the zap he’d sent up my arm.

“We haven’t even shown you the best part.” Charlie pushed down on the wheel and a loud aaaah-whoooo-gaaaaah sounded from the horn. Delilah and I jumped and then cackled with laughter.