his, Jason plucked the ice from her fist and held it above her cleavage. She laughed at her predicament, even as her pulse responded treacherously to the way her body was intimately trapped against his. A drop of icy water hit her chest and slipped down her skin, disappearing between her breasts. She shrieked and twisted her hips, trying to ignore the friction her struggles created.
Allie saved her by sneaking around and sliding some ice down Jason’s back. He freed Rain and went after Allie, armed with another fistful of ice. She ran out the front door, and Rain watched the chase through the kitchen window as her heart rate began to return to normal.
Jason caught Allie before she had a chance to circle behind their cars, but he only teased her with the ice before letting her go. Rain smiled contentedly and finished the preparations for the fish tacos as A.J. went out back to start the grill.
After a late dinner, they found themselves reminiscing on the porch with yet another round of margaritas. Rain wasn’t sure how many pitchers they had made, but she was starting to realize that despite the sweet taste, the tequila in the drinks was very potent. The round of tequila shots A.J. had convinced them to do right before dinner wasn’t helping either. Sitting in the mysterious swing, Rain was doing her best to keep the bench from moving too much—she was already feeling a bit dizzy.
She tried to focus on the conversation going on around her. Jason was talking about a time they had snuck to the lake house as teenagers. “That was the fall of our senior year,” he commented. “That may have been the last time we were all here together.”
“Um, excuse me, I wasn’t there. I’m still upset about it,” Allie pouted.
Allie hadn’t been able to sneak away for an overnight stay; she knew better than to even try, as her parents would have penetrated the web of lies the group created in no time. But Rain, Jason, and A.J. had all managed convincing alibis for a Saturday night away from home, and of course Brandy did whatever she wanted. Late that night, the four of them had stripped down in the moonlight to their underwear and run into the chilly autumn water.
“Yeah, that was fun, until you guys stole our clothes,” Rain giggled.
“You still had on underwear and a bra, unfortunately,” replied A.J.
Rain was about to remind him that he only had eyes for Brandy in those days, but a loud crash from the kitchen made her scream. Jason jumped up and was in the house before Rain could even get herself off the swing and coordinate her unsteady feet. She let a wave of vertigo pass and then followed her friends into the kitchen.
The metal ice bucket was on the floor, melted ice cubes and cold water spreading across the tile. The kitchen felt colder than outside, Rain noted as goose bumps rose on her arms.
“We must have left it too close to the edge,” Jason remarked. He strode to the linen closet next to the bathroom and pulled out a towel.
A.J. stood the farthest away, a strange look on his face. “The condensation made the bucket slide,” he said slowly, as if speaking it out loud would make it the truth.
Rain grabbed a dish towel and wiped a small amount of water off the island. “I’m sure that’s it,” she agreed firmly, not meeting anyone’s eyes.
No one said much of anything after that. They just silently got to work cleaning up the spill and the remains of dinner, and retired to their bedrooms.
Chapter 8
A terrifying dream woke Rain up with a start. Images of a dark, deserted train station began to fade as she realized she was safe in her bedroom. In the nightmare, she had been running through the sinister shadows of the empty station, searching for Brandy, hearing her footsteps but unable to find her friend. A dangerous presence had lurked just outside the corner of her dream vision—she knew it was a man, but she couldn’t see a face.
Sitting up, she shook her head to clear it, and then wished
Allie saved her by sneaking around and sliding some ice down Jason’s back. He freed Rain and went after Allie, armed with another fistful of ice. She ran out the front door, and Rain watched the chase through the kitchen window as her heart rate began to return to normal.
Jason caught Allie before she had a chance to circle behind their cars, but he only teased her with the ice before letting her go. Rain smiled contentedly and finished the preparations for the fish tacos as A.J. went out back to start the grill.
After a late dinner, they found themselves reminiscing on the porch with yet another round of margaritas. Rain wasn’t sure how many pitchers they had made, but she was starting to realize that despite the sweet taste, the tequila in the drinks was very potent. The round of tequila shots A.J. had convinced them to do right before dinner wasn’t helping either. Sitting in the mysterious swing, Rain was doing her best to keep the bench from moving too much—she was already feeling a bit dizzy.
She tried to focus on the conversation going on around her. Jason was talking about a time they had snuck to the lake house as teenagers. “That was the fall of our senior year,” he commented. “That may have been the last time we were all here together.”
“Um, excuse me, I wasn’t there. I’m still upset about it,” Allie pouted.
Allie hadn’t been able to sneak away for an overnight stay; she knew better than to even try, as her parents would have penetrated the web of lies the group created in no time. But Rain, Jason, and A.J. had all managed convincing alibis for a Saturday night away from home, and of course Brandy did whatever she wanted. Late that night, the four of them had stripped down in the moonlight to their underwear and run into the chilly autumn water.
“Yeah, that was fun, until you guys stole our clothes,” Rain giggled.
“You still had on underwear and a bra, unfortunately,” replied A.J.
Rain was about to remind him that he only had eyes for Brandy in those days, but a loud crash from the kitchen made her scream. Jason jumped up and was in the house before Rain could even get herself off the swing and coordinate her unsteady feet. She let a wave of vertigo pass and then followed her friends into the kitchen.
The metal ice bucket was on the floor, melted ice cubes and cold water spreading across the tile. The kitchen felt colder than outside, Rain noted as goose bumps rose on her arms.
“We must have left it too close to the edge,” Jason remarked. He strode to the linen closet next to the bathroom and pulled out a towel.
A.J. stood the farthest away, a strange look on his face. “The condensation made the bucket slide,” he said slowly, as if speaking it out loud would make it the truth.
Rain grabbed a dish towel and wiped a small amount of water off the island. “I’m sure that’s it,” she agreed firmly, not meeting anyone’s eyes.
No one said much of anything after that. They just silently got to work cleaning up the spill and the remains of dinner, and retired to their bedrooms.
Chapter 8
A terrifying dream woke Rain up with a start. Images of a dark, deserted train station began to fade as she realized she was safe in her bedroom. In the nightmare, she had been running through the sinister shadows of the empty station, searching for Brandy, hearing her footsteps but unable to find her friend. A dangerous presence had lurked just outside the corner of her dream vision—she knew it was a man, but she couldn’t see a face.
Sitting up, she shook her head to clear it, and then wished
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