Page 16 of Just Between Us

“What if I panic mid-air and belly flop?” she asks, voice wavering.

“Then I’ll belly flop right beside you.”

She cuts me a look. “That’s not helpful, Liam.”

“Listen to me. We may have just met and there’s a lot I don’t know about you, but I have a feeling you’re braver than you think. All you have to do is close your eyes and jump.”

A light breeze picks up, carrying the faint scent of honeysuckle mixed with a fishy river smell. She takes in a deep breath, like she’s gathering her courage and I see her shoulder relax. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“Then we jump together. You count us down.”

“Three…two…” Her grip on my hand tightens, breaths stuttering. “One.”

We leap off, feet no longer on solid ground. Wind rushes past my ears, along with a shriek torn from Cassie’s throat. Then we hit the cold water, disappearing beneath the surface in a rush of muffled white noise. Even underwater, our hands are still joined. Lungs burning, I kick us upward, and we break the surface at the same time.

Cassie’s gasping for air between great peals of laughter. A full bodied, alive kind of laugh.

“Oh my god! Liam, that was…” But she doesn’t finish. Instead, she laughs again, this breath stealing wild sound that hits me square in the chest, curling around all the empty places inside of me. I can’t help but laugh with her.

With a swipe of her hand across the surface of the water, she splashes me. “We jumped, Liam! I did it, and it was incredible.” Her excitement is contagious, cheeks flushed, eyes bright.

“You wanna do it again?” I tease.

She slaps me on the chest, looking at me through long, wet lashes. “Hell no! You jump all you want. I think I’ll float here and watch.”

Mutt’s barking interrupts us and we both look to where we were just standing not a minute ago.

“We’re okay, buddy. You’re a good boy.”

Four jumps later, I break the surface, shaking my hair from my eyes to find Cassie. Floating on her back about ten feet from me, she has her face tipped to the sun and arms spread wide like she’s letting the river carry every last worry away.

As I float watching her, I think about everything I’ve pieced together so far. Austin James is her brother, and from what little I’ve gathered, he’s had one hell of a year. I’m sure that’s weighed heavily on her mind. I mind my business, but with Austin’s level of fame, some things are public knowledge. Then there’s the terrible ex and all the damage he did. But right now, Cassie looks like maybe she’s letting some of that go.

I swim her way, careful not to splash and break the moment of peace she’s found. When I reach her, I shift onto my back, letting the water cool my skin. We float quietly, side by side, only a few inches of space between us.

“You alive over there?” I ask after a long stretch of comfortable silence.

She doesn’t look over but I hear her hum.

“Mm-hmm.” She sounds dreamy, almost drunk on adrenaline and sunshine. “I haven’t felt this good in…I don’t even know how long.”

I angle my head just enough to glance at her. Her eyes are shut, lips curled in a soft smile.

“How’s it feel knowing you can cross something off your list?”

“Pretty damn good.” A laugh, barely more than a breath, slips from her lips. “I mean, I screamed like a banshee the whole way down, but I did it.” She drifts for a moment, and her voice is quieter when she speaks again. “It feels like I proved something to myself, you know? I think you may be right. I am braver than I realized.”

The current has slowly pushed us closer to the rock and Cassie flips, swimming to it while I follow. She braces herself with one hand, treading water with her legs. We’re inches apart now, and I want nothing more than to close the distance and capture her mouth with my own. But no kissing has been a hard and fast rule for me for a couple years now. Something about kissing feels a hell of a lot more intimate than fucking, and I’m not interested in intimacy. Not anymore. I know to some it makes no sense, but it’s how I see it. Her gaze flicks to my mouth and back to my eyes, and I know she wants me to. The air shifts, the moment between us electric, crackling and buzzing around us.

My heart jackhammers in my chest but I know what I have to do. I know shadows when I see shadows and I’ve gathered enough information to know getting tangled up with me is not what she needs right now. And she deserves more than I’m able to offer. She’s here to rebuild and learn to trust herself. A groan works its way up the back of my throat as I reach to push a strand of hair from her eyes.

“Cassandra,” I murmur, thumb lingering for a heartbeat longer than it should. “This is highly unlike me. But I think I have to friend-zone myself with you.”

Her lips part, surprised. “Friend-zone yourself?” she echoes.

And even though it’s the last thing I want to do, I nod once.

Her brows shoot up, an amused expression crossing her face. Pointing back and forth between us, she says, “You thought, what? Something was about to happen between us?” She grabs me by the arm, throwing a hand over her forehead dramatically. “Oh, Liam, a swoon is upon me. Quick, find my fainting couch.”