Page 103 of Salto

“We'll take the girls,” Dean announced, swimming over beside Lexi and me. Miles joined him.

“How chivalrous of you,” Lexi said, shoving him with an exaggerated glare.

The game started a few minutes later.

Playing volleyball in almost neck-deep water was significantly harder than it looked. I wasn't even five feet tall, which didn't exactly help.

There was constant splashing and yelling, and more than once, I fell trying to lunge for the ball, only to come up sputtering for air.

Despite the water being quite the challenge, it was more fun than I'd expected. It was also somehow helping with my soreness. I'd felt pretty stiff when I first got in, but after a while the movement seemed to loosen everything up.

“Alright, let’s change teams!” Dean said.

“Lexi, come over with us,” Matthew called.

Lexi waded through the water and ducked beneath the net.

Rove pushed away from the opposite side of the pool and took the empty place beside me.

"Try to keep up, Red," he said as he brushed past me.

I scoffed. “Please. I'm carrying this team.”

I was definitely not; Dean and Miles had been making all the points, but I was giving it my absolute all, despite the fact that I was bobbing up and down on my tiptoes right now.

Dean served the ball. I dove for it, only to end up face-first in the water again.

I came up blinking rapidly to see that Rove had hit it and sent it flying back over the net, getting us a point.

Looking like a drowned kitten, I bounced back to my position. Rove passed by me on the way back to his spot, and his hand gently touched my hip to steady me.

It was the slightest touch.

Unfortunately, that didn't stop every nerve ending in my body from noticing.

“You good?” he asked, his eyes searching my face.

I swallowed.

“Yep.”

His hand didn't immediately drop away.

The feel of his fingertips against the sensitive curve of my hip made me go completely still.

His gaze flickered down to where his hand rested, and I heard him suck in a quiet breath.

Then his hand was gone.

“Try not to drown, yeah?” he muttered, avoiding my gaze as he headed back to his spot.

I made my way back to mine, unable to ignore the lingering feel of his hand against my hip.

The game continued, and despite my best efforts, I spent most of it alternating between trying to hit the volleyball and nearly disappearing beneath the surface of the water.

Eventually, Dean declared his team the winner despite numerous protests from the rest of us.

“That last move was totally illegal,” Lexi accused.