Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 71915 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71915 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Remy Duval was my high school crush and secret first kiss, but he’s also so much more. A painter, a tattoo artist, my best friend Bailey’s older brother…and Bailey’s sworn enemy. It was easier to keep my distance the past two years, but now that Bailey and I are attending Franklin University with him, I’m only drawn to Remy more. I should be loyal to my best friend, focus on classes and swim team, but the more I see Remy around campus, the harder it becomes to stay away.
Remy Duval
My brother hates me, but that’s no surprise. I’ll take the fall for ruining our family if it means doing the right thing. But as soon as my brother and his best friend show up on campus, I know I’m in trouble. Alex is all grown up, and I can’t help wanting him, especially when he’s in those tiny swim briefs that emphasize everything.
One kiss leads to more, and before we know it, we’re tumbling into secret, no-strings-attached hookups. But who knew Alex would understand me in ways few others have? And I think, just maybe, I understand him too.
I keep telling myself it’s temporary. Alex doesn’t want to disappoint his best friend, and after what my parents went through, I’m not looking to settle down. Making waves is nothing new, but the further I fall, the more I drag Alex in the deep end with me.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Prologue
Alex
It was just before dawn, but something made me sit straight up in bed. My gaze dashed to the window, and I listened closely for whatever had made me stir, but all I could hear was my heart thrumming in my ears. Sure, my surroundings were different, but I was used to them by now. It was my annual summer trip with the Duval family. They owned a cottage on Hummingbird Lake, which was really more like a large pond outside San Diego. My best friend, Bailey, began the tradition of asking me along about six years ago when we were ten going on eleven.
Maybe it was what started our love of swimming. After all, we’d dunked each other and played chicken enough times in that lake, perfected our dives and cannonballs, and engaged in friendly competitions. I supposed that’s what eventually led to us both wanting to join our high school swim team. The rest, as they say, was history. But there were other things about these trips I enjoyed. The bonfires, s’mores, and deep belly laughs all figured into my childhood memories.
I climbed out of bed and padded through the shadowy hallway to the kitchen for a glass of water. The house felt too still and quiet, with everyone asleep. Mrs. Duval was normally up first, but she likely wouldn’t stir for another hour or two. Though she seemed under the weather this trip, so maybe she’d sleep longer.
As I passed the large picture window facing the lake, I spotted a lone figure sitting on the dock. Remy. Bailey’s older brother. Bailey’s hot older brother, whom I couldn’t help crushing on. And how could I not, with his shoulder-length blond hair, vivid blue eyes, and devastating smirks? His disposition was the opposite of Bailey’s rosy optimism, so he’d always been a bit of a mystery. He was like the guy who had it all yet always bucked the system.
The first people I’d confessed my sexuality to were my parents and Bailey, and their immediate support was a relief. But having your best friend crush on your older brother could be pretty awkward, so I tried to temper my reaction to Remy around Bailey. Though I had a sneaking suspicion that Bailey knew. Remy, too, because I’d catch him studying me sometimes like he was trying to guess what I was thinking. His scrutiny certainly never helped keep the blood from rushing to all the wrong places on my body, including my cheeks.
I quietly opened the door and padded toward the lake, taking in the striking predawn smudges of pinks and yellows across the horizon.
“You okay?” I asked as I drew closer to Remy, my footsteps echoing on the dock’s wooden slats. We’d essentially grown up together, and I could usually tell if he was broodier than normal and something was bothering him. I’d even consider him a friend of sorts. There was only a two-year age difference between us, even though he seemed more mature at times. Like he was an old soul who’d seen it all and had the cynicism to prove it. But also like a protector since he’d helped me out of a bullying situation the first week of freshman year.
He glanced briefly over his shoulder. “Yeah, couldn’t sleep.”
I sank down beside him and dangled my feet near the water. “Wanna talk about it?”
He sighed. “Not really.”
So we sat in comfortable silence as we watched the sun paint the sky and illuminate the clouds. The view never got old. Today was our last day here, and in a way, it felt like the finale of our childhood since Remy would be heading off to college in the fall. There was a strange tension in the air the past couple of days that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but when I’d asked Bailey about it, he seemed oblivious, which wasn’t anything new.
Bailey always tried to get out from under Remy’s shadow in high school. He became a star athlete and student as he tried differentiating himself from his older brother, who was moody and struggled with grades. The only thing Remy seemed good at was his art.
It was an interesting dynamic between the brothers, but it could be an awkward one too. Whereas Remy could be brutally honest, Bailey always tried hard to please his parents, sometimes to his detriment. They’d been closer as kids, but their differences became clearer in high school. Bailey had more in common with his dad because of sports, and Remy admitted he was glad because it took the pressure off him. But sometimes I didn’t know if I believed him.
“I know about your crush on me,” Remy said so suddenly that I tensed beside him, barely breathing. Fuck, was he gonna punch me or something? Push me in the lake?