Enemy's Secret

"Just thought I'd go explore while Harley was watching Madison. I didn't know - "

"It's fine," Landon grumbles, reaching for his bathing suit. "We should be going anyway."

"Yeah, well..." Greyson's clearly dying of embarrassment, although I'm the one whose heart's beating so franticly that part of me thinks it'll plop right out of my chest and drown itself in protest. "I'll just be going."

"You do that," Landon grumbles.

Once he's gone, Landon and I turn to each other. He's still wearing an irritated scowl, holding his bathing suit as if he isn't quite sure what to do with it. Or maybe he knows and doesn't want to.

Me, I've sunk into the water so it goes up to my chin. If only I could be annoyed instead of embarrassed, like he is.

"Yeah?" he says.

"Kill me now," I say.

"At least it was him," Landon says with a chuckle, giving my thighs a caress. "Although I was wanting to..."

"Landon." I wade away, ignoring the frissons of pleasure. "No. Time for bed."

I've learned my lesson. We were lucky enough not to be caught the first time. No way am I tempting fate by doing it again.

Not sure what offenses they kick you out of Disney World for, but fucking in the hotel hot tub may be one of them.

Getting caught by the brother of the guy I'm seeing isn't exactly an aphrodisiac. At least not to me.

Meanwhile, Landon's face has dropped. He's turned away to get on his bathing suit.

I should do the same. Although it's slippery and ungainly, trying to get the two sopping cotton pieces on while in the water. After stumbling into the bottoms, on the third attempt to tie up my top, I finally give up and ask Landon, "A little help?"

I turn so he can tie up the bikini top, which he does without a word.

The room's quiet, punctuated by the odd trickle of water. It seems eerie now. Oppressive.

The feeling follows us into the pool room, down the hallways, even back into my room. We say goodbye to Harley with a minimum of words, although she's all chatty good humor, and then, once again, it's just us. Eyeing each other.

Why is it even awkward now, anyway? Is he actually that pissed that I turned him down for a second time?

Is that all this is to Landon - just about getting his way with me? No, I'm probably just jumping to sleep-deprived stupid conclusions. Although he isn't saying anything.

"Goodbye, then," I say, with a light wave.

"Bye," he says, no wave.

Back in the too-bright fluorescent-lit bathroom, I try not to look at my wan-faced reflection. I know how crap and uncertain I feel without having to look at it in the face.

What just happened? Why is this relationship such a continual mindfuck?

And after he was so sweet and perfect with me and Maddy...

Something annoying Mom said about rinsing out chlorine from my swimsuit echoes in my head, so I rinse it off and sling it into the shower to dry.

Better not think about it.

**

"Wakey, wakey, Mom!" Maddy trills at some ungodly hour.

My eyelashes flutter a smidgen open, then think better of it. Then the light scorches red brightness through my lids.

Yes, Madison, my dear merciless child, has opened the curtains all the way.

"What time is it?" I manage to groan.

"7:30," she chirps.

"Maddy!" I could've chucked a pillow at her if I felt like moving. "You know it's our vacation."

"We gotta get out there early," Madison says in a firm 'mom' voice that makes me scowl. "Otherwise the lines will be super long."

I just lie there. Maybe if I don't say anything, just lie here and pretend to be asleep, she'll give up and I can -

"Mom?"

I sigh, glaring open my eyes a crack. "Fine. Give me a minute."

I end up needing about fifteen. Five to wrestle myself into a half-upright position, another five to down the coffee Madison so kindly brought me. A final five to change into something more public-appropriate than silly yet awesome sheep PJ bottoms Madison bought for Christmas last year.

"Know what rides you want to go on?" I ask Maddy after I've downed another coffee and feel a little less like walking death.

One bonus is that Madison's so excited that she even dressed herself, complete with a not-terrible ponytail and her way-overpacked backpack.

We'll deal with that later, though. As well as the talk we're going to have about wake-up times if I'm going to survive these next few days. Who knows, maybe I should've splurged for those skip-the-line passes so this wouldn't be a thing. Whatever. Right now, we - I - need food. And lots of it.

After a failed attempt to find the buffet ourselves, we end up just following some hungry-looking family there. It's filled with weary parents and excited kids, and, at a table by the window, with Greyson and Harley, and Landon.