"What're you doing tomorrow?" Emmett asked, as I flipped through the DVR.

"No plans," I sighed, looking up at him. "Why?"

"Because you should come out with us."

"Who's us?"

"The team."

"Gross, no."

He laughed, plopping down next to me on the couch. "It'll be fun."

"Sorry Emmett, but I don't see hanging out with your jock soccer team as a fun way to spend my Saturday."

"We're taking the boat out."

He knew my weakness. There was nothing more that I loved than a day out on the sea on my dad's Regal boat.

"No," I said, shaking my head.

But my resolve wasn't as strong.

"Come on," Emmett pleaded, poking my arm. "You'll have fun and get out of the house."

On my dad's beautiful boat.

"You know you want to," he sang.

I sighed. "Who else is going?"

"The team, and you."

"So I'd be the only girl?"

"Invite Michelle."

"She's being stupid and going to the beach with her stupid family."

Okay, maybe that wasn't too nice or fair of me. But her family was very family-oriented, and they usually took the weekends to go on trips together.

"Nice," Emmett commented, with a laugh. "So it's settled then, we're leaving at 7."

"Okay," I agreed.

Not because I wanted to hang with the boys' soccer team, but because I couldn't turn down a day on the boat. It was my baby.

~*~

"Where the hell are my Ray Bans?" I heard Parker yell.

I straightened out my bikini, checking my reflection in the mirror. It was from Victoria's Secret's swim line, a white fringe top with tie-dyed bottoms. It was my favorite. I pulled on a t-shirt over my bikini and stepped into my shorts. I threw my hair up into a ponytail, swiping my Ray Bans off my bedside table.

"Right here dumbass," Emmett said, tossing Parker's Ray Bans at him as I entered the kitchen.

Parker tucked them into his swimsuit pocket as he continued to pack the cooler.

"Make yourself useful," Emmett said, nodding towards the pre-made Publix subs waiting to be packed into a cooler.

I did as I was asked, packing the subs and adding ice to keep it fresh. I located bags of chips, adding those to the pile of things to board the boat.

"Cooler is officially packed," Parker informed us, standing up straight.

"Let's start loading this stuff," Emmett said, swiping his keys off the counter.

"Your coupe is supposed to hold all this stuff?" I asked, looking around us.

We had a shitload of stuff to load into his car for the boat.

"Let's take my car," Parker suggested.

Emmett nodded in agreement, tossing his keys back onto the counter.

It took us a solid 15 minutes to load everything into the back of Parker's Ford Edge.

"Nice car," I commented, with a smirk.

"Soccer captain duties," he answered, with a sigh. "Your brother has the coupe and one of us has to carry the supplies."

"So you made your car decision based on your captainship?"

"Not the only reason, no."

I raised my eyebrows at him in question, but he was already jogging around to the driver's side so we could head down to the bay.

I let Emmett have passenger seat, stretching out across the backseat.

"So why are you guys taking the boat out today?" I asked, once we officially started out on the road.

"Coach said we needed a team bonding idea," Emmett said, checking his phone. "And a sleepover was definitely out."

"As was camping," Parker added. "I'm not sleeping on a dirt floor by choice."

And he calls me a Princess?

"So why not take the boat out for a day?" Emmett asked, rhetorically. "We have a tube. And we can dock on an island and do all sorts of stupid shit."

"So you packed the beer then?" I asked, peering back into Parker's trunk.

"No comment," Parker said, smirking in the mirror.

"Drinking in the hot sun sounds pretty stupid," I commented, raising my eyebrows at him.

"So don't get plastered."

"You're offering alcohol to a group of adolescent boys," I muttered. "Pretty sure they don't have the self-control necessary for that."

"Might be funny to see you plastered," Parker commented.

"Shut up," Emmett warned him.

Parker just smirked in response.

I texted Michelle, informing her of what sort of torture she was forcing me to go through without her, before something in the backseat caught my eye.

"Your Converse are back here," I informed Parker.

I didn't really see him as a Converse type of guy, but to each his own I guess.

"My what?" Parker asked.

"Your all-black Converse."

Emmett peered into the backseat. "They look like Lee's."

"Oh shit, for real?"

I handed them to Emmett.

"Those are," Parker muttered. "Stupid kid."

Probably a kid from the team.

We arrived at the docks a short while later, the boat already docked and waiting.

And half the team.

"Don't stand there like a load of morons," Parker called out to the soccer team, as he jumped out of the driver's seat. "Come help us unload."

"Come on," Emmett said to me.

We headed over to the boat, and I hopped in, smiling as I felt a sense of home.

I love being out on the sea.

Emmett did his routine checks with the boat as the team loaded up the boat with all of the stuff we'd loaded into Parker's car earlier.

"Hey Emily," Ricky said, as I stretched out across one of the seats.

"Hey," I answered, with a smile.

I liked Ricky. He was sweet and innocent, unlike the rest of these boys.

The rest of the team loaded onto the boat, finding seats.

"Move it," Parker said to me.

"I don't think so."

"I have absolutely no problem moving you."

"Do not touch me Parker Adams."

"Then move it."

I raised my eyebrows at him in defiance.

And then he swung my legs around, forcefully, forcing me to sit up as he took a seat.

"Asshole," I informed him.

"Right back at ya," he said, with a wink.

"Emily, a hand?" Emmett asked, as he went to untie the boat from the dock.

I hopped up onto the bow of the boat, untying the other end of the boat and releasing us from the dock.

I retook my seat, staring into the wind as Emmett started off.

The boys were all talking amongst themselves, mostly about sex-related things, and I tuned them out, dipping my hand off the side of the boat and letting the water run through my fingers.

Then we began to slow down a bit.

"It's a three-person tube," I heard Emmett saying, as I tuned back into the conversation.

"Come on Ricky," Parker said, heading towards the back of the boat.

"You need a third," Emmett informed me.

The other boys shook their heads.

"I'm not riding with you two," Kale said, with a laugh.

"Emily?" Ricky asked me.

"No thanks," I said, flashing him a smile.

"Come on Emily," Emmett said, nodding towards the tube.

"Parker will shove me off or something," I said, shooting him a meaningful glare.

"Swear I won't," Parker said, holding his hands up in mock surrender with a smile.

I looked over to the other guys. "Seriously? You guys aren't going to do it."

"It's not that we aren't going to do it," Harley defended. "Just not right now."

Right.

I sighed, stripping my tank top and shimmying out of my shorts.

I think of the boy's whistled, but he was shut up pretty quick, so I couldn't be sure.

I kicked off my flip-flops and handed Emmett my sunglasses before joining Ricky and Parker in the back of the boat.

"I swear to God Parker Adams, if you shove me off this tube I will cut your balls off," I warned him.

He laughed, flashing me a pearly white smile. "You have my word."

"And what's that good for?"

"Not much," he admitted.

"I want Ricky to sit in the middle," I said to Emmett, as he tied the tube to the boat.

"Parker has to," Emmett informed me, as he tossed the tube into the water. "He's the heaviest."

Parker flexed his muscles. "Sorry babe, can't help it."

"Shut the hell up," Emmett and I said in unison.

Ricky laughed. "That's so cool."

"Alright Parker, you're in first," Emmett said, stepping back.

Parker climbed into the middle first, muttering to himself.

Ricky climbed in next, sitting to Parker's right.

"Em?" Emmett said to me.

I had to climb over Parker to get to my side, and he smirked at me the entire time.

"I hate you," I informed Parker.

"You don't mean it."

"Oh but I do."

Emmett saluted us before heading back over to the Captain's chair.

"Have you guys ever done this before?" Ricky asked us.

Parker and I both nodded.

"Is it fun?"

Ricky looked to Parker, waiting for his guidance.

"Yeah man," Parker said, flashing him a smile. "I won't even shove you off your first time."

"If you prefer your balls connected to your body, you won't lay a single hand on me," I warned Parker.

"Violent," Parker muttered.

The tube jerked into motion, the line connecting us to the boat taut.

Emmett started off simple, just pulling us in a single direction, pretty fast.

And then he started with the twists and turns.

I found myself clinging to Parker's arm, screaming for my life.

I seriously hate Emmett.

And then we hit a wave, at high speeds, and both Ricky and I flipped out of the tube.

I hit the water a couple of times before coming a stop, reminding myself to tread water so I wouldn't sink.

Ricky shot me a thumbs-up and I shot him one back, the two of us pretty far from each other.

We'd flipped in opposite directions.

I watched as the boat circled back for us, and I swam up to the boat, accepting Emmett's hand as he hoisted me up.

"That was great," Harley informed me.

"Shut up."

"You and Ricky practically mirrored each other," he continued, still laughing.

I shook my hair out on him, spraying him and a couple of others with water.

"At least I wasn't too scared to go," I taunted, before grabbing my sunglasses and retaking my seat.

"I'm not scared," Harley retorted. "I'd just rather not-"

"Go right now," I filled in. "Yeah, we've all heard that one before."

"Called out," Kale called, causing all of the other boys to start poking fun at him.

"Okay!" Harley called, standing up. "I'll do it if you do," he said to me.

"Okay," I agreed, standing up.

"What's going on?" Parker asked, Emmett finally pulling the tube back to the boat.

"I'm going man," Harley informed Parker.

"No shit?"

"No shit," Harley confirmed.

"You too?" Parker asked me.

"She has to," Harley informed him.

"Who else is going?" Emmett asked.

All of the boys shook their heads, including Ricky.

"Oh come on," Parker called out. "You guys all fucking suck."

"Looks like you're going again," Emmett said to Parker, nodding towards the tube.

"This is ridiculous. They should all have to run sprints."

"On the boat?"

"Swim laps," Parker countered.

"Shut up and get in the tube."

Parker climbed back into the middle with me on his left again and Harley on his right this time.

"You going to flip out this time?" Parker asked me, with a smirk.

"I hope you do."

"Good one."

"You guys fight like an old married couple," Harley informed us.

Parker laughed, and I rolled my eyes.

The line grew taut and the tube jerked into motion, once again.

"Try not to scream louder than Emily," Parker called out to Harley.

I punched Parker's arm, causing him to laugh harder.

As Emmett started the whips and turns again, I gripped Parker's arm, determined not to flip out.

And Harley was most definitely screaming louder than me.

The three of us safely made the rounds, and Emmett pulled the tube back in.

"Tried my hardest to flip you guys out," Emmett promised, as we reached the boat. "But you guys are good."

"It's a gift," Parker informed him, being the first one to climb out of the tube.

Emmett offered me his hand and I hoisted myself up out of the tube, shaking the excess water off of me.

"You're like a dog," Parker said to me.

I ignored him, grabbing my sunglasses from Emmett's cup holder.

"You know what they call female dogs?"

I gave him a good shove before retaking my seat.

"She's so violent," Parker said to Emmett.

"Well don't provoke her."

We started off towards an island, probably to dock for lunch, and I let my hand dip down into the water again.

And then we began to slow down.

I looked over at Emmett, unsure of what he was doing.

And from the looks of it, he wasn't too sure either.

"Dude, what're we doing?" Kale asked Emmett.

"Breaking down," Emmett informed him.

"Are you serious?" Parker asked Emmett.

Emmett ignored him, heading to the back of the boat to check out the engine.

"She was running beautifully," I said to Emmett, joining him in the back of the boat.

"She's been sitting in storage for a while," Emmett muttered. "She might just need a few minutes."

Emmett informed the team of the predicament before anchoring the boat, leaving us stranded in the middle of the ocean.

And then I heard a splash.

Parker had jumped off the bow, and was now swimming around in the water.

"What?" he asked, with an innocent smile. "It's hot."

Ricky joined him, followed by about half the team.

I stretched out across the seat, ready to start my tan.

And then Emmett jumped into the water, followed by the rest of the team.

Leaving me the only one left on the boat.

"Come on Emily!" Ricky called.

"Don't be a buzzkill," Parker added.

"How is tanning a buzzkill?" I called over, lazily.

I let my eyes slip shut as I lied there, the sun making me sleepy.

And then I felt myself being lifted into the air.

My eyes flew open to look into Parker's mischievously sparkling eyes.

"What do you think you're-"

That's as far as I got before I was tossed off the side of the boat.

I hit the water hard before resurfacing, sputtering for air.

And then Parker jumped into the water next to me.

Once he resurfaced I forcefully shoved him back under, angry that he threw me into the water.

Asshole.

"I thought you needed to cool off," Parker said to me, with an innocent smile.

"I hate you."

"Not true."

"But it is."

I swam over to Emmett, who was standing on a sandbar and tossing a Frisbee with some of the team.

That Frisbee was so old and gross. I'd put it on the boat when I was, like, 8 because I'd been obsessed at the time.

"Nice of you to join us," he said, flashing me a smile.

"It was forced."

"Just drown him or something."

"I'm thinking about it."

I played hung out with the boys before swimming back over to the boat, pulling myself up onto it to grab some water.

Parker and a couple of the guys were already on the boat, relaxing.

Parker was standing on the bow, drinking water while he told a story to some of the guys about some soccer tournament he'd played in.

I slipped past him without him really noticing, since he was in the heat of his story.

And then I wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling both him and me into the water backwards.

Parker came up sputtering, taken by surprise.

"What was that?" he asked, flipping this wet hair out of his eyes.

"A suicide mission. And totally worth it to see that look on your face."

"I underestimated you Emily Winston."

I flashed him an innocent smile before rejoining Emmett and his teammates on the sandbar, dodging the disgusting, old Frisbee.

~*~

"I think I'm sunburnt," I said to Emmett, peering over my shoulder to try and see my back.

"You should've worn a sunscreen higher than SPF 15," he chastised.

"I wanted to get tan."

"Well then that's what you get."

"Hey Emily," Ricky said, pulling his arm around my shoulders.

He smelled like beer.

"Hey buddy," I said, offering him a friendly smile.

I told those two idiots that alcohol was a bad idea.

"You look pretty."

"Thanks."

"Parker, I told you to chill with the beer!" Emmett called.

"He can't hear a word you're saying," I informed Emmett, before stretching out across a couple of seats.

Emmett sighed, hopping off the boat with Ricky and the two of them swam into the island.

Silence at last.

I began to spritz on some more sunscreen while plugging my iPhone into the dock on the boat, blasting my music.

I never had the boat to myself.

"What is this shit?" an all-too familiar voice asked behind me.

I should've known it was too good to last.

"It's Keaton Stromberg," I said, without looking at him.

"Who?"

"Singer in Emblem3, makes covers on YouTube, really not worth my time explaining to you because I know you don't care."

"True that," Parker said, before reaching over and turning off my music.

"While you're doing nothing, put some of this on my back," I said, handing him my sunscreen.

"SPF 15? Is this even doing anything?"

"Oh I'm sorry; I missed when you turned into my dad."

He rolled his eyes, but spritzed some sunscreen on my back for me.

"Am I burnt?" I asked him.

"You're super warm."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Well you don't look lobster-like, so I'm going to go with no."

"Thanks," I said, accepting my sunscreen for him.

"Do you need some on your ass?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Do you need your testicles inside your body?"

"Damn," he muttered.

I looked over at the island, where the boys were now playing some soccer.

"Are you going to join them?" I asked, nodding towards the island.

Parker looked over at the game of soccer happening between his teammates and then back at me.

"I think I'm just going to chill here."

"We're listening to my music."

"Let's arm wrestle for it."

I rolled my eyes. "That's not even fair."

"Okay, fine. What do you propose?"

"That I'm going to plug in my music?"

He stepped in front of the music player with a smirk on his face.

"Okay big boy, but you don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"So is that a surrender?"

"Not even close."

I wrapped my arms around his torso, catching him by surprise.

"I know I'm irresistible, but can't you save this for when your brother isn't right over there?"

I rose up on my tip-toes, looping my arms around his neck before pressing my lips to his.

He stood frozen for a couple of moments, taken by complete surprise.

And then he kissed me back.