The second my eyes are on Lelani, taking in her beautiful black curls and dark-colored eyes, I know that she and I have both been set up. There's no way in hell she would have agreed to come out here today if she had even the slightest inclination that I'd be present, and I'm smart enough not to push her boundaries and piss her off even more by making her do so. Delk and Murphy dragged me out of the dorms this morning and fooled me to believe that wherever we were going would only involve the three of us, but I should've known they had something up their sleeves from the second I saw the mischievous looks painted on their faces as I climbed into the car.

My gaze takes in the girl in front of me, carefully skimming over each of her features because it's felt like years since I've seen them, despite the fact that it's only been a little over a week. Her face wears a conflicting expression, a sense of annoyance, frustration, and longing lingering behind it.

Bringing back her stern look, she bites out, "Brodie."

Feeling the need to defend myself and not make her even angrier at me by allowing her to think that I was the one who tricked her into coming today, I speak out quickly, "I didn't know."

"Yeah, well that makes two of us," she spits back, crossing her arms and taking a step away from me.

Before either one of us has the opportunity to say anything more to each other, Alana and Delk hurry our way, wearing exaggerated smiles on their faces.

"Would you just look at all of us back together again?" Alana chimes, wrapping an arm around Lelani's shoulders, "Like old times, huh, Delk?"

"Just like old times," he answers, gripping his hands onto my shoulders and shaking me playfully. His dark eyes dart between Lelani and me, noticing our unplanned, coordinating, red bathing suits and a wide grin starts to tug against his lips. "You guys even showed up matching today. If that's not couple goals, then I don't know what is."

Frustration starts to course through me as soon as the words leave his mouth and I glance over to Lani, seeing that she's just as annoyed as I am. In sync, we jerk out of our friend's holds and she argues back resentfully, "We're not a couple."

Ouch.

I keep quiet, tearing my stare off of her to the uneven ground at my feet, not knowing what to say in response to her indifferent response and feeling my head start to ache with the truth behind it. The silence that lingers between the four of us is awkward, and even Alana and Delk's bold personalities are unsure of how to cope with it.

"I think I'm going to go," I contemplate, not knowing what else to say or do as my feet start to walk away from the group.

"Yeah?" Well so am I," Lelani says from behind, stomping past me quickly in an effort to make it back to the cars first.

"Like, hell you guys are," Alana reprimands, gripping onto both of our wrists and yanking us back down the trail with her. "We drove all the way out here to swim in a mermaid cave, and dammit that's what we're going to do! If you both want to go so bad, you can walk your asses home because I'm not leaving yet."

"Maybe I will," Lelani challenges, pulling away from her grasp.

"Lela, come on!"

Reaching for her hand, my touch puts a stop to her swift movements. "You can't walk home, Lani. That's too far."

"I didn't ask you and quite frankly, I don't need your permission."

And now she's just pissing me off with her sour attitude because underneath it all, I know she's only being like this because she's hurt from what she thinks she means to me. But what the hell am I supposed to do with that when she won't even give me a second to explain?

I roll my eyes, dropping my hand away from her as I mutter under my breath, "Whatever. Do what you want."

"Well, you sure as hell get to do whatever you want, so I don't see the problem in me doing the same."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" The tension rising between the two of us heats my blood and I squint my eyes, prodding the subtle dig she just sent my way.

"Well," she starts, crossing her arms against her chest and holding her firm stance as she continues, "You did what you wanted by screwing and playing with me in the name of a bet, so I think I've earned the right to do what I want- and I want to leave."

Tightening my jaw, I argue back, "If you would give me a damn second to explain myself-"

"Woah, woah, woah," Delk interjects, interrupting our tense discussion and placing himself between the two of us before things get any more heated. "Look, how about we just take a second and simmer things down, okay?"

In an instant, my irritation shifts to him, "Simmer things down? You guys are the ones who drug us out here."

"Yeah, well, we didn't think you two would be at each other's throats, so it looks like we were all taken by surprise."

Alana joins at his side, pleading their case further, "Listen, maybe we made a mistake by bringing you both out here-"

"You think?" Lelani blurts out, cutting off her friend.

Alana sighs, doing her best to ignore the bitter response as she continues, "But can we please not waste a perfectly beautiful day and at least try to be civil with one another? I mean hell, we've already driven all the way out here."

"Yeah," Delk agrees, pointing his finger off in the distance, "Poor Murphy's out there burning, waiting for you guys to get your shit together."

All of our eyes lock on our goofy friend now waving in our direction, clueless to the argument taking place between the four of us.

"Y'all fuckers coming or what?" He shouts, "I'm ready to catch myself a mermaid, dammit."

"He knows there's not actually mermaids down there, right?" Alana whispers over to Delk, breaking some of the tension lingering and making us all laugh a little.

"Knowing Murphy, probably not."

The sea crashes against the rocky cliff around us, the sounds of the ocean calling my attention back to the tropical scenery surrounding us and making me remember what we ultimately came here to do today; explore the seaside caves.

"So what do you guys say? Are we gonna sit here and keep arguing or make some proper damn use out of this sunny day?"

I cut my gaze over to Lelani, whose eyes are already pinned on me. Feeling caught, she quickly turns her head, but a bolt of confidence surges through me as I revel in the thought of the way her stare was just on me.

"I don't know, that's not up to me," I quip, nodding over to her because after all, she was the one who started the argument, to begin with. "What do you say, Lani?"

The nickname instantly draws her focus back on me, and I watch the way her chest heavily rises and falls as she tries to hold herself back from outwardly giving into the reaction it has on her.

"Fine," she cuts out promptly, walking past all of us swiftly and leaving us standing in a state of shock at her agreement to remain civil. I was sure her stubborn ass would still want to leave.

Alana, Delk, and I follow after her, not wasting a second to try and catch up because deep down I think we're all worried she'll change her mind and start making her way back to the car.

Taking the lead, Alana starts to walk us across the ridges and dips of the massive rock beneath our feet, pointing out to a hole looming in the distance. "It's right up here, you guys."

The sun is hot as it hangs in the clear sky above us, heating my skin, and I do my best to keep my eyes off of Lelani walking a few feet ahead of me, knowing the sight of her will only make my blood grow warmer. We reach the hollowed-out spot, gathering around it and watching eagerly as Alana peers down inside of it.

"It's a far drop," she speaks over her shoulder, "but if you boys go down first, Lelani and I can lower ourselves in."

"Ahh, hell no!" Murphy affirms, shaking his head feverishly, "Ain't no way I'm going down there first."

"She wasn't talking about you anyways, Chicken Legs," Delk rolls his eyes, "You're the shortest one here."

"I'll go first," I offer, wasting no time as I sit down against the edges of the hole and let my legs hang down into the 10-foot drop. Rolling onto my belly, my fingers dig into a set of grooves in the rock, holding tight as I carefully lower myself down into the cave. Pebbles rustle against the tips of my toes and feeling brave, I let go of my hold and allow myself to fall the rest of the way. Landing on my feet, I quickly find my balance but the sight of the breath-taking scenery around me makes my legs go weak for a moment.

Clear, sapphire water swells through the dim cave surrounding me at all sides. Its waves crash into the rocky walls, creating a tiny shore on top of the pebbles at my feet. The warm, salt-water brushes against my ankles, making me smile as I silently treasure this hidden beauty. Sunshine peers through the cracks and hollows of the organic ceiling hanging above me, making the blue water out in front of me sparkle even more under its natural light.

"Holy fucking shit!" I call up the hole, where my friend's heads are peering down into, "You guys have to get down here. This is incredible."

Before I know it, Delk drops beside me, lowering Alana down right behind him. Their eyes soak in the sights I got the pleasure of seeing first, and I walk back under the hollow in the rock, waiting for Lelani to appear. Her tanned legs shift into view as she sits down against the border of the hole and her eyes cut down to me at the bottom.

I motion my arms up to her, silently letting her know that'd I'll help her down, but just as I anticipated, she stubbornly declares, "I've got it."

"Whatever you say," I dismiss, shrugging my shoulders and respecting her wishes by letting her try but lingering at the bottom because truthfully I know she's too short to take the plunge on her own. My assumptions are right and her feet dangle above me, her toes pointed and helplessly reaching for the ground as she holds onto the rock for dear life.

Not waiting for her to ask, I move to the front of her body, grasping my hands onto her hips and holding on tight as I help her lower herself down into the cave. Having to give up her clutch on the side of the cave, Lelani's hands wrap around my neck in an effort to stabilize her upper body as her skin slips past my torso. Her curves run against my palms, and I hold my breath, not wanting to give in to the effect that comes from her touch on me as I help her feet down onto the ground. My fingers accidentally glide beneath the strings of her bikini, catching us both by surprise and causing her breath to hitch before she warily wriggles out of my hold.

"Sorry," I mutter, apologizing for the genuine accident and darting my hands away from her.

"I-it's fine," she stutters, forcing space between us again. "Thanks."

"Mhmm," I hum back, knowing that if I tried to speak right now, my voice would come out shaky.

"A little help here," Murphy shrieks as he starts to climb down into the cave behind us. Forcing my attention on him, I distract my thoughts away from Lelani as I go to assist his clumsy ass.

Fear-stricken, his legs wiggle relentlessly, nearly kicking me right in the face. I quickly dodge his feet, forcing his ankles together and instructing firmly, "Stay still dammit."

Doing as I ask, Murphy calms his frightened movements and I help him the rest of the way down. He takes a moment to admire his surroundings before his gaze focuses on Lelani, wading her way as he steps into the crystal clear waters.

"Ya' see that, sweetheart?" His southern voice echoes as he starts moving after her eagerly. "You really can't stay mad at Dawson for too long. He's such a gentleman."

"Murph," I grit between my teeth, hoping that the warning is enough to make him stop before she gets set off again. "Shut the hell up."

Darting her head back to the both of us, and focusing her irritated stare on me, she fires back, "They all are until they get a ticket into your pants."

"I told you it wasn't like that," I dispute, unable to keep myself from responding.

"Yeah," she scoffs, slipping her body down until the water reaches her chest. Her dry curls float and dance behind her, slowly soaking up the water and causing them to slip under the surface as they start to stick to her back. "I've been told that before, too."

With that, her head goes under the rest of the way, refusing to hear me out any longer as she starts to swim away. Her legs kick relentlessly behind her, propelling her further and splashing the two of us with water.

"I said it once and I'll say it again," Murphy whispers with water dripping down his face, "That girl is fiesty."

Her ass bucks out of the water ahead of us, making me sigh as I watch the crimson nylon bottoms clung to her hips disappear again beneath the waves. Shaking my head to rid myself of the torture that she leaves in her absence, I breathe out anxiously, "She's something alright."

My body's thinking before my head even has a chance to object as my feet walk further into the water, and I'm not even aware I'm swimming after Lelani until I'm floating only a few feet behind her. I suppose I'm taking this as an opportunity to talk to her more, but she hasn't noticed my proximity yet and I stay silent for a few seconds, wondering what my next move will be. I take the moment to watch the way her stomach and hips slither beneath the waves swelling inside the cave, soaking in the sight of her red bikini and the way it contrasts so perfectly against her dark skin.

Rowdy commotion bounces off the cave walls, pulling my gaze away for a moment as my eyes follow the noise. Delk, Alana, and Murphy's hollers carry into my ears as the three of them take turns clambering up a protruding rock in the distance, making huge splashes in the water as they jump off of it. My gaze returns to Lelani, watching her as she watches them and I appreciate the beautiful smile that starts to rip across her face, reminding myself how much I've missed seeing it.

"You done staring?" Her voice clips out, the corner of her lips dropping immediately as her eyes lock onto mine.

"This is a nice spot, huh?" I blurt back, not knowing what else to say and figuring that if she was going to talk to me, it'd start with a casual conversation.

Her eyes narrow at me. "Small talk. Really?"

Okay, well, maybe I was wrong.

"Lani," I hush back, now pathetically pleading with her to listen. Carefully and slowly, I start to move closer to her.

"Don't even think about it," she warns, halting me with her palm and straightening her back. "You stay over there, I stay over here. I agreed to be civil, I didn't agree to talk to you."

"Well, I think you should reconsider," I shrug, knowing I have nothing more to lose now. "You won't even hear me out."

She doesn't respond, but instead, just stares at me, quietly observing what I'll decide to say or do next. Once more, I take a step in the sand at my feet, and when she doesn't object, I continue my slow movements towards her. The wet skin on her neck glistens as my eyes watch her take a gulp, and at this moment I'm certain she's feeling the same pull I feel towards her.

"I don't want to," she finally blurts out, snipping the invisible thread between the two of us. Despite the stern expression painted across her soft facial features, I can tell she's internally questioning the validity behind that statement so I push forward with the inevitable discussion.

"It wasn't a game to me. It was never a game to me," and in an instant, I feel the need to clarify my statement further. "You were never a game to me, Lani."

"Then why did you make that bet with Hammond, Brodie? Why the hell would you agree to that?"

"Because he's a cocky bastard, and I was trying to save you from his bullshit."

"No," she shakes her head, refusing to take that as an explanation. "I never needed saving. I can handle shit for myself."

"I know," I mumble back, and now we're so close that I can make out the labored breaths slipping from her rosy lips. "I'm sorry. I'm so damn sorry. I never meant to hurt you, and I never meant to make you feel like you weren't capable of dealing with it yourself. From the moment I first talked to you, you drew me in, Lelani, and I couldn't stand the sight of that asshole trying to snake his way to you, so I agreed to play his game. I agreed to the bet because I couldn't bear the thought of him getting the privilege of knowing you instead of me. I was selfish, but if I was ever playing a game, it was with Hammond, not you. I would never treat you as a game."

"But it involved me, Brodie!" She argues, "Don't you understand that? I was the prize, was I not?"

"N-no, that's not-"

"I was. I was the prize, and worst of all you kept that from me. You've been lying to me this whole time. You had me convinced that your feelings were genuine from the start, and they weren't. I can't trust you anymore."

"Yes, you can," I sigh, "If you'll give me another chance I can prove that to you. I swear to God, I will."

"No," she fires back with a shaky voice, and I can hear the reluctance behind the word as clear as day. She starts to swim her way back to the spot where we came in as she continues, "I'm done given chances, Brodie. I've been used before, and I'm not letting it happen again. I'm not going to be naive and fall for this shit again."

Following after her, my hand reaches for her waist, gripping gently and pulling her back my way, the water aiding in getting her to me faster. Her skin slithers against my palms as I turn her to face me, forcing her eyes to look at me. The cave falls silent, and I know my friends are watching us from a distance, but I don't let that hold me back from finishing my point.

"Look at me," I beg. I'm surprised when she does just that, staying still in my hold as she waits for me to continue.

"Please, don't let this end. You can feel this," I hush, bringing my hand to her jaw and caressing her slick skin with my thumb. "I know you feel this between us- this special goddamn thing between us. I fucked up and I'm sorry. I can't say it enough, but please just give me another chance. I don't want to go back to the way things were before there was you. I want to keep my life the way it has been since we met- completely invaded by you."

"Stop-"

"I'm serious, Lani. I lo-"

"I said stop," she bites out coldly, swatting my hands off of her and wiggling out of my hold. Her eyes start to water, but she bites hard against her bottom lip in an effort to keep her tears from falling. Her arms move fast as they dig beneath the waves flowing around us, not stopping until her feet are standing on the pebbled shore beneath the hollow of the cave.

Alana swims after her, doing her best to keep her from leaving as she calls out, "Lela, wait. Just hang on a minute-"

"I want to go, Alana," her voice trembles, her eyes refusing to look my way anymore. "I want to go now!"

And suddenly, all my body can seem to do is float, feeling helpless and completely defeated as I once again watch Lelani storm away.

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