Page 75 of The Boys Next Door

One quick tug and her underwear drawer was open. On went her yellow swimsuit. She tied the red bows tightly on the sides, adjusted her deep cleavage in the top, smoothed her bangs, and slipped on a sundress.

Three weeks ago, she’d quaked at going over to the O’Brians’ and walking in on their party. Three weeks ago, she’d been afraid.

She didn’t need to toss back a shot of vodka for courage now. She didn’t need to pace and argue with herself while school and shyness and lust pulled her in all directions. A text to her parents that she was heading to the O’Brians’, a scramble onto her desk and up to the window frame, a deep breath, and she was in the tree outside her window.

The smell of cut grass filled her nose. Wind set the branches swaying, the bark rough against her palms and bare feet. And God, saying she wasn’t afraid right now would be a lie, but if the tree could hold two muscular guys, it could hold her. She half-climbed, half-slid down the thick trunk, scraping her legs, breathless and laughing when her feet hit the ground.

Her pulse pounded as she ran over her lawn, wet from the sprinklers. Years ago, she and the twins had lined up rocks on the grass to show the exact boundary between their houses. The rocks were gone now, but she’d crossed the line a long time ago, and she had no plans to turn back.

Walking right through the O’Brians’ unlocked front door, she stopped short, her heart beating faster, when she saw a half-naked twin in the kitchen getting ice.

He looked up, startled. Then a pleased smile broke across his face.

“Hey, Di,” he said softly. “I won’t bite.”

Brendan. “No, that’s not your style,” she managed.

He laughed — a genuine laugh. Diana started laughing too. Before she could think twice, she crossed the kitchen and impulsively grabbed him in a tight hug. Brendan’s arms wrapped firmly around her, pulling her close. She could tell herself his hug felt brotherly. Almost.

“We missed you, Di.”

“We?” She repeated.

He shook his head above her. “I promised I’d stop talking for Ian. I missed you. But I know he did too.”

“You guys are talking again,” she murmured into his shoulder. “To each other. I heard you weren’t.”

“Yeah,” Brendan said quietly. He squeezed her waist. “Mad at me?”

“Not anymore.”

“Good, Di. I’m really glad.” She could feel the relief in the muscular body close to hers.

“Missed you too,” she whispered. She let her cheek rest against his chest, her skin stirring when Brendan’s hand brushed her hair off her neck and forehead. “Look, Brendan —“

The kitchen was starting to feel much warmer, and she had to stay strong in her resolve for which twin she was here to see.

“Ian’s out back.” His thumb was rubbing her shoulder blade idly now. Maybe he really didn’t notice that kind of thing. Maybe she could get used to it. “I think he’ll be really glad to see you.” And before she was ready to brave the backyard, he’d put a drink in her hand and walked her outside.

The O’Brians’ backyard spilled over with people in swimsuits: yelling, laughing, scarfing chips, guzzling beer, playing ping-pong. Music vibrated the air. Diana walked right through the crowd. Nervousness pricked her skin, but it didn’t stop her from looking around, smiling, even saying hi to the people she passed.

Those sleek tanned bodies frolicking around the pool belonged to people, just people like her. If she’d learned anything from putting her head between the legs of the kind of girl who’d always scared her, it had been that.

“Hey, you gave that speech at graduation, right?” one girl called out. “My little brother’s in your class…we all really liked it…”

Calling back a thanks, amazed that she wasn’t blushing, Diana stopped short at the edge of the pool.

A lone figure cut through the water, sending up furious splashes on either side as he zoomed from one end to the other. One glimpse of his back, wet and slick, and she shimmied out of her sundress, not caring who saw her curves on display or where that low whistle came from. Her glasses went on top of her clothes.

She jumped into the pool, not with a sleek dive, but a kid’s belly flop. If the music hadn’t been loud already, she would have cranked it up. Swimming as fast as she could toward the twin in the water, she took a deep breath and grabbed his ankle, hard.

Ian twisted to glare over his shoulder.

“What the fuck—“

He broke off.

“You’re in my lane,” Diana said in a low voice.