Pool Party Protocol

Maya pressed her back against the sliding glass door, phone clutched in her hand like a weapon. She'd been quasi-stalking Carter's Instagram for twenty minutes—basically social media recon at this point. She felt like a total spy, and not even the cool kind with gadgets and martinis. More like the awkward kind hiding behind a potted plant at her own crush's pool party.

"You gonna stand there all night or actually come in?"

Maya jumped. It was Riley, Carter's older sister, leaning against the doorframe with this fox-like grin—all clever eyes and mischief. Riley was a sophomore in college, basically royalty in Maya's world. "I'm observing," Maya said, then immediately wanted to die. "That came out wrong.""

Riley laughed, actual laugh-emoji energy. "You're overthinking it. Carter's been asking where you are. Like, actually asking."

Maya's stomach did that thing where it forgot how to organ. "No way."

"Way." Riley nudged her shoulder. "Life's short, May. Don't spend it lurking on the perimeter." She slipped past Maya into the kitchen. "Also? That bikini is fire. Own it."

Outside, the pool water glittered like liquid diamonds under the string lights. Maya spotted Carter immediately—of course she did—laughing with his friends near the deep end. He looked good. Annoyingly, unfairly good. His hair was wet, droplets tracing down his neck, and Maya's brain short-circuited.

She took a breath. Another. Then grabbed a lemonade from the cooler like it was her job and marched over there.

"Hey!" Carter's face lit up when he saw her, and something inside Maya unlocked. "I was hoping you'd come."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He splashed water at her—playful, not mean. "Get in here, loser."

Maya set her lemondown down and jumped. The water was perfect temperature shock, and when she surfaced, Carter was grinning at her. Not polite grinning. Like, actually grinning.

"Took you long enough," he said.

"I was doing recon," she admitted, and he laughed.

"Well, mission accomplished. You found me."

Under the water, his hand brushed hers. Neither of them pulled away.