Page 57 of Open Water

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"Cool. Love that for us."

The BMW headed north out of Ashford. I watched the campuses disappear in the rearview.

My lips still felt warm. From last night. From Liam leaning in and pressing his mouth against mine and sayingyou better fucking notlike it was a threat and a prayer at the same time. I'd barely slept. Not from anxiety but from the memory of it. The heat of his shoulder under my hand. The way his body relaxed into me for three seconds before he pulled back and walked out the door.

He'd left it open. That was something.

Ethan had the radio low. Some indie station that kept cutting in and out as the hills swallowed the signal. He hadn't askedme anything yet. I knew him well enough to know that he was waiting for the right mile marker.

We passed Brattleboro. Vermont opened up around us. Steeper hills, barer trees, the sky flat and gray like someone had pressed all the color out of it.

"So," Ethan said. Mile forty. Right on schedule. "You broke Marcus's face."

"Yeah."

"In the library."

"Yeah."

"And there were witnesses."

"A couple."

"And then you got suspended."

"Yep."

He nodded. Drove for another few seconds. "So I was right."

"About what?"

"You thought it was Braden and I said Braden wasn't smart enough." He glanced at me. "It was Marcus the whole time."

"Yeah. And I probably wouldn't have done it if he didn't send try and send the photo. I just got pissed."

"Good."

I looked at him. "Good?"

"He called Remy a faggot right to his face." Ethan checked his mirror, changed lanes. "So yeah. Good. I hope it hurt."

"It hurt my hand," I said holding up my busted knuckles.

"I meant his face."

"Well… I got that too."

Ethan laughed.

"You look good in the photo, for the record. Liam too." He glanced at me. "Poor lighting but good in a weird voyeurism kind of way."

I stared at him. He kept his eyes on the road, completely straight-faced.

"Did you just compliment the photo that ruined my life?"

He reached for his coffee. "Your life's not ruined, Alex. Your life was fake. Now it's real."

"It's an absolute mess."

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