I put on my bikini. The top has fabric clam sh.e.l.ls st.i.tched onto the cups, and the bottoms are sparkly green with printed scales. I pull on the straps of the bikini. Being well endowed is a blessing and a curse. I can forego support and comfort for cleavage or get something with full coverage and hide these puppies.

I went with the mermaid suit with neither in mind. Because, mermaids. It wasn't a hard choice at all. I pull on a white dress over top and slip my feet into flip-flops, then toss my phone and sungla.s.ses into a beach bag. It's big and I have room, so I throw in another dress in case this one gets soaked and I need to change. I get cold easily on the lake.

Ben comes out of the bathroom wearing gray swim trunks and a teal T-shirt. He has his sungla.s.ses on his head, and his hair is still a rumpled mess from sleeping. He looks adorable.

"Ready?" I ask.

"If you are."

"I am. We'll eat breakfast at the house, and I'll bring some snacks over with us tonight. I kinda forgot about it last night."

"Good thinking. I'm starving." We walk hand in hand down the boardwalk. The beach is already crowded with picnickers, and the water is dotted with boats. The sun is out in full force, with only a few clouds in sight.

It's going to be perfect.

To my surprise, Danielle and her friends haven't arrived yet. Ben and I eat warmed-over bacon and eggs-which isn't as bad as it sounds-and go down to the dock with Jake to wait for his fiance. The boat is loaded with beach towels, food and drinks. Dad makes sure everyone has a life vest, then goes to help some of the renters with the boat they checked out for the day.

Ben and I sit in the back of the boat. He drapes his arm around me and I do my best to take a few selfies of the two of us. I look like a hot mess: frizzy hair, red spots visible on my cheeks, and puffy tired eyes.

But I look happy.

That's what matters. I like the picture and stash my phone in a cubby to keep it dry. I stretch out my legs, feeling the heat of the sun.

"Sorry if I blind you with my albino skin," I say to Ben.

"It is hurting my eyes," he says and shields his face with his hands. "You're glowing."

I elbow him. "Shut up."

He grabs my arms. "You're two different colors. Tan arms, tan face, but pale legs."

We laugh. "I know. I used to be super tan all the time living by the lake. I don't lay out or go tanning now, so this is the best I can get."

"Maybe you'll even out after today."

"Maybe. But probably not. Is it bad I don't care?"

"Not at all. I'm glad you don't care."

"Really?" Because I do care, just a bit. I want to look good head to toe, even though I know that's a bunch of bulls.h.i.t. People don't really look like that.

"Really." He seals it with a kiss. "I haven't been out on the lake much," he admits. "Even though I've lived in Michigan most of my life."

"That's kind of sad," I tell him "I love the lake."

"I don't remember it being this big." He looks out at the water. "And with traveling for the military, it made family vacations hard to plan. We went to Disney World a few times, but that was kind of it."

"I'm glad you're here with me now. We can make up for it."

"This definitely helps," he says with a smile. "And my childhood wasn't bad or anything. Just different, I suppose, than most."

"It makes me feel like I took mine for granted. As many times as I wanted out of this town when I was a teen, it would have been ten times harder to start over multiple times."

He nods. "You get used to it. Well, I a.s.sume most people do."

Jake stands and waves to Danielle as she comes into view. Ben is still talking about the lake and something that has to do with his childhood, but his words go in one ear and out the other.

Danielle leads the way down the dock. She's wearing a bright-red bikini with a white scarf tied around her waist. Her sandals are jeweled and sparkle in the sun. Her hair falls in loose waves around her face. She smiles behind oversized sungla.s.ses, looking ridiculously put together for someone in a swimsuit. Her friend Zoey, who I recognize now as the tall girl who scoffed at me during the shower, is next to her. She's too done-up too, but she's nothing compared to the tan woman walking next to her.

White wedge heels cover her feet, attached to lean legs, smooth and golden. My gaze travels up to her thin waist, tight and small with just a hint of muscle. Her bikini top is as small as her bottoms, hardly covering large, perfectly round b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Her face is hard to see behind large sungla.s.ses and a floppy hat. But I know who she is right away.

Mindy f.u.c.king Abraham.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

I blink. I'm still drunk. Got too much sun already. I'm dreaming. No, I'm having a nightmare.

I can't stop watching Mindy walk toward us. My blood boils and my skin p.r.i.c.kles as the devil herself nears. My heart skips a beat. Mindy is Zoey's sister. Holy f.u.c.k, the universe really does hate me, doesn't it?

My mind immediately goes into stupid compare-mode. Mindy is tall, thin, toned, and tan. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, though fake, are perky and shaped like beach-b.a.l.l.s, holding themselves in place. Her makeup is flawless and not a strand of hair is out of place in the fishtail braid that falls over her shoulder.

Wait a second. Her hair isn't really that long. Seriously? She put in extensions just for today?

I blink again.

No. No, no, no. And why the f.u.c.k is Erin not getting here until after noon?

"Felicity?" Mindy says, literally stopping in her tracks. Our eyes have met. I should turn to stone or something, right? She flicks them to Ben. "And Ben?"

Ben turns, looking confused to see his secretary standing before us.

"You guys know each other?" Jakes asks, helping Danielle into the boat.

"She works for me," Ben says matter-of-factly and my head shakes, still wishing I would lie and say I have no idea who the f.u.c.k this blonde bimbo is.

"What are you doing here?" Mindy asks, and I'm not sure if she's talking to me or Ben. She looks at her friends, my brother, Ben, and then me, playing the Which One of These Does Not Belong game.

Clearly, it's me.

"This is my boat," I say and blink. Jake helps Danielle and Zoey into the boat, unaware of the complete nuclear disaster that's taking place right now. Mindy takes her sungla.s.ses off and looks at Ben.

"And you're here...?"

Ben arm is still around me. His fingers press into my waist and he leans a little closer. "I'm here with Felicity."

Mindy squeezes her sungla.s.ses so hard I think they are going to break. "You two are here together?"

"Generally, that's what 'I'm here with' means," Ben quips, and I see a side of him I haven't really seen yet: annoyed. At least I'm not the only one instantly irritated by Mindy.

"Min," Zoey starts, turning around. "Aren't you coming?"

Jake is still standing by the dock, hand out, waiting to help Mindy into the boat. She shakes herself, smiles, and climbs aboard.

"I don't get it," Mindy says as Jake works on untying us from the dock. "How..." She shakes her head and looks at each of our faces again. "How do you know them?"

"Jake is my brother," I say slowly so she can follow along. "He's getting married to Danielle, who's friends with Zoey, who apparently is your sister. And I invited Ben for the weekend."

I grab a wine cooler from the insulated bag full of alcohol and ice and twist off the cap, needing booze. A lot of booze. I'm spending the holiday with Mindy f.u.c.king Abraham.

Deep breaths. It'll be fine.

I lean back against Ben and let my head rest on his shoulder. The boat idles out past the no-wake zone and Jake pushes it ahead out to sea. Okay, out to lake.

Water splashes the girls up front and they shriek like the Wicked Witch of the West and dash back behind the windshields ... and closer to Ben and me.

"It's so cool you and Mindy know each other!" Danielle says, much to Mindy's chagrin. I know she talked s.h.i.t about me when they were up front. "Crazy how small the world is."

"Crazy," I echo.

"And Mindy knows him," she goes on, eyeing Ben. "It's like it's meant to be or something."

"That's not the words I'd use to describe this," I mumble and Ben stifles a chuckle.

"So," Danielle says carefully. "Do you have a date for the wedding? Jake says no but..." Her eyes go to Ben and Mindy snickers.

"Looks like it's the singles table for you," Mindy says softly, but we can still hear her.

"I'm her date," Ben says and puts his hand on my thigh.

"Oh, great!" Danielle says and turns away. I let out a breath and watch the lake zoom by. I know where we are going. It's a small, man-made cove off the sh.o.r.e that's perfect for swimming. Or just floating and drinking, in our case. It's about half an hour away from the dock. The girls chatter about wedding stuff, all the while Mindy shoots us dirty looks. Is it my imagination or is she glaring at Ben and not so much me? Ben tells me about some upcoming projects he's working on, and says I've been a good muse.

I take that as a huge compliment.

"Nice Ariel suit," Mindy says when the boat slows down outside the cove.

"Thanks," I say, incorrectly thinking for a split second she's actually complimenting me.

"Are those supposed to be sea sh.e.l.ls?" She peers over the top of her sungla.s.ses. "And where did you find that, the kids' section?" She turns to her sister, expecting her to flash me the same nasty look. Zoey looks down and I know she's torn between laughing and agreeing and not insulting her best friend's soon-to-be sister-in-law.

"They're clams," I say and look down at my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "And if a store put out double-D-sized tops in a kids' section I'd be concerned." I'm not quite a double, but I do fill out a D nicely. Mindy doesn't need to know that, though.

"I like it," Ben says, leaning forward to look at my b.o.o.bs. "It looks good on you."

"Thanks," I say. "Everyone wants to be a mermaid, whether they admit it or not. At least for a day."

Mindy just scoffs and turns around. Jake b.i.t.c.hes at me to get up and help him anchor the boat, since I know how to do it. A few long minutes later, we're ready to jump into the chilly water. Ben jumps in, going under. I slowly lower myself down the ladder off the swim deck.

Legs in. No problem.

Getting my pelvis in. That's a problem. I suck in a breath and go down another step.

"Come in," Ben says, treading water. "It's not bad."

"It's cold!" I protest and slowly go down another step. I'm on the last one. c.r.a.p. Getting my nipples in the cold water is the worst. I mentally count to three then push off the small ladder. I doggie paddle over to Ben, who is holding my lifejacket. I push it under water and use it as a seat. Ben tries to wrap his arms around me and kiss me, but accidentally pushes me off my floaty seat. He catches me and we both go under. Laughing, he pulls me up.

Jake jumps in next, and Danielle sits on the swim deck and dangles her feet in the water.

"Hey, Liss," Jake says and paddles over. "I just realized ... Mindy is the same Mindy who used to bully you in school, right?" I don't want to agree and let Ben know our history. The past is in the past, but it still embarra.s.ses me. And it shouldn't. So my embarra.s.sment shames me. Win win for everyone.

Not.

"I'm sorry. I wouldn't have let her come if I knew."

"It's fine." I brush it off. I can't look at Ben in the eye right now. I want to sink below the surface and never return. Well, I'll return in like thirty seconds. I can't hold my breath very long.

Jake gives me a lopsided smile and I know he genuinely feels bad. Though he's younger than me, he took his role of brother seriously when we were growing up and stood up for me as much as he annoyed me. He turns and works on coaxing Danielle into the water. I grab Ben's hand and pull him into the cove. The sh.o.r.e is rocky and covered in weeds, making it undesirable for beach goers. Which is desirable for us boaters, who like the calmness of the water without the ha.s.sle of dealing with the boat getting tossed into a swimmer.

"Your t.i.ts really do look f.u.c.king fantastic in that," Ben says as we get away from the boat. "They look f.u.c.king fantastic on their own too. You can ditch the top anytime."

"Tonight, baby. They're all yours."

"And sorry if saying I was your date imposed," he says.

"No, not at all." We try to embrace but end up b.u.mping legs as we both tread water to stay afloat. "I wanted to ask you, but wasn't sure if you'd even want to go. I know weddings can be kinda lame."

He nods, agreeing. "Being with you isn't lame."

"Thanks," I say and let my arms fall, giving up on swimming and kissing. I float on my back, spreading my arms and legs out to keep myself up. "I was seriously dreading being stuck at the singles table again since they're not doing the head table with the whole bridal party. Or be put with my parents like a loser."

Ben laughs softly. "You're not a loser now."

"You don't mind going?" I ask, unable to hide my insecurities. "I know you have a lot going on."

"Do you want me to go?"

"Yes. I really do."

"Then no, I don't mind at all. I want to make you happy," he tells me. "And I don't want you to feel like a loser."

I laugh. "That's very considerate of you. And now I'm actually looking forward to the wedding." A weight I didn't know was on my shoulders lifts. Not only do I have a date to my brother's wedding, but it's the best possible date ever.