Emily's POV
Hooking up with your ex-boyfriend's arch-nemesis wasn’t on my summer bucket list, but there I was—soaked, breathless, and rethinking every life decision that led me to this exact moment.
Our lips had been pressed together for what felt like hours and seconds all at once. His lips were warm, urgent, and surprisingly soft for a guy with such a rugged jawline. But the ringing from inside pulled me out of our stolen moment.
I pulled back, gasping slightly. “My phone,” I mumbled.
Adam leaned back, letting his hands slide off my waist slowly, his eyes searching mine. “Go ahead. I’ll wait.”
I padded inside, dripping water all over the hardwood floor. My phone was flashing on the kitchen counter, but when I picked it up, it wasn’t a call like I thought—it was a message. One of those weird, breezy texts my mom sends whenever she’s off doing something fabulous without me.
MOM: Hey honey! Your dad and I are headed to Austria now. Signal might be spotty. Love you!
Seriously? They’d been gone for weeks already.
I tried calling her back, but it went straight to voicemail. Twice.
I sighed, dropping the phone like it weighed a thousand pounds. Of course, she wouldn’t answer. Of course, they’d decide to extend their vacation without even bothering to ask how I was doing.
I grabbed a dish towel and half-heartedly wiped my arms and chest, but it was like trying to dry off with a paper napkin. My skin was still damp and cool, little puddles forming at my feet. I glanced around, considering heading upstairs for a proper towel or even clothes, but something stopped me.
That’s when Adam stepped in through the glass doors, also dripping, holding one of the beach towels from the lounge chairs outside. He tossed it to me casually, and I caught it with a small smile.
“Thanks,” I said, wrapping it around myself.
He rubbed his own towel over his hair and draped it over his shoulders, still gloriously shirtless. Water still glistened down his torso, and I tried not to stare.
“Make yourself at home, why don’t you?” I teased, raising an eyebrow as I watched him pad in like he owned the place.
He grinned, unabashed. “You invited me to swim. The towel service was just a bonus.”
Despite myself, I laughed.
“Everything okay?” he asked, tone softening.
I nodded. “Yeah. It’s just… my parents. They’re in Austria now.”
He raised an eyebrow. “And they always leave you alone in this big house?”
“They tend to disappear on me a lot.” I tried to shrug it off, but the weight in my chest didn’t go away.
He stepped inside, his wet feet leaving prints beside mine. “You’re a terrible liar.”
I let out a breathy laugh. “So I’ve been told.”
There was a moment of silence. The kind that feels comfortable but electric.
“So,” he said, leaning casually against the counter. “What’s next on your ‘I’ve never done this because I dated a controlling jerk’ list?”
I glanced at him, and without even thinking, I blurted, “I always wanted to steal a Hershey’s Kiss from Target.”
He blinked. “Seriously?”
I nodded, biting my lip. “I know it sounds dumb, but… I’ve always had to be this perfect daughter, perfect girlfriend, perfect everything. Sometimes I just want to do something stupid. Even if it’s stealing a piece of candy.”
Adam burst out laughing, and I could tell it wasn’t mocking—it was amused, delighted even. “You? A criminal?”
I crossed my arms. “Don’t judge me. I said I wanted to, not that I did.”
“Oh no, I’m judging you. You’re a total badass, Emily.”
I threw a kitchen towel at him and he caught it effortlessly.
“But hey,” he added, more seriously, “maybe it’s time you stopped doing what everyone else wants. Maybe you start doing things that surprise even you.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”
He smirked. “I don’t know. Cut class. Get a tattoo. Tell someone off. Kiss someone unexpected… hell, sleep with someone unexpected.”
My heart skipped. The air in the room thickened.
My mind flicked back to our kiss outside. My wet hair is clinging to my shoulders. His hand cradling the back of my neck.
“You’re full of ideas tonight,” I said softly.
He took a step closer. “I’m serious, Em. You’ve been stuck in this box for so long… I think it’s time you kicked the sides out.”
Another step closer.
“And what if I don’t know how?” I whispered.
His hand slid around my waist again, his touch warm despite the cool water still on our skin.
“I’ll help you,” he said. “We can do it together. Summer’s just starting.”
There was a beat.
“You still didn’t give me examples of what else I could do.” I tried to break the awkward moment of silence between us.
He grinned, breath warm against my cheek. “Oh, I have a list. But we can take it one rebellious act at a time.”
I let out a breathless laugh. “Good. Start with number two then.”
“Which was?”
“Tattoo,” I said.
He smirked. “Tomorrow. First thing. So can we spend the summer together then?” he asked, voice lower now, more intimate.
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.
Suddenly, I thought to myself, Am I about to hook up with Adam Cooper?
I was still damp from the pool, my skin cooling in the air-conditioned kitchen. He stood there, towel draped over his shoulders, water still beading on his chest. And somehow, that made it worse. Or better. I couldn’t decide.
“You’re still dripping,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
He stepped closer, shrugging. “So are you.”
Our gazes locked, and the silence that followed wasn’t awkward — it was loaded. Heavy. Buzzing. His fingers brushed a droplet from my shoulder, then lingered.
“You want to stop?” he asked, quiet but intense.
I didn’t answer. I just reached for him, and this time when we kissed, it wasn’t a test. It was a decision.