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me.”
    “Fine. Why not?”
    “All right, I hope this is as good as the buildup.”
    “It’s not.” I looked up at the darkening sky. “The short version is my brother-in law came on to me. I told my sister and she took his side.”
    “What?” Macon swam over to me. “Your sister’s husband tried to get with you and she didn’t kick him to the curb?”
    “He convinced her that I was the one trying to seduce him.”
    “And I’m guessing this all happened at a dinner?”
    “It did. By dessert she was calling me a whore. She’d convinced herself that it wasn’t just an attempt and that I’d actually slept with him.” Just saying the words made me so angry I wanted to scream. I could feel tears welling, and I hoped I could play them off as ocean water.
    “That really sucks.” Macon’s voice came from right next to my ear. He pulled me into a hug, while keeping us mostly in the water. “I’m hoping that since you’re staying with your brother, he believes you.”
    “Yeah. Colin knows I’d never do something like that, he also knows my sister’s husband can be a royal jerk.”
    “But your parents sided with her?”
    “Of course. She’s the perfect one after all.”
    “Listen, I can’t say I’ve been in your situation, but I do know what it’s like to disappoint people.” He didn’t let go of me and I was glad. The feeling of his warm body next to mine dulled the ache I felt thinking about how little my family thought of me.
    “And how do you deal with it?”
    “I say fuck them. The only one you need to impress is yourself.”
    “Do you really believe that, or are you just saying it?” The sun fully disappeared, leaving us in only the faintest of daylight.
    “Most of the time I do.”
    I smiled. “Thanks. Most people aren’t that honest.”
    “You can count on me being level with you.”
    “Macon?” I wrapped my arms around myself.
    “Yeah?” he adjusted his hold on me, and his hand moved up under my soaking wet shirt.
    “How am I getting out of this water? It’s freezing.”
    “Wait here.” He let go and ran off toward the beach. He looked up and down the shore. “Ok, take off your shirt.”
    “What?” I gasped.
    “Just do it.” He held out his t-shirt. “You were right about it being freezing, so could you maybe move faster?” I unbuttoned my shirt and took it off. I crossed my arms over my chest as soon as I was standing. Macon looked away, but he held the shirt out to me. I grabbed it and slipped it on as fast as humanly possible. “I’m sure we can find something of Maddy’s for you to change into.”
    “I really hope my brother isn’t still at your place.”
    Macon laughed dryly. “Me too.”
    Darkness set in as we made the short walk home. The night was silent except for some faint laughter coming from a house along the beach.
    We both got lucky. The only one home was Brody when we walked in.
    Brody took in our wet forms. Considering Macon was in his boxers, and I was wearing his t-shirt it probably didn’t look good. “Uh, do I even want to know?”
    Macon grinned. “We just went for a little swim.”
    I didn’t stand around. I went right to Maddy’s room and searched her now mostly empty drawers for something to wear. I settled on a pair of running shorts and a tank top. My bra was soaked through, and I needed something that could work without one. Satisfied I looked halfway presentable, I walked out into the main room.
    Macon now fully dressed sat on the couch. “A little warmer?”
    “Much.” I held out his damp t-shirt. “Where do you want this?”
    “Could you put it on the washer?” He gestured down the hall I’d just come from. I discovered the accordion doors that hid the washer and dryer, and I carefully placed the shirt on top of the washer. I found an empty grocery store bag to stow my wet clothes in until I got home.
    I walked back out, picking up my purse where I left it on the side table.
    “What’s the rush?” Macon