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asked without thinking. Shelby and Bit exchanged a quick look and then Shelby smiled sort of mischievously and said, “Definitely. You should definitely come.” I normally wouldn’t have invited myself, but I was ready to get out of the house.
    “So, what’s goin’ on with you and Mason?” Shelby asked, eyebrows lifted.
    “Nothing.”
    “ Um, excuse me, but spendin’ the night in your room together ain’t nothin’,” she gasped.
    “He slept in the chair. It truly was nothing,” I said, a tad regretful.
    “Still got way under Dixie’s skin though,” Bit piped in.
    Good , I thought. I’d meant for it to.
    “But you like him, right?” Shelby asked.
    “Doesn’t matter. He has a girlfriend.”
    “Who—Dixie?” Shelby laughed. “No way. They broke up a while ago.”
    “Yeah, a few weeks before you got here,” Bit added. That was surprising in light of Dixie’s acute possessiveness of him.
    “But they’re still together all the time,” I said.
    “That’s because we’re all friends,” Bit said. “They hang out, out of habit.”
    “Habit’s ass,” Shelby smirked. “Dixie wants him back. It’s why she’s such a bitch to you. He likes you, I can tell. And if I can tell, so can she.”
    The buzzer on the dryer went off and broke up our conversation, changing the subject to who was going to fold the load of towels.
    “Let’s flip for it,” Shelby said to me.
    “I’ll do it; I don’t mind,” I said.
    “She’s got a two-headed coin anyway,” Bitty said. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised.
    Once the cleaning was done, we got into our bathing suits, grabbed some towels, and went out the back door.
    “Russ!” Shelby called. “We’re goin’ swimmin’. I’m takin’ dad’s truck.” He waved, and we climbed in an older model red and white Chevy pickup and drove to a neighborhood about twenty minutes away. Shelby parked in front of a two-story white brick house at the end of a cul-de-sac. We got out of the truck, and I followed her and Bit down the steep asphalt driveway to the backyard.   
    Logan, Cody, and Mason were at the far end of the pool playing basketball. My gut dropped when I saw Mason. Then it hit me; this was Mason’s house. That explained the look Bit and Shelby had exchanged earlier .  The two of them walked over to talk to the boys. I didn’t.
    The pool was a nice in-ground surrounded by a few wicker lounge chairs. I spread my towel across one and lay down, enjoying the sting of the sun soaking into my skin. I was so relaxed that I was close to dozing off when I felt shade on my face. I opened my eyes. Mason bent down beside my chair and smiled when I didn’t say anything.
    “Are you giving me the silent treatment?” he asked.
    “No, I just didn’t want to make everything all about me .”
    He laughed, “So , that bothered you, huh?”
    I narrowed my eyes. “Isn’t that why you said it?”
    “Cali girl, you’ve got to get tougher skin.”
    “Why do you call me that? Why can’t you call me Kat like everybody else?”
    “What’s wrong with Cali girl? You’re a girl from California,” he stated, matter-of-fact.
    “Would you like it if I called you Bayou boy?”
    Mason chuckled, “Bayou Boy? It is catchy though, sorta like Spiderman, or The Green Lantern.” I rolled my eyes. It was nothing like either of those.
    “Alright, alright, Kat it is,” Mason conceded, hands in the air, a beautiful smile on his lips. I smiled back at him. It was hard not to. Suddenly, a wave of water so cold it took my breath splashed across my face and chest.
    “You two looked like you needed some coolin’ off.” Dixie stood beside us twirling an empty bucket with a satisfied look on her face.
    “Dixie , I swear!” Mason threatened. He’d gotten soaked, too.
    “You swear what, Mason?” Dixie glared, still twirling the empty bucket as if daring him to make good on his threat. “You’re at my house hitting on another girl!” Her house. I never would have come if Bit