"I see you came with a bodyguard too," Zeke said calmly. He brushed dirt from his clothes, then glanced at me.
"Sorry," he added softly. "I don't like conflict."
But I could see it.
He didn't like him.
Not at all.
And whatever stood between them—
Was more than just attitude.
"You both need to stop," I snapped. "I don't even know you—and Zack doesn't need your help."
That's when everything changed.
He moved fast.
Before I could react—
He lifted me over his shoulder like I was nothing.
"What are you—"
I didn't even finish.
He walked straight into the lake.
Deep.
Cold.
Then—
He threw me in.
The water swallowed me whole.
Dark.
Cold.
Endless.
I broke the surface, gasping—
Only to be dragged under again.
And again.
Panic hit hard.
The world blurred.
My lungs burned.
For a second—
I wasn't me anymore.
I was her.
Mandy.
Drowning in this same lake.
All over again.
Above the surface, chaos exploded.
Zeke struggled against four guys holding him back, his anger breaking through.
Major charged in with others, smashing bottles, ripping them off him.
"Stay away from my family!" Major growled, stepping right into Zack's space.
Zeke shoved him back instantly.
The tension snapped like a wire.
Back in the water—
He pulled me up again.
I sucked in air, choking, shaking.
Then he surfaced in front of me.
"Never go against me again," he said, low and threatening.
"I'll do whatever I want," I shot back.
He swam closer.
Too close.
His hand slid into my hair, pulling my head back slightly.
And before I could stop it—
His lips were on mine.
Everything stopped.
The lake.
The noise.
The world.
And then—
Something hit.
Not physical.
Something deeper.
Images.
Flashes.
His life.
Mine.
Colliding.
We both froze.
He pulled back instantly.
Fear flickered across his face.
"You're hiding something," he said. "Something you haven't even told your brother."
I narrowed my eyes.
"So are you."
He backed away slowly.
Then disappeared beneath the water.
Gone.
I floated there, breath shaky, heart racing.
My first kiss.
And he vanished like it meant nothing.
But all I could think about was—
What did I see?
"You okay?"
I turned.
Zeke.
Relief hit me fast.
"Yeah," I said, still catching my breath.
We both looked toward the shore.
People were shouting, fighting, losing control.
The fire burned higher.
Wilder.
"I can take you home," Zeke said.
"Yes. Please."
We swam to the edge, staying away from the chaos.
As we stepped onto the shore—
"I'll be right back," Zeke said, rushing off.
I nodded and kept walking.
That's when I heard them.
A group of guys yelling—
At him.
The one from the lake.
He stood there laughing.
Confident.
Untouchable.
"Come on, Davon, that's not fair," one guy shouted. "There are barely any girls here—you've had them all!"
Davon just smirked.
"No, I haven't," he said lazily.
Then he started listing names.
One by one.
Girl after girl.
Like it meant nothing.
Like they meant nothing.
The crowd went quiet.
"What the hell—you just named every girl here!" someone shouted.
A guy stepped forward, furious.
"You were with Cora? My future wife?"
Davon just winked.
"If you want to challenge me… do it."
Silence.
No one moved.
"We all know how that ends," he added.
I stepped forward.
"Then make me the first," I said. "The one you'll never have."
The crowd shifted.
Eyes on me.
Davon's gaze locked onto mine.
"Wasn't I your first kiss?" he said loud enough for everyone to hear.
Heat rushed through me.
Anger.
Not embarrassment.
I stepped closer—
And spat in his face.
The crowd erupted.
"Oh shit!" someone shouted.
A circle formed instantly around us.
Davon wiped his face slowly.
Then—
Licked it from his fingers.
"Got any more?" he asked.
"You're disgusting," I said coldly. "Honestly, I don't know how any of those girls even touched you."
He circled me slowly.
Too confident.
Too aware.
And I hated that part of me noticed how… intense he was.
"Why are you trembling?" he said quietly. "I can tell when a girl wants me."
I clenched my jaw.
"My body would never choose you," I said. "Not even as a first."